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“EastSiders” is an Emmy-nominated dark comedy about a gay couple and their friends in Silver Lake, Calif. For creator/star Kit Williamson, the seven-year journey of making the series — which began as a $2,000 self-financed project, and ended with its fourth and final season dropping on Netflix back in December — has been an education. Along the way, he’s shared his insights with IndieWire about why actors should consider making a web series, what you need to consider before starting an indie series, his secrets to successfully crowdfunding, and how he sold the series to Netflix. Here is his final take on the series and what he learned from it.

“If it was easy, everyone would do it.”

After seven years and four seasons, my indie series “EastSiders” is coming to an end. It’s been a wild ride from YouTube to Netflix, where the show is now available worldwide, subtitled in more than 30 languages.

Exclusive: The fourth and final season of Kit Williamson’s Emmy-nominated Lgbtq series Eastsiders will be available on Netflix on December 1.

Thanks to a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $140,000 from fans, Eastsiders, a co-production with Wolfe Video, will be back with a fourth season that picks up with the Silver Lake gang one year later. Executive produced by Williamson and his husband John Halbach, who also star, the six-episode Season 4 tackles heavy, adult-world questions like how do two human beings make love last? What does commitment really look like in a long-term relationship? And what unique challenges does a “gay marriage” present?

Cal (Williamson) and Thom (Van Hansis) are back home from Season 3’s cross-country road trip, still a couple but wondering if they are really just best friends with benefits. Douglas (Willam Belli) and Quincy (Stephen Guarino) are engaged to be married, but with very different ideas about what a gay wedding should be.

1966: Peyton Place's Steven prepared for his weddding.

1981: Another World's Sandy took care of Mac after an explosion.

1986: Santa Barbara's Kelly confessed to Nick before their wedding.

1989: Days of our Lives' Steve and Kayla became Gideon and Emily."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into d ifferent and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1966: On Peyton Place, Betty Anderson (Barbara Parkins) and Steven Cord (James Douglas) prepared for their wedding.

1976: On Another World, Emma Frame (Tresa Hughes) urged Russ Matthews (David Bailey) not to drag the police into Sharlene's disappearance.

1978: On One Life to Live,...

1966: Peyton Place's Steven prepared for his weddding.

1981: Another World's Sandy took care of Mac after an explosion.

1986: Santa Barbara's Kelly confessed to Nick before their wedding.

1989: Days of our Lives' Steve and Kayla became Gideon and Emily."All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."

― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1966: On Peyton Place, Betty Anderson (Barbara Parkins) and Steven Cord (James Douglas) prepared for their wedding.

1976: On Another World,...

EastSiders is back!

Created by director and star Kit Williamson, the critically-acclaimed Lgbt web series returns for its anticipated six-episode third season later this fall, and only Et has the exclusive first look at the new season.

After a successful Kickstarter campaign (with over $80,000 raised!) and two Daytime Emmy nominations, EastSiders will debut with brand new episodes on Tuesday, Nov. 28. The episodes will be available on DVD through Wolfe Video and digital platforms like Vimeo, Amazon Video, Google Play, iTunes and WolfeOnDemand.com.

The new season, which centers on a country-wide road trip, will feature returning players Constance Wu (Fresh Off the Boat), Wilson Cruz (My So-Called Life, Star Trek: Discovery), Stephen Guarino (I’m Dying Up Here) and RuPaul’s Drag Race star William Belli.

Related: Season 2 of Critically-Acclaimed Lgbt Webseries 'EastSiders' Looks 'F***ing Amazing'

Et exclusively premieres the official season three poster, which has the simple tagline: “Best. Road. Trip. Ever...

For those of you genre fans out there always on the lookout for interesting horror and sci-fi films to enjoy from the comfort of your own home, March’s VOD selections feature several great indie movies that should make for some entertaining viewings this month.

Ava’s Possessions, a film I really dug out of last year’s SXSW Film Festival, is finally making its way onto VOD this Friday and Emelie, the babysitter thriller from Dark Sky Films, is also getting a digital release that day. Other titles arriving on VOD in early March include The Wave, Road Games and Camino.

The month’s VOD titles are being capped off by a film that I’ve been excited to see for some time, Baskin, which is being released by IFC Midnight on March 25th. Other notable VOD titles for March include Dudes & Dragons, You’re Killing Me, A Haunting...

The final season of SyFy’s Haven is coming to Blu-ray on April 19th. Also in this round-up: early access details for Free Range Games’ Labyrinth, a clip from You’re Killing Me, a new Model Hunger trailer, and details on Nitehawk Cinema’s St. Patrick’s Day screening of Leprechaun.

Haven: The Final Season: Press Release: “This April, The Town Of Haven Hurtles Towards A Cataclysmic Showdown In The Startling Final Episodes Of Syfy’S Popular Series

Haven: The Final Season

Street Date: April 19, 2016

Blu-ray/DVD Srp: $49.98/$39.98

The Loaded 4-Disc Set Features the Final 13 Broadcast Episodes, and Hours of Bonus Features Including a Mythology Refresher, 13″Inside Haven” Featurettes, Livestream Segments with the Cast & Crew,13 Commentary Tracks, Interviews with Eric Balfour, Lucas Bryant, William Shatner, Adam Copeland and More!

Program Description

For five eye-opening seasons, fans tuned into the hit Syfy series “Haven”, based on Stephen King’s...

Gay Horror-Comedy You’Re Killing Me Posts Trailer and Release

You’Re Killing Me, an intriguing and unusual mix of horror and romantic comedy, will be released through Wolfe Video on DVD and VOD on March 8, 2016. George (Jeffery Self), a narcissistic wannabe internet star, starts dating Joe (Matthew McKelligon), a monotone serial killer. While all of George’s friends agree that Joe seems a bit ...

Hnn | Horrornews.net - Official News Site...

In this round-up, we have details as well as several photos for Sideshow's T-45 collectible figure from the popular RPG video game Fallout 4. Also: acquisition details for Sleight, You're Killing Me release info and a Villainous teaser trailer.

Fallout 4 Figure: "Sideshow and Threezero are excited to announce the T-45 Fallout 4 Collectible Figure. The T-45 stands approximately 14.5 inches tall with incredible details and over 35 articulated parts. Featuring an interchangeable male head and helmet that includes Led light-up functions. All outer-armor pieces are detachable and weathered with incredible paint application based on the appearance in the video game."

The T-45 Fallout 4 figurine has a retail price of $380.00 and is expected to ship July 2016 - September 2016. To learn more, visit:

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/collectibles/fallout-4-t-45-threezero

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Sleight: Press Release: "Park City, Ut (January 28th, 2016) - WWE Studios and Blumhouse Productions announced today that they have acquired all worldwide rights to the Sundance film Sleight.

Read More: Exclusive: Wolfe Releasing Acquires Gay Coming-Of-Age Drama 'Henry Gamble's Birthday Party' Wolfe Releasing has acquired the distribution rights to writer-director Jim Hansen's "You're Killing Me," an Lgbt comedy-horror film that has played at numerous horror festivals throughout the year. The deal gives Wolfe Releasing all worldwide rights to the film, and the company is planning a 2016 spring release on DVD, VOD, cable and additional digital platforms. "You’re Killing Me" stars Jeffery Self as an internet comedy star whose friends are so steeped in irony and sarcasm they don’t know a serial killer when they meet one. When George’s handsome new boyfriend (Matthew McKelligon) tells him he’s a murderer, George thinks it’s a joke and plays along. As George's friends start disappearing one by one, the remaining group takes matters into their own hands. Drew Droege, Jack Plotnick, Mindy Cohn and Bryan Safi co-star.

Last year we were happy to share the web series EastSiders right here on TheBacklot. The dark comedy starring Van Hansis (As the World Turns) and Kit Williamson (Mad Men) made its cable broadcast debut as a feature film on LogoTV, scored wins at both the Indie Series Awards and La Web Fest, received a Satellite Award, spawned a web comic and was eventually released on DVD and VOD by Wolfe Video.

We were wondering if the cast and crew might reunite for more episodes of this great series and– great news– EastSiders will indeed begin shooting a second season this Summer!

A Kickstarter campaign was launched today to finance the new episodes. (The first season was also funded via Kickstarter, reaching it’s goal in just four days and nearly doubling it by the end of the campaign.) The goal for filming a second season has been set at...

It’s time to say goodbye (for now) to Van Hansis, Kit Williams, Matthew McKelligon, Stephen Guarino, and all their Silver Lake pals.

In this final episode of the LogoTV.com web series EastSiders’ first season, we arrive at moving day; Kathy and Ian work it out, and Cal gets his life together and attempts to say goodbye to Thom with dignity. Thom wakes up in Jeremy’s apartment and makes a surprising discovery. Also: Thom and Cal finish packing, and a mysterious discovery is made.

Raise your mug of Intelligentsia coffee in the air. It’s the finale!

The post Video: The Final Episode Of “EastSiders” Season One! appeared first on thebacklot.com.

A new web series is taking a dark, comic look at one gay couple's relationship.

In "EastSiders," writer/director Kit Williamson stars as Cal, a gay man who discovers his boyfriend Thom (Van Hansis, best known for his work on "As The World Turns") has been cheating on him with Jeremy (Matthew McKelligon).

The series' second episode, which premiered Dec. 21, features a hilarious "end of the world" bash hosted by guest star Stephen Guarino ("Happy Endings).

Read more about the series here.

A new web series is taking a dark, comic look at one gay couple's relationship.

In "EastSiders," writer/director Kit Williamson stars as Cal, a gay man who discovers his boyfriend Thom (Van Hansis, best known for his work on "As The World Turns") has been cheating on him with Jeremy (Matthew McKelligon).

The series' second episode, which premiered Dec. 21, features a hilarious "end of the world" bash hosted by guest star Stephen Guarino ("Happy Endings).

Read more about the series here.

The new web series Eastsiders premieres on Friday, December 14th, and gives As The World Turns star Van Hansis a chance to shine as one half of a troubled couple:

What happens after the world ends? Written and directed by award winning playwright Kit Williamson, EastSiders explores the aftermath of infidelity on a gay couple in Silverlake. When Cal (Kit Williamson) finds out Thom (Van Hansis) has been cheating on him with Jeremy (Matthew McKelligon), their relationship is turned upside down. Will the lies tear them apart or are they just stubborn enough to stay together forever? Drunken outbursts and double standards abound in this dark comedy about the sad and funny messes we make out of our lives. Cal’s best friend Kathy (Constance Wu) is always there for him with a bottle of whiskey in her purse, but she has her own problems with her nice guy boyfriend...