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Posted on Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 5:06 a.m.

'Her Telling Heart,' a feminist film retelling of Poe's 'Telltale Heart,' to premiere at the Michigan

By AnnArbor.com Staff

“Her Telling Heart,” an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s Gothic classic “The Telltale Heart,” is a short film by writer/director Heidi Elizabeth Philipsen-Meissner (also known as Eli Meissner), in conjunction with local executive producers David Nacht and Dale Philipsen, featuring Michigan actors Heidi Philipsen and Grant Krause (of the Purple Rose Theatre and "Machine Gun Preacher"). The film will be unveiled at a gala celebration in Ann Arbor in October, just in time for local Halloween festivities.

Featuring guest host and emcee Lindy Lenk, the alumni and continuing education director of the Motion Picture Institute of Michigan, and celebrated local actress Barbara Coven-Ellis, the gala celebration will take place on Saturday, October 6 (the weekend of Poe’s deathday), from 1-4 p.m. at the historic Michigan Theater in downtown Ann Arbor.

Tickets to the event, which includes a post-film panel discussion with the director and V.I.P. cast and crew from the film (including director of photography Patrick Elliot and lead actress Heidi Philipsen), as well as a post-screening upstate indie film industry mixer, can be purchased for $10 ($8 seniors/students, and $7.50 for Michigan Theater members) through Michigan Theater’s ticketing service, either online or in person (www.michtheater.org).

“Her Telling Heart,” a short film, shot on the Red One digital camera is a cinematic celebration of author Edgar Allan Poe, filmmaking, and Michigan film industry talent.

Indeed, many Michigan professionals (Personae Entertainment, Diakonia Productions, and the Motion Picture Institute of Michigan) teamed up on behalf of Meissner’s directorial vision to take a very bold step - retelling one of Poe’s best-known tales in a new and female-centered way, offering both a different twist and a female lead character.

“I’m especially thrilled,” said Meissner in a press release. “Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘Telltale Heart’ has always been one of my favorite films - and I’m elated to be able to bring it back to screen [from New York] in the theater where I spent much of my childhood watching films and dreaming about making movies.”

The film’s director of photography, Elliot, and director, Meissner, have both previously won awards. The new film features a layered narrative and is being produced by Personae Entertainment, Ltd., under fiscal sponsorship by New York Women in Film & Television, as well as sponsorship by the Motion Picture Institute of Michigan and Upstate, New York’s leading organization for independent filmmakers, Upstate Independents. The intent for the film is to gain educational distribution after running the film festival circuit.

Thus far, "Her Telling Heart" has won best performance and experimental film at the Park City Film Music Festival in Park City, Utah; was an official selection in the New York Women in Film & Television Summer Shorts Program in New York City; was an official selection in the Asbury Shorts Film Concert in Albany, NY; and was an official selection in the Salty Horror Film Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Anyone wishing to remain updated is encouraged to sign up for updates for "Her Telling Heart" on Facebook or contact the creators via www.hertellingheart.com