The First Ever Feature Film NFT, "Five Families," Goes Live For Auction

Table of Contents

• Films Venturing Into NFT, A Natural Progression
• The Five Families Journey
• Adam Cushman On Five Families
• Rave Reviews For Five Families
• Winners Of Auction Unlock Extra Benefits

British actor and screenwriter Laurence Fuller launched the first feature film NFT on the digital asset marketplace, Open Sea. Fuller believes that this first-of-a-kind NFT will bridge the gap between the film and the NFT world. 

The actor tweeted the launch announcement on April 9th:

"FIVE FAMILIES: We are launching the first Feature Film NFT, and we hope it will inspire a movement. NFTs have disrupted the art world, now people are calling for film to step in, we agree."

Fuller says that the idea behind the NFT comes from a place of wanting to make art and tell stories in the spirit of true independent filmmaking. The auction is live till April 16th. 

Films Venturing Into NFT, A Natural Progression

Five Films Team offers participants the opportunity to be a part of the filmmaking process through the crypto and Blockchain world. Filmmakers have a lot of potential in the NFT space. Artists can create something on their terms and make films they want to make.

Independent filmmaking has been a wild west sector, states Fuller. It can take years to find success even with a world-class script unless artists and creators chance upon an opportunity that could change your life. The likelihood of that happening is low.

Fuller believes that the way to a film's success shouldn't be this complex but should instead be based on meritocracy. He hopes that blockchain technology will provide an organized system to the film development process: projects with merit can gain traction and build a community of participants who will support the project to its success. 

The Five Families Journey

Five Families began its life as a short film and a festival favorite. The movie plays with timely themes of police corruption and the new generations surpassing the old weaved in with authentic cinematography. 

The screenplay was written by film director, producer, screenwriter, and author, Adam Cushman. It stars Barry Primus (The Irishman), David Proval (The Sopranos), Christopher Redman (The Purge), Laurence Fuller (Road To The Well), and newcomer Joe Blute. 

Joe Blute was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Award in the film. The film focussed on the Mafia is unique in the drama, the storytelling, and the performances that drive the narrative. 

Adam Cushman On Five Families

Cushman was thrilled to journey into NFTs according to his statement about the film:

 "When the guys approached me with the idea of making movies through the NFT community, I got excited. No profit margins, development meetings, casting ultimatums, turnaround, or any of the typical bullshit that goes on in the world of traditional movie making, just art generating art in a community of artists and art lovers. I'm thrilled to be connecting with the NFT community in the creation of Five Families."

The story is close to Cushman's heart and began as a short film two years ago. Five Families is about the last generation of Jewish career criminals. The characters exist on the fringes of organized crime in Southern California, but for the most part, labored among the middle class.

The film covers the themes of family, heredity, darkness, inner violence, history, and identity and focuses on the current situation of police violence against civilians. Cushman further adds,

"It asks who the real criminals are in a time where law and order has been turned upside down." 

Rave Reviews For Five Families

Fuller lauds Adam Cushman's vision saying that it is savagely poetic and nuanced yet is unrelenting with its tension, akin to that of Animal Kingdom or The Irishman. He points out that the compelling script blends a poetic literary style with a traditional gangster film aesthetic. Fuller says, 

"There's no doubt the themes in this piece regarding our relationship to the police and when lines are crossed is incredibly timely. I loved working with Adam on this and the feature screenplay that he sent me afterwards takes the story to another level entirely. How he managed to the underworld with such poetry is beyond me." 

Film Threat, an online publication that focuses on independent films, reviewed the movie and stated,

"Five Families finds its drama without the need for hits, beating, and gunplay. For a mafia film, acting is its primary medium… Well worth ten quick minutes of your time."

Eye For Film is a review publication that covers blockbusters, short films, festivals, and cinema, that reviewed Five families to say,

"A tense and terse little piece, Five Families sits somewhere around a genre I'll call 'upstate noir'. The slightly more than suburban desperation of The Place Beyond The Pines, the rust and regret of Blue Ruin, the tinnitus and tedium of Copland."

Winners Of Auction Unlock Extra Benefits

There are 14 NFTs that include stills of the movie and posters. Each NFT includes unlockable content such as a link to an HD copy of the short film, a signed copy of the script, tickets to the premiere, access to the online premiere, a copy of the poster signed by the cast and crew, music from the soundtrack, storyboards and more. 

NFT winners will also get a signed DVD/Bluray and Digital copy of the film upon completion. All rewards are valid for one year after the release date of the film.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.