“Paper Man” at LAFF 2009

“This movie is something that has been knocking around for four or five, maybe six years. At the time we wrote it we’d been sort of laboring in semi-obscurity as screenwriters for a while and we’d reached a point where we decided maybe enough was enough and we should quit and give up and go home. Our idea was we’re going to move to Wales and open a small artisinal family cheese farm,” joked Director Kieran Mulroney (with his filmmaking partner Michele Mulroney) at the opening night of the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival. “Before we did we actually decided to write one last script. We wrote the script that has become ‘Paper Man.’ It got found, it got read, and it got sort of embraced. While the tasty world of cheese is maybe poorer, we’d rather be here.”  Starring Jeff Daniels, Lisa Kudrow, Kieran Culkin,  Ryan Reynolds and offering a breakout performance by actress Emma Stone, “Paper Man” follows a struggling writer who forms a strong friendship with an equally lonely teenager girl as he tries to give up his imaginary super hero friend and grow up. At the packed screening, new Festival Director Rebecca Yeldham also gave a thoughful shoutout to Rich Raddon, former LAFF Festival Director who stepped down last Fall, thanking him for his years of work in building up the festival.

From left to right: Film Independent Executive Director Dawn Hudson, LAFF Festival Director Rebecca Yeldham,  “Paper Man” Director Kieran Mulroney, Actress Emma Stone, and Director Michele Mulroney.