Ailing Emmy Award-winning writer/producer Michael Reaves is heading to the Cannes International Film Festival in France help market his vampire-themed film “Blood Kiss.”“I’m thrilled to bring our vision for ‘Blood Kiss’ to Cannes and bring it one step closer to fruition,” said Reaves, who communicates through an electronic voice on his laptop after losing his ability to speak due to Parkinson’s Disease.
“So far we’ve received a lot of support for the film and we want to bring some of that energy to this great film festival.”
Reaves will be joined by the “Blood Kiss” producing team at the annual festival taking place May 14 to 25 in the south of France.
The film has been getting much attention in part because award-winning author/screenwriter Neil Gaiman, will be making his acting debut in the film. He is known for the popular graphic novel “Sandman,” and the films “Beowulf,” and “Coraline.” Also joining the team will be acclaimed comic book artist Tom Mandrake who will create original artwork for the film.
“We’re excited to have Michael and Tom join us and our other colleagues in Cannes where we hope to take a next step with ‘Blood Kiss,’” said Daniela Di Mase, the film’s producer, who is seeking distribution for the film.
“Michael has Parkinson’s and is impacted by it, but he is dedicated and committed to this film and we’re grateful that he will come with us to share his vision for the film with our colleagues at Cannes.”
Reaves is known for his prolific writing and producing which included scripts for such shows as “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Sliders,” “The Flash,” “Father Dowling Mysteries,” and many others. He has also received an Emmy Award, the Howie Award as well as the prestigious Hampton’s Prize, along with nominations for various other awards. But in recent years, Reaves’ health has been impacted by Parkinson’s Disease, forcing the once vibrant and active writer/producer to lose his voice and some of his mobility.
“Blood Kiss” is set in 1940s Hollywood with a classic film noir tale of a sexy jazz singer in distress and a private investigator who gets a little more than he bargained for when he takes on a case involving mysterious vampires.
It was just last June that Reaves’ friends rallied behind him to raise funds via Kickstarter.com to produce the film from a script he had written years earlier. With Reaves’ declining health, his friends felt this would be a great way to show their appreciation and fulfill his dream of bringing “Blood Kiss” to the silver screen.
“Michael is a very talented and imaginative writer and we all agreed that ‘Blood Kiss’ is a great story needs to be told on film,” Di Mase said.
Today, with more investors on board, the film is set to begin shooting this summer with release tentatively set for next year. For more information, please visit www.BloodKissMovie.com.