Acclaimed Director Bernard Rose Releases The Hurdy Gurdy Man, Based on the Life of Composer Franz Schubert, Exclusively on Vero

The "Immortal Beloved" and "Candyman" Filmmaker is the Latest High-Profile Creative to Premiere Work on Ad-free Social Network

News provided by

Vero

Aug 21, 2018, 14:29 ET

LONDON, Aug. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Vero, an ad-free social network designed specifically with artists and creators in mind, today announces the release of Bernard Rose's latest project, which is exclusive to Vero.

Combining elements of a horror film and a musical film, The Hurdy Gurdy Man tells the story of the last days of composer Franz Schubert who, faced with an early death sentence, is inspired to write one of his most famous pieces as a Hurdy Gurdy Man in 1820s Vienna haunts him.

Written and directed by Rose, who is a gifted pianist, the film is the first in a series of films Rose is making that capture the essence of some of the greatest composers of all time – all of which will premiere on Vero.

"I want to make a series of classical music videos that showcase a piece of music in its entirety with an engaging and visually dynamic treatment and also put the work in a biographical context," said Rose. "I love this music and feel that it is too often regarded as stuffy and elitist when it is in fact universal, accessible and emotional. Vero has provided a perfect opportunity to present this on their platform and I am excited to show this first episode about Franz Schubert. Future episodes will cover composers as diverse as JS Bach, Chopin, Scott Joplin, Hildegard Von Bingham and Philip Glass."

"THE HURDY GURDY MAN – a short film about Franz Schubert" was filmed on the legendary European Street backlot at Universal Studios and the music was specially recorded at the equally iconic Henson Recording Studios and produced by Bernard Rose himself. The three Schubert pieces featured in the film are:

The main song, "Der Leiermann" sung by THEO HOFFMAN accompanied by RANDY KERBER. The song "Standchen" adapted for cello performed by JEN KUHN and RANDY KERBER. And the "Fantaisie" Op. 103 performed by RANDY KERBER

Vero is fast becoming the platform of choice for creatives wanting to present their work thanks to its beautiful design, the ability for creators to upload high quality video and photography, its chronological feed and its engaged community of creators and fans.

Vero supports artists by helping them pursue what they are most passionate about – creating unique and original content – and providing new possibilities for them to connect meaningfully with audiences online.

The app is fast becoming the platform of choice for artists and creators looking not just to share their work online but build a sustainable, supportive community around it.

Zack Snyder launched Snow Steam Iron – his first project post Justice League - on the platform in September 2017 and Vero has backed a range of projects from emerging and established filmmakers including Max Joseph's Vero Original documentary series Charismatic Thinker, Kibwe Tavares' cutting edge CG / VFX tale Robot & Scarecrow (starring Holliday Grainger and Jack O'Connell), BAFTA-winner Asim Chaudhry's directorial debut Love Pool, and forthcoming projects from a host of young British directors including BAFTA-nominated writer-director Charlotte Regan, Peter King and Helena Coan.

To watch The Hurdy Gurdy Man, download Vero for free from the App or Google Play Store and follow Bernard Rose. https://get.vero.co/bernardrose_x_vero

About Vero

Vero is a subscription-based, ad-free social network that has been referred to as the antidote to ad-driven social media. Vero does not sell their users' information or mine personal data. Founded in 2015, Vero has grown to over 4M users and has been the most-downloaded app in the app stores across the world. Tackling the problem of social media addiction, Vero is also the first social network to roll out usage info that tells users how much time they spend on Vero – a potential encouragement to users to spend less time on it. www.vero.co

About Bernard Rose

Rose is a graduate of National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield where he studied directing, writing and cinematography. Rose directed music videos for UB40, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Bronski Beat, and other bands before releasing his first feature film, "Paperhouse," to critical acclaim in 1988. Since then, Rose has accumulated a diverse filmography including "Candyman" (1992) and "Immortal Beloved," (1994), a biography of Beethoven starring Gary Oldman and Isabella Rossilini. Rose recently completed his Samurai epic "Samurai Marathon - 1855" for producers Jeremy Thomas and Toshiaki Nakazawa which will be released in 2019.

Credits for The Hurdy Gurdy Man:

Leading Cast:
Franz Schubert JON-MARK HURLEY
Karoline Esterhazy KIMBERLY RYDELL
Hurdy Gurdy Man THOMAS L. CHRISTENSEN
Narrator MATTHEW JACOBS

Leading Production credits:
Costume Designer JULIA CLANCEY
Production Designer LAURA LAHTI
Casting Director KARINA WALTERS C.S.A
Director of Photography TAKURO ISHIZAKA
Executive Producer QUINN FORD
Post-production services by LOCAL HERO
Producer MATTHEW JACOBS
Written and Directed by BERNARD ROSE

Contact:
Andrew Ricci
202-930-3293
[email protected]

SOURCE Vero