In an initiative that hopes to shy away from the usual advertising front, Marriott Content Studio has moved forward with its original programming plan, releasing a new trailer for its forthcoming short film French Kiss, which will debut on May 19, according to TubeFilter.
The film is described as a “mystical romance,” following a career-obsessive young man named Ethan (played by Tyler Ritter) who visits Paris for an innovation conference at the Champs Elysees Marriott hotel. While there, he finds a series of strange, magical clues left by a secret admirer named Margaux (played by French model Margot Luciarte), and begins pursuing her to see if she’s real or not – while catching a glimpse at the beauty of Paris along the way.
The trailer is below:
The film is part of the hotel chain’s new film program, which launched last month with the release of Two Bellmen. With it, Marriott hopes to reach out to millennial travelers, while at the same time promoting its chain of hotels worldwide. It’s a unique take on advertising, telling more of a story instead of just talking about the hotels in general.
The film is the work of producers Ian Sander and Kim Moses from Sander/Moses & SLAM Productions, which also worked on such popular TV shows as Profiler and Ghost Whisperer. John Gray, who executive produced Ghost during its run, directed it.
“I have known Kim and Ian for years and have admired their work as incredible, innovative storytellers who truly engage their audiences,” said David Beebe, vice president of creative and content marketing for Marriott Content Studio. “Much like the rest of their work, the first cut of the film shows the high quality, production values, and special effects that are so important to them and will capture the audience’s imagination. They were a natural fit for us and I am confident French Kiss will prove this collaboration a huge success when it’s released on May 19.”
The partner has proven good to work with for the studio, according to Moses. “Working with Marriott has made me realize even more than ever how exciting the opportunities are outside the traditional Hollywood content system and that the shift going on in the content business is headed for great changes because of the way the Marriott Content Studio is doing business.”
Even the actors enjoyed their time making the film. Said Ritter, “They supported the cast and crew both physically and creatively, keeping their doors open 24 hours a day for the shoot as well as for our stay. When you can wrap a full day of work and then find yourself in your room within to minutes, you know you are in a lucky spot.”
Here’s hoping that Marriott’s filmmaking kick keeps on going. In the meantime, you can see its work – current and upcoming – on its official YouTube channel.