Experiencing Interruptions?

Silverfish

(Grand Jury Award Winner at the San Antonio Film Festival)

Some people use sex for therapy; others go to therapy for sex.

Bill is a middle-aged divorcee convinced that his wife deserted him because he is a premature ejaculator with a micropenis. Desperate to restore his dignity, Bill lands in therapy with Arleta--an altruistic sexologist whose hands-on method grays the moral line between emotional healing and certified prostitution. Shane--Arleta's younger brother and only living family member--has become mired in a secret affinity for provocative parties and an underground subculture that serves to galvanize his otherwise humdrum existence. When Hannah--a progressive and ambitious documentarian--convinces Arleta and Bill to allow that her camera be turned on the private details of their therapy, a collision of eclectic characters ignites one soul-purging journey in this cringingly authentic story about the universal notion that the truth shall set us free.

  • Matthew Thornton
    Director
  • Matthew Thornton, Alex DeLeon, Andre DeLeon
    Writer
  • Denise Thornton
    Producer
  • Erik Mauck
    Producer
    Zombie Girl (Won The Spirit of Slamdance Award)
  • Chelsea Hernandez
    Producer
    See the Dirt (Won Austin Film Festival Best Short; Nominated Edinburgh Film Festival Best Short)
  • Scott Bate
    Key Cast
    Straight to the Bone, Friday Night Lights, Walker, Texas Ranger
  • Rachelle Grossman
    Key Cast
    This is Rachelle's first narrative feature.
  • Grace Marlow
    Key Cast
    Rearview Mirror, Second Impression
  • Matt Thornton
    Key Cast
    29 Light Years, Straight to the Bone, Diagnosis X
  • Anne Nabors
    Key Cast
    The Tree of Life, Jumping Off Bridges
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy, Fiction
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 36 minutes 19 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • INFLUX Film Awards
    Los Angeles and Orange County
    United States
    Not publicly screened for awards
    Best Feature Finalist, Best Actress Winner
  • San Antonio Film Festival
    San Antonio
    United States
    August 4, 2017
    World Premiere
  • AM Egypt Film Festival
    Cairo
    Egypt
    August 28, 2017
    African Premiere
Director Biography - Matthew Thornton

Matthew is a native of Corpus Christi, Texas and an actor/writer/director who has appeared in 4 different television series (1 starring role – Diagnosis X on TLC) and starred in 2 feature films (and many different short films). Silverfish is his directorial debut. He taught film acting with adults for 4 years in Austin, TX, during which time he wrote and published a book on acting (Imitating Life: The Art of Modern Acting).

Matthew maintains strong ties to his Texas roots and remains committed to making independent films in Texas. All of the artists involved with Silverfish are Texas natives and the cast was pulled from places like Corpus Christi, San Antonio, and Austin. The primary goal in keeping with all local hires was to create a unique opportunity for those who dedicated their time and talent to the project.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

We are pleased to announce that our World Premiere at the San Antonio Film Festival landed us with a Grand Jury Prize!

The journey of SILVERFISH is one that, in its broadest scope, explores isolation as a conflict of balancing the pressures of tradition with the desire for community. The story is carried out in two opposing settings – the urban-sprawl of Austin and desert-sprawl of West Texas – and follows four distinct characters through a series of interwoven plots. SILVERFISH evolves through relatable conflicts that are spurred by characters yearning for intellectual and moral freedom, spiritual fulfillment, and the universal struggle to encounter authentic human connection. Each of the four roles is defined by unique traits and circumstances – a blend of funny, solemn, and plain quirky situations – each serving to highlight and connect the opposing strengths and weaknesses of the other three characters. As the characters' lives jostle, they are forced into a psychological struggle for dignity in order to surmount the dead end road of a life lived in isolation.

The cast was carefully pulled together with actors from very different social backgrounds in order to spiral together a collection of multi-dimensional characters with a rainbow of organically colorful behavior. My aim is for the audience to experience, question, and interpret the rights, wrongs, and outcomes of each of the characters we have created.