The Secret Art of Human Flight

2023 American film From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Secret Art of Human Flight is a 2023 American fantasy comedy drama film written by Jesse Orenshein, directed by H.P. Mendoza and starring Grant Rosenmeyer.

Directed byH.P. Mendoza
Written byJesse Orenshein
Produced byGrant Rosenmeyer
Tina Carbone
Benjamin Wiessner
StarringGrant Rosenmeyer
Quick facts Directed by, Written by ...
The Secret Art of Human Flight
Theatrical release poster
Directed byH.P. Mendoza
Written byJesse Orenshein
Produced byGrant Rosenmeyer
Tina Carbone
Benjamin Wiessner
StarringGrant Rosenmeyer
CinematographyMarkus Mentzer
Edited byH.P. Mendoza
Music byH.P. Mendoza
Production
companies
Florida Hill
Vanishing Angle
Ersatz
City Hill Arts
Chicago Media Angels
XYZ Films
Distributed byLevel 33 Entertainment
Release dates
  • June 8, 2023 (2023-06-08) (Tribeca)
  • July 3, 2024 (2024-07-03) (United States)
Running time
107 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
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Plot

After the sudden death of his wife, author Ben Grady falls into deep grief and ends contact with his sister Gloria and her husband Tom. While the widower is on the darknet, he discovers a mysterious self-help book written by an enigmatic guru named "Mealworm" who claims to have acquired the ability to fly. Ben wants to learn this too.

Cast

Release

The Secret Art of Human Flight premiered at the Tribeca Festival on June 8, 2023.[1] In March 2024, Level 33 Entertainment acquired the distribution rights to the film and was released in theaters on July 3, 2024.[2]

The film was one of the first to experiment with "digital live premieres" with KINO,[3] and was released on home video and streaming services on December 19, 2024.

Critical reception

The film has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 29 reviews.[4]

Benjamin Franz of Film Threat called the film "…a staggering, poignant, graceful work of genius..." deeming it "the single most life affirming story you shall experience this year".

Peter Debruge of Variety also gave the film a positive review and wrote, "This high-concept, lo-fi indie drama could have gone spiraling off into insufferably eccentric territory, but instead remains grounded in its focus on a young creative type coping with the loss of his soulmate."[5]

Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com gave the film a 50/50 review and wrote, "Writer Jesse Orenstein and director H.P. Mendoza are good at poker-faced goofiness, and there's a characteristically excellent supporting performance by Sound of Metal star Paul Raci..." but also states "which is not the same thing as saying that it’s a great movie—it’s okay and sometimes better than that."[6]

Best of Lists

  • Best Films of 2024 - Hammer to Nail[7]
  • Top 10 Films of 2024 - True West[8]
  • Top 20 Indie Movies of 2024 - Film-Authority[9]
  • Top 10 Movies of 2024 - Watch or Pass[10]

Awards & Nominations

More information Award, Year ...
Award Year Category Recipient Result Ref.
Eastern Oregon Film Festival 2023 Best Feature Narrative H.P. Mendoza Won [11]
Ouray International Film Festival 2023 Best Director H.P. Mendoza Won [12]
Coronado Island Film Festival 2023 Audience Choice Award Best Film H.P. Mendoza Won [13]
Tribeca Film Festival 2023 Best U.S. Narrative Feature H.P. Mendoza Nominated [14]
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle 2023 The Marlon Riggs Award H.P. Mendoza Won [15]
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle 2024 Special Citation for Independent Cinema H.P. Mendoza Nominated [16]
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References

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