Filmmaker Maurice Haeems Explores Immortality in Debut Sci-Fi Thriller Chimera
(Los Angeles, CA) – December 6th, 2017. Praxis Media Ventures is proud to announce the completion of the science-fiction thriller Chimera, created by first-time writer-director Maurice Haeems, produced by Jay Sitaram and Eric B. Fleischman, and starring Emmy-nominee Henry Ian Cusick (Lost), Oscar-nominee Kathleen Quinlan (Apollo 13), and LGBT-rights advocate Erika Ervin a.k.a. Amazon Eve (American Horror Story).
Chimera is the story of Dr. Quint, a brilliant but disturbed scientist who must freeze his children alive in order to arrest the progression of their deadly genetic disease, while he races against time to cure them by unlocking the secrets of immortality encoded within the DNA of the Turritopsis jellyfish.
“While our story pushes the central character down some very dark paths, we still wanted the audience to see that despite his many flaws, Quint is always driven by a utopian vision and noble intentions,” says director Maurice Haeems.
“This film asks difficult philosophical questions like ‘How far would you go to save the ones you love?’ and ‘Without your family, would you still want to live forever?’,” says producer Jay Sitaram.
Chimera’s intimate yet high-profile cast includes Henry Ian Cusick (Quint), Kathleen Quinlan (Masterson), Karishma Ahluwalia (Jessie), Jenna Harrison(Charlie), and Erika Ervin (Gruze). The children at the center of the plot were very close to the project, as Raviv Haeems (Miles) is the director’s son and Kaavya Jayaram (Flora) is the producer’s daughter.
Chimera is a Praxis Media Ventures production. Written and directed by Maurice Haeems; Producers Jay Sitaram and Eric B. Fleischman; Consulting Producers Eric M. Klein and Franco Sama; Line Producer Ken Golden; Casting Director Mark Tillman; Cinematographer David Kruta; Editors Brian Scofield and Fritz Feick; Composer Aled Roberts; Production Designer Lawrence Sampson.
Inspired by cutting-edge research in stem cells, regenerative medicine, organ harvesting and genetics, Chimera is, at its core, a tale of love and loss, regret and redemption. Chimera is slated to start its film festival tour in the Spring of 2018 and will be released later in the year.
About the Director: Over the last two decades, Mumbai-born and Los Angeles-based Maurice Haeems has enjoyed successful careers in mechanical/fluid engineering, investment banking, and software entrepreneurship. In 2014, Maurice decided to pursue his fourth career (and first love) – storytelling and filmmaking. He returned to school to study screenwriting and directing, and wrote his first screenplay, Chimera. He collaborated with former investors and business partners to raise the capital for the project. Chimera was shot in Fitchburg, MA and will be released in 2018. Maurice continues to be enthralled by advancements in biotechnology, the extension of human lifespans, and the science/fiction of immortality and transhumanism. He has completed the screenplay and begun development on his second feature (The Archetype) which further explores these themes and their impact on the human experience.
For more information about Chimera, please visit the following links:
FILM’S WEBSITE: www.ChimeraTheMovie.com
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/ChimeraTheMovie
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/Chimera2018
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/ChimeraTheMovie
HASHTAGS: #ChimeraTheMovie
