"Solitude" is written by Harold Monro and performed by Jerod Meagher in this clip from GUYS READING POEMS. The mindbender feature, about a child who survived abuse through bringing poetry to life in his imagination, can be rented or purchased on iTunes now at: https://apple.co/2DGE2dZ For a full list of links and platforms where you can rent, purchase, or view the film, please visit: GuysReadingPoems.com. Subscribe to our channel for more videos about filmmaking, poetry, and more! PRAISE for GUYS READING POEMS: Winner - Audience Award - "Best Narrative Feature Film/Drama" - 25th annual Woods Hole Film Festival Winner - Jury Award - "Creativity in Drama" - 36th annual Breckenridge Film Festival Winner - "Best of Fest" - South Texas Underground Film Festival “[Hunter Lee] Hughes’ film has a universal appeal. By channeling the pain of damaged youth into a unique filmic meditation, he has created a touchstone for anyone who struggles to reconcile these psychic scars within their own life. It’s an interior landscape that can be recognized by almost anyone, of course; and by treating it with candor, acknowledging its dark beauty, and honoring its inseparability from identity, Hughes has given us a movie which illuminates the path to transcendence. Guys Reading Poems is unequivocally an art film, and as such unlikely to achieve widespread success at the box office; but for those of us who appreciate the bravery required not only to confront these difficult issues, but to explore them in such a public and honest manner, it is a much-appreciated effort and worthy of being sought out. It deserves to be called essential viewing.” - John Paul King, The Los Angeles Blade “Life is a puzzle that’s not meant to be solved, just experienced. The same is true of Hunter Lee Hughes’ ingenious feature film, Guys Reading Poems – a majestic, all-embracing account of how a vulnerable young boy learns to glibly mold his childhood suffering into art, tenderness and creative literature. Astutely constructing the motion picture as a poetry-imbued testimony for the transformative power of imagination in relieving pain, the director manages to craft a gripping mindbender that compels the viewer to gasp both in terror and awe of the complex intricacies and repercussions of heartrending art." - Alexander Ryll, GayEssential “A visual poetic experience and jaw-dropping black-and-white thriller that will leave you questioning your existence.” - Ernest Owens, Philadelphia Magazine “As a poet and the creator of the Def Poetry series I was really interested in a movie with poetry as its central theme. I had high hopes but worried so much could go wrong, mostly it could reinforce the false notion that poetry is boring. Well, with this film that couldn’t be further from the truth. The characters are interesting and well defined and the storyline is gripping and magical. The crisp cinematography pulled me into every nuance of the story, but the poetry itself is the best of all its commanding qualities. The poems themselves are thoughtful and complex. Words that I wanted to continually contemplate. They carry the production and never let go. In a succinct sentence, I can wrap this up by saying it is way dope and I wanna see it again.” - Danny Simmons, Poet & Producer (HBO’s Def Poetry Jam) OFFICIAL SELECTION: Palm Beach International Film Festival, Dances With Films, qFLIX Philadelphia (Centerpiece Selection), Woods Hole Film Festival, Breckenridge Film Festival, South Texas Underground Film Festival, Chicago Arthouse Film Festival, D.C. Independent Film Festival Synopsis: A resourceful boy creatively uses poetry to survive after his mother, a disturbed avant garde painter, locks him in a puppet box and builds an art installation around his imprisonment. Director: Hunter Lee Hughes Website: guysreadingpoems.com Year of Release: 2018 Country of Production: USA Runtime: 99 minutes Cast: Patricia Velasquez, Alexander Dreymon, Lydia Hearst, Luke Judy, Christos Vasilopoulos, Rex Lee, Blake Sheldon, Jerod Meagher, Hunter Lee Hughes, Justin Schwan, Jason Fracaro, Vincent Montuel, Gopal Divan, Daniel Berilla, Megan Sousa. Our creative team includes cinematographer Michael Marius Pessah, editor Patrick Kennelly, composer Joachim Horsley, costume designer Shpetim Zero and production designer Nathaly Lopez. Our producing team includes Hughes, Debbie Vandermeulen and Jason Fracaro, along with co-producers Sammy Kusler, Paul Trusik and line producer Bradley R. Bernstein.

Gopal Divan performs the classic poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth in this clip from GUYS READING POEMS. The mindbender feature, about a child who survived abuse by bringing poetry to life through his imagination, can be rented or purchased iTunes now at: https://apple.co/2DGE2dZ For a full list of links and platforms where you can rent, purchase, or view the film, please visit: GuysReadingPoems.com. Subscribe to our channel for more videos about filmmaking, poetry, and more! PRAISE for GUYS READING POEMS: Winner - Audience Award - "Best Narrative Feature Film/Drama" - 25th annual Woods Hole Film Festival Winner - Jury Award - "Creativity in Drama" - 36th annual Breckenridge Film Festival Winner - "Best of Fest" - South Texas Underground Film Festival “[Hunter Lee] Hughes’ film has a universal appeal. By channeling the pain of damaged youth into a unique filmic meditation, he has created a touchstone for anyone who struggles to reconcile these psychic scars within their own life. It’s an interior landscape that can be recognized by almost anyone, of course; and by treating it with candor, acknowledging its dark beauty, and honoring its inseparability from identity, Hughes has given us a movie which illuminates the path to transcendence. Guys Reading Poems is unequivocally an art film, and as such unlikely to achieve widespread success at the box office; but for those of us who appreciate the bravery required not only to confront these difficult issues, but to explore them in such a public and honest manner, it is a much-appreciated effort and worthy of being sought out. It deserves to be called essential viewing.” - John Paul King, The Los Angeles Blade “Life is a puzzle that’s not meant to be solved, just experienced. The same is true of Hunter Lee Hughes’ ingenious feature film, Guys Reading Poems – a majestic, all-embracing account of how a vulnerable young boy learns to glibly mold his childhood suffering into art, tenderness and creative literature. Astutely constructing the motion picture as a poetry-imbued testimony for the transformative power of imagination in relieving pain, the director manages to craft a gripping mindbender that compels the viewer to gasp both in terror and awe of the complex intricacies and repercussions of heartrending art." - Alexander Ryll, GayEssential “A visual poetic experience and jaw-dropping black-and-white thriller that will leave you questioning your existence.” - Ernest Owens, Philadelphia Magazine “As a poet and the creator of the Def Poetry series I was really interested in a movie with poetry as its central theme. I had high hopes but worried so much could go wrong, mostly it could reinforce the false notion that poetry is boring. Well, with this film that couldn’t be further from the truth. The characters are interesting and well defined and the storyline is gripping and magical. The crisp cinematography pulled me into every nuance of the story, but the poetry itself is the best of all its commanding qualities. The poems themselves are thoughtful and complex. Words that I wanted to continually contemplate. They carry the production and never let go. In a succinct sentence, I can wrap this up by saying it is way dope and I wanna see it again.” - Danny Simmons, Poet & Producer (HBO’s Def Poetry Jam) OFFICIAL SELECTION: Palm Beach International Film Festival, Dances With Films, qFLIX Philadelphia (Centerpiece Selection), Woods Hole Film Festival, Breckenridge Film Festival, South Texas Underground Film Festival, Chicago Arthouse Film Festival, D.C. Independent Film Festival Synopsis: A resourceful boy creatively uses poetry to survive after his mother, a disturbed avant garde painter, locks him in a puppet box and builds an art installation around his imprisonment. Director: Hunter Lee Hughes Website: guysreadingpoems.com Year of Release: 2018 Country of Production: USA Runtime: 99 minutes Cast: Patricia Velasquez, Alexander Dreymon, Lydia Hearst, Luke Judy, Christos Vasilopoulos, Rex Lee, Blake Sheldon, Jerod Meagher, Hunter Lee Hughes, Justin Schwan, Jason Fracaro, Vincent Montuel, Gopal Divan, Daniel Berilla, Megan Sousa. Our creative team includes cinematographer Michael Marius Pessah, editor Patrick Kennelly, composer Joachim Horsley, costume designer Shpetim Zero and production designer Nathaly Lopez. Our producing team includes Hughes, Debbie Vandermeulen and Jason Fracaro, along with co-producers Sammy Kusler, Paul Trusik and line producer Bradley R. Bernstein.

Have you ever been single and needed to talk to God about it? Or maybe just demand that God provide you with a new, special someone? Hunter Lee Hughes did just that in this poem from GUYS READING POEMS, a mindbender feature film about a child who survived abuse by bringing poetry to life through his imagination. GUYS READING POEMS can be rented or purchased on iTunes now at: https://apple.co/2DGE2dZ. For a full list of links and platforms where you can rent, purchase, or view the film, please visit: GuysReadingPoems.com. The film is also available for our international viewers on Vimeo at: http://bit.ly/2YSSwlb Subscribe to our channel for more videos about filmmaking, poetry, and more! PRAISE for GUYS READING POEMS: Winner - Audience Award - "Best Narrative Feature Film/Drama" - 25th annual Woods Hole Film Festival Winner - Jury Award - "Creativity in Drama" - 36th annual Breckenridge Film Festival Winner - "Best of Fest" - South Texas Underground Film Festival “[Hunter Lee] Hughes’ film has a universal appeal. By channeling the pain of damaged youth into a unique filmic meditation, he has created a touchstone for anyone who struggles to reconcile these psychic scars within their own life. It’s an interior landscape that can be recognized by almost anyone, of course; and by treating it with candor, acknowledging its dark beauty, and honoring its inseparability from identity, Hughes has given us a movie which illuminates the path to transcendence. Guys Reading Poems is unequivocally an art film, and as such unlikely to achieve widespread success at the box office; but for those of us who appreciate the bravery required not only to confront these difficult issues, but to explore them in such a public and honest manner, it is a much-appreciated effort and worthy of being sought out. It deserves to be called essential viewing.” - John Paul King, The Los Angeles Blade “Life is a puzzle that’s not meant to be solved, just experienced. The same is true of Hunter Lee Hughes’ ingenious feature film, Guys Reading Poems – a majestic, all-embracing account of how a vulnerable young boy learns to glibly mold his childhood suffering into art, tenderness and creative literature. Astutely constructing the motion picture as a poetry-imbued testimony for the transformative power of imagination in relieving pain, the director manages to craft a gripping mindbender that compels the viewer to gasp both in terror and awe of the complex intricacies and repercussions of heartrending art." - Alexander Ryll, GayEssential “A visual poetic experience and jaw-dropping black-and-white thriller that will leave you questioning your existence.” - Ernest Owens, Philadelphia Magazine “As a poet and the creator of the Def Poetry series I was really interested in a movie with poetry as its central theme. I had high hopes but worried so much could go wrong, mostly it could reinforce the false notion that poetry is boring. Well, with this film that couldn’t be further from the truth. The characters are interesting and well defined and the storyline is gripping and magical. The crisp cinematography pulled me into every nuance of the story, but the poetry itself is the best of all its commanding qualities. The poems themselves are thoughtful and complex. Words that I wanted to continually contemplate. They carry the production and never let go. In a succinct sentence, I can wrap this up by saying it is way dope and I wanna see it again.” - Danny Simmons, Poet & Producer (HBO’s Def Poetry Jam) OFFICIAL SELECTION: Palm Beach International Film Festival, Dances With Films, qFLIX Philadelphia (Centerpiece Selection), Woods Hole Film Festival, Breckenridge Film Festival, South Texas Underground Film Festival, Chicago Arthouse Film Festival, D.C. Independent Film Festival Synopsis: A resourceful boy creatively uses poetry to survive after his mother, a disturbed avant garde painter, locks him in a puppet box and builds an art installation around his imprisonment. Director: Hunter Lee Hughes More Info: GuysReadingPoems.com Year of Release: 2018 Country of Production: USA Runtime: 99 minutes Cast: Patricia Velasquez, Alexander Dreymon, Lydia Hearst, Luke Judy, Christos Vasilopoulos, Rex Lee, Blake Sheldon, Jerod Meagher, Hunter Lee Hughes, Justin Schwan, Jason Fracaro, Vincent Montuel, Gopal Divan, Daniel Berilla, Megan Sousa. Our creative team includes cinematographer Michael Marius Pessah, editor Patrick Kennelly, composer Joachim Horsley, costume designer Shpetim Zero and production designer Nathaly Lopez. Our producing team includes Hughes, Debbie Vandermeulen and Jason Fracaro, along with co-producers Sammy Kusler, Paul Trusik and line producer Bradley R. Bernstein.