SUNDANCE SUITED Press Notes 2016

SUITED
AfilmbyJasonBenjamin
SUNDANCEFILMFESTIVALSCREENINGSCHEDULE
(PREMIERE)Monday,January25that9:00PM@TEMPLETHEATRE,PARKCITY
(P&ISCREENING)Tuesday,January26that12:00PM@HOLIDAYVILLAGECINEMA2
Wednesday,January27that8:30AM@EGYPTIANTHEATER,PARKCITY
Thursday,January28that10:00PM@HOLIDAYVILLAGECINEMA4,PARKCITY
Friday,January29that2:30PM@PROSPECTORSQUARETHEATER,PARKCITY
Saturday,January30that3:00PM@BROADWAYCENTRECINEMA6,SALTLAKECITY
RunningTime:78minutes
Forpressmaterials,pleasevisit:
ftp://ftp.homeboxoffice.com
username:documr
password:gfPc6u88
PressContact HBODocumentaryFilms LanaIny/VeronicaVanPelt
Office:212.512.1462
Lanacell:917.992.4794 Veronicacell:(323)326-6931
Lana.iny@hbo.com
Veronica.VanPelt@hbo.com
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PressContact FRANKPR
ClareAnneDarragh/StephanieDavidson
Office:646.861.0843
ClareAnnecell:917.364.9438
Stephaniecell:201.704.1382
Clareanne@frankpublicity.com
Stephanie@frankpublicity.com SUITED
AfilmbyJasonBenjamin
SYNOPSIS
SUITED follows its subjects—clients seeking a personalized experience—into the minimalist
officespaceofBindle&Keep,abespoketailoringcompanybasedinBrooklynthatcaterstoa
diverse LGBTQ community and looks beyond the gender binary. Clothier duo Rae and Daniel
take a holistic approach to their work, considering each client’s personal narrative, which
becomes inextricable from the creation of the perfect custom-made suit. From Derek’s
emotionaljourneyashepreparesforhiswedding,toEverett,alawstudentinaconservative
environment,orMel,whosimplywantstolookgoodfortheir40thbirthdayparty—theneed
for well-fitting garments represents deeper meaning around identity, empowerment, and
feelinggood.
Goingdeeperthanfinefabricsandsilklinings,SUITEDtakesamodern,evolvedlookatgender
through the conduit of clothing and elucidates the private and emotional experience
surroundingit.Withheartandoptimism,thefilmdocumentsaculturalshiftthatiscreatinga
newdemand—andresponse—foreachperson’srighttogooutintotheworldwithconfidence.
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SUITED
AfilmbyJasonBenjamin
DIRECTOR’SSTATEMENT
SUITEDbeganonNovember27,2013.ThatwasthedayIopenedtheNewYorkTimesandread
anarticlecalled“TheMasculineMystique”byJohnLeland.Itendtoreadalotofnews,butthis
particularstoryresonatedwithmeinanunusuallypowerfulway.Thearticletalkedabouta
bespoketailoringcompanynamedBindleandKeep,theirgendernon-conformingclientsand
thecomplexrelationshipthatclothingcanhaveforpeopleastheylookforwaystooutwardly
expresstheirgender.Thesuitmakingprocesswashighlypersonalandoftenpartofan
importantjourney.Themomentwhenaclienttriedonafinishedsuitsoundedbeautiful,likeit
wasloadedwithemotionalweightandselfrealization.Thearticlestayedwithme.Itwas
touchingformetothinkaboutanditinspiredmetomakeadocumentary.
WhenthearticleintheTimeswaspublishedIhadbeentheboomoperatorontheHBOseries
GIRLSforfourseasons.Duringthattime,Idevelopedafriendshipwithexecutiveproducers
LenaDunhamandJenniKonner.Imentionedtheideatotheminaninformalwayand
suggestedadocumentary.Theywereimmediatelyinterestedandencouragedmetocontact
Bindle&Keeptoseeifwecouldputaprojecttogether.IemailedRaeTutera,oneofthepeople
quotedinthearticlewhoworkedforBindle&Keepandbegantogetasenseforthematerial
andhowwemightcraftastory.Raewasincrediblypatientandactedasmyguideintothe
worldofgender.
SUITEDisastoryaboutpeople,genderandfashion—andoneclothingcompanyseekingto
redefinethoselabels.
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SUITED
AfilmbyJasonBenjamin
CREWBIOGRAPHIES
JasonBenjamin(Director/Producer)wasborninNewYorkCityandeducatedatTheCity
UniversityofNewYork.HereceivedaBAinSculptureandanMFAinDocumentaryfilm.He
workedasawelderfor11yearsandthenbecameaboomoperator.Forthepast14years,he
hasquietlyobservedawide-ranginggroupofdirectors,actorsandshowrunnerstransformtheir
storiesfromscripttoscreen.SUITEDishisdirectorialdebut.
LenaDunham(Producer)isawriter,directorandthecreatorandstarofGirlsonHBO.In2010,
shewonanIndependentSpiritAwardforBestFirstScreenplayforherfeatureTinyFurniture,
whichshealsostarredinanddirected.In2014,sheandJenniKonnerco-foundedACasual
RomanceProductions.SheandJenniarealsotheco-foundersofLennyLetter.com,which
launchedthisfall.Herbookofpersonalessays,NotThatKindofGirl,waspublishedin
September2014,andsheisafrequentcontributortoTheNewYorker.
JenniKonner(Producer)isawriter,director,andexecutiveproducerofGirlsonHBO.She
beganhercareerasawriteronJuddApatow'scelebratedtelevisionseries,Undeclared.In2014,
sheandLenaDunhamco-foundedACasualRomanceProductions.SheandLenaarealsothe
co-foundersofLennyLetter.com,whichlaunchedthisfall.
ErickaNaegle(Producer)runsACasualRomanceProductions,havingpreviouslyworkedwith
LenaandJenniasaproduceronGirls.It'sMe,Hilary:TheManWhoDrewEloise,herfirst
documentaryandACasualRomance'sfirstproduction,debutedatSundancein2014.
StaceyReiss(Producer)isanEmmyaward-winningfilmmakerwhohaswritten,directedand
produceddocumentariesandlongformprogramsforHBO,NBC,WNETandCNBC.Herfilms
includeSuited(SundanceFilmFestival2016),It'sMe,Hilary:TheManWhoDrew
Eloise(Sundance2015)TheDiplomat(TribecaFilmFestival2015),andIKnewItWas
You(Sundance2009):allwereacquiredbyHBO.SheisalsoproducingTheEagle
Huntress,whichwillalsopremiereatSundancein2016.
CarlyHugo(Producer)producesbothnarrativesanddocumentarieswithherNYC-based
company,Loveless.HerrecentfilmsincludeHBOdocumentariesSuited(Sundance’16)
andEverythingisCopy(NewYorkFilmFestival'15),FiveNightsinMaine(Toronto'15),Mother
ofGeorge(Sundance'13),Bachelorette(Sundance'12),HBOdocumentaryHot
Coffee(Sundance'11),andVeraFarmiga'sHigherGround(Sundance'11).Carlywasthe
executiveproducerofShare,ashortfilmthatwonFirstPrizeintheCinéfondationsectionof
Cannes’15.
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CASTBIOGRAPHIES
DanielFriedman:Sufferingfromtheeffectsofaccidentalleadpoisoning,DanielFriedman
appropriatedskillsfromhisformerarchitecturecareertodevelopauniquemethodofsuit
design.Hiscompanywouldeventuallysupportpeopleofallgendersandgenderidentities
whoseneedswerenotbeingmetbyconventionaltailors.Workinghardtoimprovethelivesof
hisclientele,Danielimprovedhisown.
RaeTuteraisajack-of-all-tradesfromNewYork.Afternavigatingthecis/straightcustom
menswearlandscapein2010asatransmasculineperson,Raefelttherewasauniqueneedfor
atrans/queer-identifiedclothier.In2012,RaeaskedDanielFriedmanforanapprenticeshipat
Bindle&Keep.In2015,RaeopenedageneralstoreinBrooklyncalledWilloughbyGeneral.Rae
wouldliketobereferredtoasRaewheneverpossible,therebyavoidinggenderedpronouns.If
necessary,pleaseuse“they/their”torefertoRae.
DerekMattesonisaregisterednurseinProvidence,RhodeIsland.Heisatransgendermanwho
transitionedfromfemaletomaleaboutadecadeago.ThefilmfollowsDerekasBindle&Keep
makesasuitforhisupcomingwedding,heandhisfiancéevisithisruralPennsylvania
hometown,andhehashisremainingfemalereproductiveorganssurgicallyremoved.
EverettArthurisatransmanandcellistcurrentlyattendinglawschoolinAtlanta,Georgia.In
needofsuitsforupcomingjobinterviews,EverettapproachesBindle&Keeplookingtobuya
fewcustomsuits.Everett'sgenderidentityprovestobeahurdlewhentryingtosecurealegal
internshipintheSouth.
Melissa“Mel”Plautisagendernonconformingcabdriver,urbanplanninggraduatestudent
andwriterinBrooklyn,NewYork.AsBindle&Keepmakesacustomsuitforher40thbirthday
party,shediscussesherbeliefthatgenderexistsasaspectrumratherthanabinary.
GraceDunhamisawriterandactivistfromNewYorkCity.GracecomestoBindle&Keepfora
wintersuitshecan“runaroundin”andweartoprofessionalengagementsandevents.Grace
identifiesasgender-nonconforming,i.e.shedoesnotfeelthateither"male"or"female"isan
accuratedescriptionofwhosheisandthewaysinwhichthatchanges.Graceprimarilyusesthe
pronoun"she"butisalsocomfortablewith"they."Eitherworks.
AidanStarJonesisatransgenderteenageboywhoseBarMitzvahisapproaching.His
grandmothercontactsBindle&Keepaftertheirfamilyisunabletofindhimasuitthatfitshis
needsintheirhometownofTucson,Arizona.
Dr.JillianT.WeissisanattorneyandprofessorinNewYorkwhofocusesontransgenderissues
intheworkplace.SheisatransgenderwomanwhoapproachesBindle&Keepforsuitsthatwill
makeherlookandfeelherbestasshearguesanimportantdiscriminationcaseinfederalcourt.
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AWORDABOUTTERMINOLOGY
Forthesakeofclarity,wehaveattemptedinthesepressnotestobeasdirectaspossibleabout
howeachofthefilm’ssubjectsidentifiestoday.
Forthosewhodonotidentifystrictlywiththegendertheywereassignedatbirth,identitycan
beaprocess;preferencesaboutgenderpronounsshift,expressionsofgenderevolve,howone
relatestogender-andwhethertheyrelateatalltoamale-femalegenderbinary-canchange.
Thelanguagearoundgenderisalsoevolving.Wehavefoundthatthebestapproachistoask,to
followpeople'sleads,andtoalwaysaffirmself-determinationandpeople'sagencywithregard
totheiridentity.Forus,thismeansusingthelanguageourfilm'ssubjectsusetodescribe
themselves.
Itmeansneverassumingthatsomeoneuses"he"or"she"pronounsandrespectingthe
pronounsthatpeopletellustheyprefer.Somepeoplechoosetostickwithmaleandfemale
pronouns;othersfeelthatthegenderneutral,singular"they"pronounisthebestexpressionof
theiridentity.Others,still,optforpronounssuchaszi,zir,andhir.Somepeoplefeelbestonly
beingreferredtobytheirname.
Itmeansmakingspaceforidentities,andthewaywetalkaboutthem,togrowandchange.
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FILMCREDITS
HBODOCUMENTARYFILMS
Presents
SUITED
Directedby
JASONBENJAMIN
Producedby
LENADUNHAM
JENNIKONNER
Producedby
ERICKANAEGLE
STACEYREISS
Producedby
CARLYHUGO
JASONBENJAMIN
ForHBODocumentaryFilms
ExecutiveProducer
SHEILANEVINS
ForHBODocumentaryFilms
SeniorProducer
SARABERNSTEIN
DirectorofPhotography
BOBRICHMAN
Editedby
M.WATANABEMILMORE
ForHBODocumentaryFilms
SupervisingEditor
GEOFBARTZ
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OriginalMusicby
OWENPALLETT
MusicSupervisors
MANISHRAVAL
JONATHANLEAHY
TOMWOLFE
MotionGraphicSequencesby
GRANDJETÉ
Featuring
RAETUTERA
DANIELFRIEDMAN
DEREKMATTESON
EVERETTARTHUR
MELISSAPLAUT
AIDANSTARJONES
GRACEDUNHAM
DR.JILLIANT.WEISS
WILLIAMBARTER
FRANKIEEDWARDS
DR.JUDITHSHEPARDGOMEZ
TIMHOLBROOK
BOB“PAPA”JONES
MIMILESTER
JOANNAMATTESON
ERMAMATTESON
DANIELMATTESON
DEBRAMATTESON
AssociateProducer
ALEXANDRAPITZ
SoundMixer
AUSTINPLOCHER
StillPhotographer
JOJOWHILDEN
AssistantEditors
ALEXPIRRONE
SEANENGVOLD
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AdditionalCinematography
ANDREWDUNN
NADIAHALLGREN
JONATHANFURMANSKI
YARONORBACH
CLAUDIARASCHKE
MIABARKER
PETERCHELKOWSKI
AssistantCamera
OLIVIAKIMMEL
JEFFREYGRIECCI
REBECCAARNDT
MITCHBLUMMER
MARIAMDWEDAR
SEANENGVOLD
RACHELFEDORKVA
MATTHARDING
MATTHENDERSON
AdditionalSoundMixers
JONMOORE
ROBERTSYLVAIN
MediaManager
JULIANFELLER-COHEN
SecondUnitElectrics
ALANHOSTETTER
KAYADILLON
SAMHAITAMROSTOM
ProductionAssistants
RACHELLANG
NATALIEBERKUS
JULIEDOYLE
NORASILVER
LAURENSINCLAIR
THOMASTRINH
MEREDITHFINCH
THOMASBELL
AssistantstoLenaDunham
LIZWATSON
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AssistanttoJenniKonner
CHRISTINABROSMAN
Interns
EMMABLACKWOOD,HANNAHJANECOHEN,REGINACOYLE,SUMMERELBARDISSY,ANNA
HOTTER,FARAHKABIR,STEPHANIEKELLY,THOMASRIVERAMONTES,JAMIEPAWLIK,
SAMANTHAPITZ,CLAYTONWEIRICK
PostProductionManager
ROBERTFORLENZA
MediaManager
JERRYHEER
GraphicsCreativeDirector
HOWARDNOURMAND
MotionGraphicProducer
LOGANHUFFORD
SeniorAnimator
IANROY
Animators
STEPHANIEZAVALETA
MELINDASALVATERA
SoundEditorandRe-RecordingArtist CHRISBERTOLOTTI
FoleyRecordedat STEPPINGSTONEFOLEYSTUDIO
MusicPerformedby OWENPALLETT
SAMRAY
SEANMERCER
SHAHZADISMAILY
WARRENHILDEBRAND
CLARICEJENSEN
DANIELWINDSOR
MusicRecordedby SEANMERCER
WOLFSTREAMMEDIASTUDIOS,
BALTIMORE,MD
KABIRHERMON
MAGICSHOP,NEWYORK,NY
DigitalIntermediateprovidedby BOXSTUDIOS
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Colorist
AssistantColorist
FeatureFinishingProducer
DIEditor
MARCYROBINSON
MARIKALITZ
HILARYJACOBS
SCOTTFRACE
ProductionLegalServices
FRANKFURTKURNITKLEIN&SELZ,P.C.
VICTORIACOOK
SASHALEVITES
ProductionAccountant
SARINANEER
Songs
“WhoKnows”
WrittenbySamanthaBarberaandNicholasRuth
PerformedbyBEGINNERS
ByarrangementwithAllMediaMusicGroup,Inc.,KobaltMusicPublishingAmerica,Inc.,and
SONGSMusicPublishing
"Desdeaquí(milonga)”
WrittenbySoniaPossetti
PerformedbyEmoryUniversityTangoEnsemble
CourtesyofEmoryUniversity
"CelloSuiteNo.1inGMajor"
WrittenbyJohannSebastianBach
PerformedbyClariceJensen
“AtLast”
WrittenbyMackGordonandHarryWarren
PerformedbyDanielaGesundheitandClariceJensen
"Conqueror"
WrittenbyAuroraAksnes,OddSkaalnes,GeirLuedyandMagnusSkylstad
PerformedbyAURORA
CourtesyofGlassnoteEntertainmentGroupLLC
Archivalmaterialprovidedbythefilm’ssubjects.
FeaturingBindle&KeepwebsitephotographybyAlexTroesch
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SpecialThanks
DERRICKABLEMAN
ADAMBASHEER
SUSANBENAROYA
SABRINATURIN-BENJAMIN
JERRYBERGER
AMBERBILLEY
BARBARACAVER
SUSANCLARK
AUTUMNDEWILDE
JUANITAERB
DR.YVONNEGOMEZ-CARRION
ANDREWHEFTER
MARCH.SIMON
KELLYLAWMAN
MIALIDOFSKY
JOYLUBRANO
EDMOSELEY
JEREMYNEWMARK
MATTPARKER
ALEXTROESCH
BROOKLYNMUSEUM
DAPPERQ
EMORYUNIVERSITY
THESHAVEBARBERSHOP
ACasualRomanceProduction
InAssociationWith
LOVELESS
Copyright©2016HomeBoxOffice,Inc.Allrightsreserved.Firstpublicationofthismotion
picture(soundrecordingandfilm):UnitedStatesofAmerica2016.HomeBoxOffice,Inc.isthe
ownerofthecopyrightinthismotionpicture.Thismotionpictureisprotectedbythecopyright
lawsoftheUnitedStatesofAmericaandothercountries.Anyunauthorizedduplication,
copyingoruseofallorpartofthismotionpicturemayresultincivilliabilityand/orcriminal
prosecutioninaccordancewithapplicablelaws.
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