The Cloud Room Becomes Production Headquarters for Critically Acclaimed Upcoming Film Thin Skin from The Seattle Dream Team of Film-Making
Described as a “love letter to Seattle”, the film will be shot at locations around the city this fall.
Seattle, WA | October 10, 2018 - The Cloud Room, a coworking and cultural venue located in the heart of Capitol Hill, today announced that the creative team behind the new film Thin Skin will locate their production headquarters in the Cloud Room’s workspace. Today’s announcement highlights the organizations’ deep commitment to supporting the local arts and culture community in Seattle. This news follows the recent transition of City Arts Magazine’s operations to the Cloud Room, and the Cloud Room’s ongoing sponsorship of Stranger Genius award winners in the three years since it opened its doors.
Thin Skin features a dream team of Seattle’s film-making and creative talent, including African-American creator and lead Ahamefule J. Oluo, Zimbabwean-American director Charles Mudede, and screenwriter Lindy West. The film is a semi-autobiographical music-infused dark comedy about keeping it together when you're falling apart.
Aham’s days are spent at a soul-deadening corporate job and his nights come alive behind a trumpet at Seattle jazz clubs. As he struggles to climb out of the ruins of his broken marriage, navigate his family, and deal with the reemergence of his “ghost” father, the unthinkable happens: Aham develops a rare condition and his skin literally starts to dissolve. The story is loosely based on Aham’s award-winning Off-Broadway hit "Now I'm Fine".
The film has been described as a love letter to Seattle and will be shot this fall at locations around the city.
“We have been connected to the Cloud Room since its opening, which has been the venue for fundraisers along with countless creative conversations about this project,” stated Mudede. “Making the Cloud Room our production headquarters as we work on the film was a natural next step and one we are looking forward to.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to have the entire Thin Skinteam at the Cloud Room while they are in production,” said Liz Dunn, the Cloud Room’s founder. “I’ve known and respected these artists for years; they are Seattle treasures and I believe this film will put them on the international map. I hope that providing them a work environment with opportunity for both independence and connection with other engaged people across fields will only work to further the creative genius that is sure to take place.”
The Cloud Room will announce various events in collaboration around the production of Thin Skinand release of the film in coming months.
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About the Cloud Room
In its lofty perch above Chophouse Row, located in the heart of Seattle’s arts and music scene on Capitol Hill, the Cloud Roomprovides a warm and lushly appointed shared workspace and cultural venue. The Cloud Room is enriched by the diversity and entrepreneurial talent of its members, many of whom are drawn from Seattle’s deep-rooted arts, music and media industries. In addition to fostering member businesses and entrepreneurs, the Cloud Room is proud to offer a curated event series with local thought leaders, community wellness partnerships, an exceptional bar program and a rooftop lounge overlooking the city.
About the Thin Skin Film Makers
Ahamefule J. Oluo: Screenwriter, Composer, Performer
Aham is a Seattle-based musician, composer, writer, and stand-up comedian. Oluo is a founding member of and trumpet player in the Stranger Genius Award-winning jazz-punk quartet Industrial Revelation, and was featured in City Arts Magazine’s 2013 Future List as one of Seattle’s most promising artists. Oluo has collaborated with such diverse acts as Das Racist, Macklemore, Hey Marseilles, and TacocaT. He was a semi-finalist in NBC’s Stand Up for Diversity comedy competition, and co-produced comedian (and writing partner) Hari Kondabolu’s albums Waiting for 2042 and Mainstream American Comic, for Kill Rock Stars. He was the first ever artist-in-residence at Seattle’s Town Hall, and in 2015 he appeared on This American Life and received a Creative Capital Award. In 2016 Oluo was awarded Artist Trust’s Arts Innovator Award, and the performance of his autobiographical musical “Now I’m Fine” at the Public Theater in New York City was called “dizzying,” “engaging,” and “grand” by the New York Times.
Charles Mudede: Screenwriter, Director
Charles Tonderai Mudede is a Zimbabwean-born cultural critic, urbanist, writer, and filmmaker. Mudede collaborated with the director Robinson Devor on two films, POLICE BEAT and ZOO, both of which premiered at Sundance. POLICE BEAT is a part of the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection, and ZOO was presented at the Directors Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. Mudede is a co-screenwriter for YOU CAN'T WIN, which stars Micheal Pitt and James Hong and will be released in 2017, and is currently the film editor for The Stranger, a Seattle weekly.
Lindy West: Screenwriter
Lindy West is a columnist at The Guardian, a contributor to This American Life, and a freelance writer whose work focuses on feminism, social justice, humor, and body image. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Cosmopolitan, GQ, Vulture, Jezebel, The Stranger, and others. She is the founder of I Believe You, It's Not Your Fault, an advice blog for teens, as well as the reproductive rights destigmatization campaign #ShoutYourAbortion. Her first book, SHRILL,has made the New York Times Best Seller's list. It has been adapted into a television series which was optioned and put into production by HULU.
More information about the movie at:www.thinskinmovie.com