#Xenia Leblanc

[fearsmagazine]

THE EXPOSED (short) - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Pending

SYNOPSIS: After a grueling shift, a nurse returns home, unaware of the sinister presence that awaits her, a presence more malevolent than anything she could have ever envisioned.

REVIEW: Actress and filmmaker Xenia Leblanc, renowned for her portrayal of Young Red in Netflix's acclaimed series "Orange Is the New Black," ventures behind the camera without relying on CGI or VFX. Leblanc crafts a captivating 5-minute narrative reminiscent of Hitchcock's suspenseful style, showcasing her range as a storyteller and artist. THE EXPOSED had its premiere at the Dances with Films Festival in Los Angeles on June 22nd, 2024, as part of the Midnight Shorts block.

Crafting a compelling narrative in under 10 minutes is no easy feat, Leblanc masterfully achieves this by establishing a simple character, skillfully building the viewer's anticipation, and then unexpectedly flipping the story's climax - all within a concise 5 minutes. This potent combination of narrative elements, presented in a time-efficient manner, effectively sets up the climax for maximum impact.

In an era where filmmakers heavily depend on digital tools to enhance their projects, Leblanc takes a refreshing approach by relying on fundamental filmmaking tools such as a camera, lights, lenses, tripod, and editing to create her captivating shots. The brevity of her film allows for precise framing and cuts, building tension and suspense that leaves a lasting impression on the viewer. Leblanc skillfully employs misdirection, ensuring that the viewer experiences the same surprise as the characters during the climactic reveal. While the film lacks at composer credit, it incorporates a minimal score, primarily towards the end, to intensify the emotional impact of the climactic scene..

In the film, actress Mack Ogden shines as the lead, carrying the narrative with grace. She expertly crafts an emotional journey for the viewer, delivering a powerful and believable performance. Despite limited screen time to develop her character, Ogden creates a likable persona that resonates with the audience. Her ability to convey complex emotions allows us to connect with her character on a deeper level, making her performance a highlight of the film.

I strongly recommend THE EXPOSED, a captivating short film directed by Xenia Leblanc. You can explore more of her work at her website www.leblancxenia.com. I was genuinely taken aback by her prolificacy as a short filmmaker. Her portfolio boasts a diverse range of films spanning various genres, showcasing her immense talent and creativity. It's evident that Xenia Leblanc possesses a unique vision and a remarkable ability to captivate audiences with her storytelling. Based on the quality of her work, it's only a matter of time before she makes her feature film debut.

CAST: Mack Ogden, Zöe Papia, Michael McWhorter, and Zach Zarvos. CREW: Director/Screenplay - Xenia Leblanc; Cinematographer - Bill Moldt; Special EFX Makeup - Keaghlan Ashley. OFFICIAL: www.leblancxenia.com INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/xenialeblanc TWITTER: x.com/thexenialeblanc TRAILER: https://vimeo.com/948141442/e349bfd6f9 RELEASE DATE: Premiered June 22, 2024, at Dances With Films

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[tvshowpilot]

From Young Red on OITNB to boxing gym owner Kira on her new series Gritty & Pretty, here’s our interview with the super talented Xenia Leblanc >> https://tvshowpilot.com/fun-posts/interview-xenia-leblanc/

[netflixpaused]

[junkienicky]

So what do we know about season 5 so far?

The season is set over a course of three days, based on the riot (Confirmed)

Episode one is called ‘Riot FOMO’ (On the cast call sheet)

Someone shoots, more than once, whether that’s Daya or a correctional officer, someone shoots (Also on the cast call sheet for episode one ‘Piper and Alex hear gunshots’)

Laura Prepon is directing episode ten (Confirmed)

A young Red has been cast on IMDB (For episode nine)

There will be a Poussay memorial (Taryn Manning posted a photo with a poster behind her)

Brad William Henke gave hints that we’ll get Piscatella’s backstory late in the season (Rumor)

Episode twelve is called ‘Tattoo You’ (A photo of the front page of the script was posted by Taryn)

People have been cast to play doctors, nurses and SWAT team for episode thirteen (I haven’t checked on this one like on IMDB or anything, so I don’t know)

While the vast majority of the cast were wrapped for season 5, the next day Lauren Morelli posted a photo on Instagram quoting “Last shot of S5, no YOU’RE crying” 

An extra posted a status on Facebook regarding a drastic change of hairstyle quoting “especially after how the season 5 finalie went down”

Edit: more info from @wildebeesttheatre

Also includes a young Dmitri in episode 9. And two other Russian sounding names. Perhaps an old flame of Red’s.

Healy will be appearing in Season 5, Michael Harney confirmed it.

Laura Prepon is pregnant in real life, this might indicate that Alex will not be in the start of Season 6 (maternity leave?)

Edit: I also feel like I should talk about casting, last night I looked through all the episodes on IMDB, sometimes looking at the cast can give hinters/create more questions (little side note, Natasha nor Laura are listed for any of the episodes, but I’m not worried about that.) Also note that a lot of these are nitpicky, but I feel like it’s still interesting to point out new cast members, especially if they’re significant/known to characters.

Episode 1 - Nothing significant about the casting of this episode, apart from Ilyana Eberhardt as stunt double for Maritzia, Stefanie Flores as a stunt double for Flaca, Dejay Roestenberg as a stunt double for Brandy

Episode 2 - David Bodenschatz is cast as CO James Shulock, Martino Caputo is cast as a local cop (he was in The Animals in season 4 and will also be in episode 12, Tattoo You, of season 5), Skylar Dunn is cast as Susan, Hunter Emery is cast as CO Hopper (he is in it to episode 9), Elodie Flanagan as a girl scout and finally Danny Wolohan as Lloyd Berlin, 

Episode 3 - Dean Ciallella is cast as a pedestrian with a newspaper, Joanne Lamstein as a stunt double for Judy King (also stunts for episode 4) 

Episode 4 - Rebecca Benhayon as Ashley (also in episode 5), Michael Cuomo as Andres, Sara Harman as Corinne, Shirley Roeca as Vasquez, Stephanie Vovou as a stunt double for Maria

Episode 5 - Kat Harley as CERT member #4 (in it to episode 12, CERT stands for ‘computer emergency response team’, so that’s interesting…), Mary Kate Malat as a Prep School Student, Booch O'Connell as a Thurston Academy Student (Google states that it’s a Martial Arts school, but it could just be a fictional school), Anthony Caravana as Thurston Academy Headmaster, Blanchard Ryan as a reporter (also in episode 12), Tequilla Whitfield as Tanisa and Chantelle Antoinette as wobble dancer #8

Episode 6 - Thea McCartan as Susan Logan, Frank Ridley as a drunk guy and Morgan Wolk as Kristen Master

Episode 7 - Nothing significant apart from 7 stunt doubles, for which characters are unlisted 

Episode 8 - Danny Ramirez as Paolo (Paolo may be Nicky’s mum’s boyfriend, whom she mentioned in the pilot episode, although the actor does look to be in his 20s while Nicky’s mum is like 50+, so yeah, probably not that Paolo…), Chelsey Cary as a stunt double for Leanne, Stefanie Flores as a stunt double for Dwights and Alexa Marcigliano as a stunt double for Doggett (also in episode 13)

Episode 9 - Gabriel Furman cast as a young Dimitri, Zack Gafin as Max, Miguel Izaguirre as Diablo (looks like we’ll be seeing more of Blanca’s boyfriend/ex), Xenia Leblanc as young Red, Pavel Shatu as Kostya, Samantha Lee Johnson as someone’s family member,Chad Knorr as a stunt double for Piscatella (also in episode 10 and 11) andJoanne Lamstein as a stunt double for Red (also in episode 10 and 11)

Episode 10 - Allegra Edwards as Anchor and Stephanie Vovou as a stunt double for Linda (also in episode 12)

Episode 11 - Gregory O Nicolas as Miguel, Ian Paola asYadriel (looks like we’ll be seeing more of Maria’s ex), Jesse Ray Sheps as David andMyra ‘Dakota’ Bown as a stunt double for Norma

Episode 12 - Shae D'lyn as Mary-Bethany,Oscar Pavlo as a CERT member (also in episode 13) andBenjamin Thys as Gilbert

Episode 13 - Sal Cecere as CERT officer Rein, Maria Rivera as Paiz, Frank Alfano as a stunt double for Luschek, Orien Elizabeth as a stunt double for Alison, Alexa Marcigliano as a stunt double for Lorna, Kevin Michael as a stunt double for Humphrey (looks like Daya doesn’t shoot that mf…), Kara Rosella as a stunt double for Sankey, Valisa Tate as a stunt double for Janae and 11 other stunt performers for unlisted characters

So far, that’s it. Feel free to add if you know more, rumored or not.

I found out most of these from @itspiperchapman

[brwc]

Tweeted

Xenia LeBlanc (From "Orange Is the New Black") Launches "Gritty & Pretty" At Dances with Films [Trailer Included] https://t.co/Cyqo8x6QYx via @loup_dargent pic.twitter.com/8Sg2ZzyiVg

— brwc (@brwc) September 1, 2020

[electrosexual-berlin]

LAY MY EYE video Directed by Christine Rho Last October in L.A.

The single will be released on the 9 Of December through Rock Machine Records.

[moviesharkd]

BTL Radio Show - 06/17/2024 with guests NICK ACOSTA, XENIA LeBLANC, and STIMSON SNEAD