They say, after all, that you should write what you know, so perhaps it's no surprise that filmmaker Andrew Okpeaha MacLean's first feature, "On the Ice," is set in Barrow, Alaska, amongst the native population. That's MacLean's hometown, and while the film's dramatic tension is intriguing, what's truly fascinating is the inside look into a part of American culture most Americans know very little about. Qalli (Josiah Patkotak) and Aivaaq (Frank Qutuq Irelan) are best friends and typical teenagers. They're into hip-hop, partying, and bird-dogging chicks. They live in fairly impoverished circumstances, with Aivaaq coming over to Qalli's house on a regular basis, to avoid his mother and her substance abuse problems. It's a town full of kids who don't usually go anywhere, and that's where Qalli is the exception--he's set to leave town for college, while his buddy may have a kid on the way. They're also typical in terms of their culture.
- 6/7/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
They say, after all, that you should write what you know, so perhaps it's no surprise that filmmaker Andrew Okpeaha MacLean's first feature, "On the Ice," is set in Barrow, Alaska, amongst the native population. That's MacLean's hometown, and while the film's dramatic tension is intriguing, what's truly fascinating is the inside look into a part of American culture most Americans know very little about. Qalli (Josiah Patkotak) and Aivaaq (Frank Qutuq Irelan) are best friends and typical teenagers. They're into hip-hop, partying, and bird-dogging chicks. They live in fairly impoverished circumstances, with Aivaaq coming over to Qalli's house on a regular basis, to avoid his mother and her substance abuse problems. It's a town full of kids who don't usually go anywhere, and that's where Qalli is the exception--he's set to leave town for college, while his buddy may have a kid on the way. They're also typical in terms of their culture.
- 6/7/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Having made its world premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, On The Ice is the suspenseful story of two teenage boys growing up in an isolated Alaskan town. Early one morning, on a seal hunt with another teenager, an argument between the three boys quickly escalates into a tragic accident. Bonded by their dark secret, the two best friends are forced to create one fabrication after another in order to survive. The shocked boys stumble through guilt‐fueled days, avoiding the suspicions of their community as they weave a web of deceit.
On The Ice features music from iZLER, a Czech born, English raised composer and multi-instrumentalist, whose current credits include the hit ABC series Revenge and Showtime.s Shameless. iZLER.s score captivates the intensity of the Inuit themed thriller On the Ice, which won the Crystal Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2011. iZLER started his...
On The Ice features music from iZLER, a Czech born, English raised composer and multi-instrumentalist, whose current credits include the hit ABC series Revenge and Showtime.s Shameless. iZLER.s score captivates the intensity of the Inuit themed thriller On the Ice, which won the Crystal Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2011. iZLER started his...
- 6/4/2012
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Despite what they might think, most Americans don't know much about Alaska, aside from "Northern Exposure," "The Grey," and Sarah Palin. "On the Ice," the debut feature from writer director Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, might change that. The drama is set in the town of Barrow, and is populated entirely by non-professional actors all of whom are of native descent. Teenager Qalli (Josiah Patkotak) and his best friend Aivaaq (Frank Qutuq Irelan) are typical teenagers, deep into hip-hop and partying with their pals. They live in relative poverty, but Qalli is on his way out, heading to college in the next few months. But an accident during a hunting trip out onto the ice leaves the two of them holding a terrible secret, one that has a chance to ruin both of their lives, unless they can keep it under wraps. More than anything, "On the Ice," is a peek into...
- 6/4/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Despite what they might think, most Americans don't know much about Alaska, aside from "Northern Exposure," "The Grey," and Sarah Palin. "On the Ice," the debut feature from writer director Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, might change that. The drama is set in the town of Barrow, and is populated entirely by non-professional actors all of whom are of native descent. Teenager Qalli (Josiah Patkotak) and his best friend Aivaaq (Frank Qutuq Irelan) are typical teenagers, deep into hip-hop and partying with their pals. They live in relative poverty, but Qalli is on his way out, heading to college in the next few months. But an accident during a hunting trip out onto the ice leaves the two of them holding a terrible secret, one that has a chance to ruin both of their lives, unless they can keep it under wraps. More than anything, "On the Ice," is a peek into...
- 6/4/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
See the trailer, images and the poster for the On the Ice thriller, starring Josiah Patkotak, Frank Qutuq Irelan, Teddy Kyle Smith, Adamina Kerr, John Miller, Rosabelle Kunnanna Rexford and Sierra Jade Sampson. directs the film which makes its VOD debut on April 24th via Apple iTunes, Amazon, Vudu and other digital services. Pic is produced by Cara Marcous, Lynette Howell, Marco Londoner, and Zhana Londoner and was shot entirely on location in Barrow, Alaska. On The Ice is the engrossing and suspenseful feature film debut by filmmaker Andrew Okpeaha MacLean about two teenage boys who have grown up like brothers go about their lives in the comfortable claustrophobia of an isolated Alaskan town. Early one morning, on a seal hunt with another teenager, an argument between the three boys quickly escalates into a tragic accident. Bonded by their dark secret, the two best friends...
- 4/17/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
See the trailer, images and the poster for the On the Ice thriller, starring Josiah Patkotak, Frank Qutuq Irelan, Teddy Kyle Smith, Adamina Kerr, John Miller, Rosabelle Kunnanna Rexford and Sierra Jade Sampson. directs the film which makes its VOD debut on April 24th via Apple iTunes, Amazon, Vudu and other digital services. Pic is produced by Cara Marcous, Lynette Howell, Marco Londoner, and Zhana Londoner and was shot entirely on location in Barrow, Alaska. On The Ice is the engrossing and suspenseful feature film debut by filmmaker Andrew Okpeaha MacLean about two teenage boys who have grown up like brothers go about their lives in the comfortable claustrophobia of an isolated Alaskan town. Early one morning, on a seal hunt with another teenager, an argument between the three boys quickly escalates into a tragic accident. Bonded by their dark secret, the two best friends...
- 4/17/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Maura Anderson Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, director of ‘On the Ice.’
The tale writer-director Andrew Okpeaha MacLean spins in “On the Ice” may seem familiar on the surface: After Qalli (Josiah Patkotak) accidentally kills a mutual friend of his and longtime pal Aivaaq (Frank Qutuq Irelan) during a morning seal hunt, both characters are forced to deal with the increasingly dire consequences of their decision to cover up the crime.
The film, however, is set in Barrow, Alaska—a region in...
The tale writer-director Andrew Okpeaha MacLean spins in “On the Ice” may seem familiar on the surface: After Qalli (Josiah Patkotak) accidentally kills a mutual friend of his and longtime pal Aivaaq (Frank Qutuq Irelan) during a morning seal hunt, both characters are forced to deal with the increasingly dire consequences of their decision to cover up the crime.
The film, however, is set in Barrow, Alaska—a region in...
- 2/16/2012
- by Kenji Fujishima
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Back in 2008, Alaskan director Andrew Okpeaha MacLean was awarded Best Short at the Sundance Film Festival for his period film Sikumi, about a murder and its aftermath in an Inuit community. MacLean, one of Filmmaker’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film” that year, had set the buzzed-about tale in his frozen Arctic hometown of Barrow, the historical seat of the Iñupiaq people, casting locals and shooting out on the ice in subzero temperatures. (Sin Nombre writer-director Cary Fukunaga lensed the film.) Last year at Sundance, MacLean unveiled On the Ice, a feature-length movie loosely based on the short film; while the basic set-up remained the same, the story had a contemporary setting where hoodie-wearing Inupiat youth striving to emulate their hip-hop icons gambol about town on snowmobiles instead of dog sleds. MacLean shifted gears to jittery suspense as well in order to explore the moral complexities of guilt and responsibility within a traditional culture.
- 2/15/2012
- by Damon Smith
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
On the Ice LLC and Pmk*Bnc Films have released the debut poster for On the Ice.
Directed by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, On the Ice stars Josiah Patkotak, Frank Qutuq Irelan, Teddy Kyle Smith, Adamina Kerr, John Miller, Rosabelle Kunnanna Rexford and Sierra Jade Sampson.
In the isolated, frozen town of Barrow, Alaska, Iñupiaq teenagers Qalli and Aivaaq have grown up like brothers in a tight-knit community defined as much by ancient traditions as by hip-hop and snowmobiles. Early one morning, on a seal hunt with their friend James, a tussle turns violent, and James is killed. Panic stricken, terrified, and with no one to blame but themselves, Qalli and Aivaaq lie and declare the death a tragic accident. As Barrow roils with grief and his protective father becomes suspicious, Qalli stumbles through guilt-filled days, wrestling with his part in the death. For the first time in his life, he...
Directed by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, On the Ice stars Josiah Patkotak, Frank Qutuq Irelan, Teddy Kyle Smith, Adamina Kerr, John Miller, Rosabelle Kunnanna Rexford and Sierra Jade Sampson.
In the isolated, frozen town of Barrow, Alaska, Iñupiaq teenagers Qalli and Aivaaq have grown up like brothers in a tight-knit community defined as much by ancient traditions as by hip-hop and snowmobiles. Early one morning, on a seal hunt with their friend James, a tussle turns violent, and James is killed. Panic stricken, terrified, and with no one to blame but themselves, Qalli and Aivaaq lie and declare the death a tragic accident. As Barrow roils with grief and his protective father becomes suspicious, Qalli stumbles through guilt-filled days, wrestling with his part in the death. For the first time in his life, he...
- 12/22/2011
- by Jamie Neish
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
ComingSoon.net has your exclusive first look at the poster for On the Ice , opening in theaters on February 17. The Andrew Okpeaha MacLean suspense drama stars Josiah Patkotak, Frank Qutuq Irelan, Teddy Kyle Smith, Adamina Kerr, John Miller, Rosabelle Kunnanna Rexford and Sierra Jade Sampson. On the Ice is about two teenage boys who have grown up like brothers in the comfortable claustrophobia of an isolated Alaskan town. Early one morning, on a seal hunt with another teenager, an argument between the three boys quickly escalates into a tragic accident. Bonded by their dark secret, the two best friends are forced to create one fabrication after another in order to survive. The shocked boys stumble through guilt-fueled days, avoiding the suspicions of their community as they weave...
- 12/22/2011
- Comingsoon.net
Exclusive: After debuting at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and then playing over 30 festivals, the Andrew Okpeaha MacLean-directed On The Ice will find its way to theaters early next year. The film will be released theatrically by On the Ice LLC and Pmk*Bnc Films, starting with a platform release February 10 in New York, Los Angeles and Alaska (where the film was shot). On the Ice is a suspenseful drama about two teen boys who grow up like brothers in an isolated Alaskan town. On a seal hunt with another teen one morning, an argument breaks out between them escalates and leads to a tragic accident. The two best friends, bonded by this dark secret, create one cover story after another to survive in a small community that is highly suspicious of what happened. This is the kind of film that often slips through the cracks, but the film utilized...
- 12/7/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival celebrates the latest works by Indigenous peoples in the forefront of innovation in film, video, radio and new media. Screenings, parties and panel discussions attract and connect filmmakers, media artists, programmers, buyers and industry professionals from around the world. The festival which runs in October has just announced their opening and closing films. See the press release below.
(Toronto – August 10, 2011) The 2011 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is proud to announce this year’s Opening and Closing Night Gala Presentations.
Opening on October 19, 2011 at 7Pm at the Tiff Bell Lightbox (Reitman Square, 350 King St. W) is the Canadian Premiere of On The Ice, written and directed by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean (Iñupiaq), which arrives with acclaim from the Sundance Film Festival where it was an official selection, and the Berlin International Film Festival, where MacLean received the Best First Feature award. Closing this year’s imagineNATIVE on...
(Toronto – August 10, 2011) The 2011 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is proud to announce this year’s Opening and Closing Night Gala Presentations.
Opening on October 19, 2011 at 7Pm at the Tiff Bell Lightbox (Reitman Square, 350 King St. W) is the Canadian Premiere of On The Ice, written and directed by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean (Iñupiaq), which arrives with acclaim from the Sundance Film Festival where it was an official selection, and the Berlin International Film Festival, where MacLean received the Best First Feature award. Closing this year’s imagineNATIVE on...
- 8/12/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
It’s not often that we see an entire film taking place in the barren wilderness that is Alaska. When there is an Alaska-based movie, it’s usually a horror film manipulating the isolation and constant darkness factors for the ultimate scare. In Andrew Okpeaha Maclean’s “On the Ice,” Alaska is as stark as we’ve ever known it, but it’s the tight-knit community of people that cause the most trouble here. Best friends Aivaaq (Frank Qutuq Irelan) and Qalli (Josiah Patkotak) couldn’t be more different. Aivaaq lives with his alcoholic mother in a house no bigger than a shack, while Qalli has…...
- 4/30/2011
- The Playlist
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.