Event photos by Byron Gamarro - print courtesy of Drafthouse Films.
A dinner party with his ex-wife and her new husband leads a man to suspect that they have sinister intentions for their guests in Director Karyn Kusama’s new psychological thriller The Invitation.
The Invitation divulges the tale of Will and Eden, a once loving couple who split after tragedy took their son and Eden disappeared. Two years later she returns, remarried and with a seemingly new persona. Over the course of a dinner party/reunion in the house they once shared, Will can’t shake the feeling that Eden and her new friends have a mysterious and terrifying agenda. But are the threats real or just Will’s paranoia?
Following the screening on April 3 in the Guild’s Los Angeles Theater, Kusama sat down with Director Gil Kenan (Poltergeist), for a discussion about the challenges of making The Invitation. The Q&A was hosted jointly by the Asian American Committee and the Women’s Steering Committee.
In addition to The Invitation, Kusama’s credits include the feature films Æon Flux and Jennifer’s Body; and episodes of the series Halt and Catch Fire, Billions, The Man in the High Castle, The L Word and Casual. Currently filming her segment of the female-driven horror anthology feature XX, Kusama’s debut feature Girlfight garnered her an Independent Spirit Awards nomination for “Best First Feature” and won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Directing Award at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. She has been a DGA member since 2004.
About the Committees:
The Asian American Committee (AAC) was created as a networking group to provide a forum for interests and issues that concern Asian-American Guild members. Through outreach efforts in the entertainment industry that emphasize career development and skills enhancement, the committee provides a variety of networking opportunities as well as screenings, seminars and discussions with industry professionals. The current AAC Co-Chairs are Kevin Berlandi, Ron Dempsey and Steven J. Kung.
The Women's Steering Committee (WSC) was created to advance the professional interests of its members, and to heighten their visibility and career opportunities in the entertainment industry. The WSC currently promotes diversity through sponsoring networking events, screenings and seminars, and fosters relationships between the members to provide support, mentoring and networking opportunities. The WSC’s current Co-Chairs are Mary Lou Belli, Bethany Rooney and Liz Ryan.
