Rotterdam Exclusive: Clip From Nathan Silver And Mike Ott's 'Actor Martinez' Casts A Girlfriend

Actor MartinezNathan Silver and Mike Ott are two of the most prolific indie filmmakers working today — and these guys are the real deal. They each have about five features each under their belts, and continue to make boundary-pushing cinema that exemplifies the independent spirit. We’re fans of each director’s work, particularly Ott’s “Lake Los Angeles,” and Silver’s “Uncertain Terms.” So it makes perfect sense that the two would eventually cross paths, and now, they’ve started collaborating too. The result is “Actor Martinez,” which looks to be a delightfully meta film, about Arthur Martinez, a Denver-based actor who hires two independent filmmakers to make a film starring him. 

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We’ve had quite a week of mainstream indie fare bowing at Sundance, but today, the Rotterdam Film Festival starts up, where “Actor Martinez” is due to unveil tomorrow, preceded by one of Silver’s short films, "Riot." Today we’ve got an exclusive clip from the film, and a look at the poster, designed by Ott. The film looks to be a blend of doc and fiction, or at least a lightly fictionalized universe, with Ott and Silver playing the indie filmmakers. In the clip below you’ll see a scene in which the two “cast” a girlfriend for Arthur. 

Check out the clip and poster below, and here’s the official synopsis.  

Being in show business is tough, but being an actor in Denver is tougher, so when performer and full-time computer repairman, Arthur Martinez, hires two indie filmmakers to make a feature film with him as the lead, he realizes he’s in over his head. “You guys have ruined my life,” Arthur says one moment immediately following with, “This is the best film I’ll ever be in.” The filmmakers scrap the genre film Arthur had intended them to make — instead quickly designing an entirely new project based around his real-life persona, which becomes more and more elusive as the production steams ahead. Once Arthur realizes what the filmmakers are up to, his protective measure is to hide behind a mask, keeping the filmmakers questioning: are any of Arthur’s moments on camera truthful or is it all just a performance in the end?

"Actor Martinez" premieres January 28th at 6:45 PM in the Pathé Theater as part of the Rotterdam Film Festival. 

Actor Martinez Poster