Experiencing Interruptions?

Brute Sanity

An FBI-trained neuropsychologist teams up with a thief to find a reality-altering device while her insane ex-boss unleashes bizarre traps to stop her.

  • Sam Vanivray
    Director
  • Sam Vanivray
    Writer
    "Enough to be Dangerous"
  • Sam Vanivray
    Producer
    "Enough to be Dangerous"
  • Adjovi Koene
    Key Cast
    "Aster and Sidney", "Unraveled" (TV Series), Thirsty (stage)
  • Steven Lawlor-Jones
    Key Cast
    The Ungovernable Force, "Idioms Origins Another Tale", "Transsexuals from Space"
  • Ara Woland
    Key Cast
    "12 Kilometers", Pinsky, Welcome Home
  • Daniel Baek
    Key Cast
    Stronger, "Enough to be Dangerous"
  • Mai Delapa
    Key Cast
    DJ Stan Da Man, Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
  • Mike Weiner
    Key Cast
    Space People, Space People 2, Paragods (TV Series)
  • Amy Stahl
    Key Cast
    W.U.M.E.., ETN Weekly Entertainment Wrap-Up
  • Sam Vanivray
    Key Cast
    "Enough to be Dangerous", Live by Night
  • Mikaela Happas
    Key Cast
    Disposable, Central Intelligence
  • Joshua Rajman
    Key Cast
    Hair (stage), Rent (stage), "Enough to be Dangerous"
  • Tejas Patel
    Key Cast
    Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Thriller
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 21 minutes 23 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 9, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    25,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Chemical Film Festival
    Rowlett TX
    United States
    February 26, 2017
    Winner: Best Production
  • Leah’s Indie Film Series @ Soundstage 909
    Portsmouth NH
    United States
    April 13, 2017
  • Motor City Nightmares International Film Festival
    Novi, MI
    United States
    April 29, 2017
    Michigan premiere
    Finalist Sci-Fi Feature
  • International Horror Hotel
    Hudson, Ohio
    United States
    June 17, 2017
    Winner: 2nd Place Sci-Fi Feature
  • DonQuest
    Doncaster
    United Kingdom
    May 27, 2017
    UK Premiere
    Winner: Special Recognition Award. Finalist: Best Feature Film, Best Director
  • Crypticon Kansas City
    St Joseph, MO
    United States
    July 15, 2017
    Kansas City Premiere
    Winner: Best Sci-Fi Masterpiece Feature
  • Westercon 70
    Tempe, AZ
    United States
    July 1, 2017
    Arizona Premiere
    Winner: Jury Award for Feature Film
  • Something Wicked Film Festival
    Atlanta
    United States
    August 5, 2017
    Georgia Premiere
    Winner: Best Feature Film, Best Female Actor in a Feature Film
  • Escape Velocity
    Washington, DC
    United States
    September 1, 2017
    Washington, DC Premiere
  • Cinema New York
    New York City
    United States
    September 4, 2017
    New York Premiere
    Winner: Best Thriller Film
  • Newark International Film Festival
    Newark, NJ
    United States
    September 8, 2017
    New Jersey Premiere
    Nominated for Best Feature Film
  • Buffalo Niagara Film Festival
    Buffalo, NY
    United States
    September 20, 2017
  • Unreal Film Festival
    Memphis, TN
    United States
    September 22, 2017
    Tennessee Premiere
  • Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival
    Somerville, MA
    United States
    February 12, 2018
    Boston Premiere
Distribution Information
  • Summer Hill Entertainment
    Country: Worldwide
Director Biography - Sam Vanivray

As a child Sam Vanivray possessed a few innocent dreams, such as creating robots and making films. After establishing a career in robotics, Sam restarted the filmmaking part of his life. He wrote and starred in the short film "Enough to be Dangerous," which screened in 2015 at Buffalo Niagara International Film Festival and the Hot Springs Horror Festival. BRUTE SANITY is his directorial debut.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The hero of BRUTE SANITY is Keradin, a kick-ass woman as good at neuropsychology as she is at gunfighting. The former skill is related to her academic career, the latter to her FBI career. Adjovi Koene really nailed the character with depth and intensity.

The story is about perception of reality and scientific progress. Amidst those themes, the film is intended to be weird, but fun, with crackling dialogue. There's another issue with "perception" as well: Keradin struggling with commitment to careers, education, relationships, etc. Knowing when to finish and when to quit is something I have had to deal with (this film would not be finished if I hadn't!) and I've observed many others who struggle with it.

Steven Lawlor-Jones plays the villain, Maskin, an FBI Special Agent in Charge, representing the oppression of science. Keradin wants to research the otherwordly artifact that causes manifestations and hallucinations, but Maskin wants to keep it for himself to control others.

I've been reading cognitive science and philosophy of mind for many years, and what I used in this film is a scientific theory that perception is an interface* by the cognitive scientist Donald D. Hoffman. The character Donald—played brilliantly by Ara Woland—is named after him. This layer of the film is somewhat like Flatland—the famous 1884 story about a 2D square discovering 3D "Spaceland." My fictional other world is called Superreality since our known reality is a subset. So, please join me, fellow "squares," and let Brute Sanity entertain you with its magic.

* http://cogsci.uci.edu/~ddhoff/interface.pdf