BRITISH PRODUCER ANDY ROSS STEPS FROM BEHIND THE CONSOLE FOR “THE FEAR ENGINE” ALBUM AND MULTI AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY
SYNDEY, AUSTRALIA. – After working with the likes of Paul McCartney, Howard Jones, Dave Gilmour. and Robert Palmer, British born, Australian-based producer Andy Ross has stepped from behind the console to create
“…a hugely ambitious project…the album includes a collection of ten songs deeply rooted in British rock of the 1970/80s with nods towards the subtle mix of sonic washes and accessible rock sensibility which characterise the work of Pink Floyd, 10cc, Yes, Godley & Creme and Howard Jones – the latter of whom features in the movie and who has worked extensively with Ross. The documentary interleaves interviews with a wide range of thoughtful people with the story of a man who leaves his work and goes searching for meaning in his life.” – Sunday Arts Magazine (Australia)
The music on the album, The Fear Engine (out now), encompasses elements of alt rock, cinematic, and pop music as each of the ten tracks is framed around a different question introduced by dialog aiming to illuminate The Fear Engine, an unconscious driving force within us. Recorded at his home studio in Sydney, Andy Ross plays all the instruments plus vocals on The Fear Engine album with the exception of saxophone, he left that task to John Helliwell (Supertramp). After all, his father was Ronnie Ross, a renowned British musician who not only played sax with many jazz legends (and played sax on Lou Reed’s “Walk On The Wild Side” and The Beatles "Savoy Truffle") but who also taught the sax to a young David Bowie.
In the film, a cross section of people from artists (musician Howard Jones, screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, photographer Laura Solomon), scholars (professor Hugh Montgomery, philosopher Alastair Rylatt), innovators (founder ‘Choir With No Name’ Marie Benton, green builder Steve Epstein) to everyday people and children attempt to answer ten probing questions on the nature of human behavior, while an ordinary man in a suit and carrying a brief case with a silver ball representing his subconscious fears hovering around him (also on the album cover), walks from a city into the wilderness - a metaphor for the human desire for significance.
Currently screening at film festivals across the globe, “The Fear Engine” documentary has won recent accolades including Winner of the Festigious International Film Festival Los Angeles 2020, Award of Excellence at The IndieFEST Film Awards 2020 for “Documentary Feature” as well as “Contemporary Issues & Raising Awareness,” Finalist at Oniros Film Awards, Semi-Finalist Los Angeles Film Awards 2020, and Official Selection at Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival 2020.
The documentary is in consideration for the London Independent Film Awards, Santa Fe Independent Film Festival, Portland Film Festival, International Independent Film Awards - Spring Session, Amsterdam Lift-Off Film Festival, Paris Lift-Off Film Festival, UK Film Festival – London, International Film Festival of Wales, Sundance Film Festival, Slamdance Film Festival.
The Fear Engine is Ross’s second documentary film. His first “Well Beyond Water” about climate change won best short at Reel Earth Environmental Film Festival in 2010.
STREAM THE FEAR ENGINE ALBUM (OUT NOW)
REQUEST THE FEAR ENGINE FILM SCREENER
KEEP UP WITH ANDY ROSS
PR Materials |
Website | http://www.andyrossmusic.com/
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thefearengine/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thefearengine/
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyp9GQRVizJ_UJCiID_atWw
Spotify | https://open.spotify.com/artist/4ka82rDAUg1xi912SF4pbZ?si=EYxcMZmIRv-CV4s2RZmgpA
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Monica Hopman | monica@sideways-media.com | 323-661-7802
The Fear Engine project is a combination of concept album and multi award-winning documentary which attempts to ask how we might make the world a better place for all.
A cross section of people from artists, scholars, innovators, farmers, builders children and everyday people are all asked the same sequence of 10 disarmingly simple but thought provoking questions on the nature of human behaviour and the values that we live by.
The Interviews
STEVE EPSTIEN
Award winning builder and promoter of green building practise
BUILDER
HOWARD JONES
Musician and songwriter who has sold over 8 million albums and continues to perform across the globe
MUSICIAN
LAURA SOLOMON
Specialist in producing photographic images on copper plate
PHOTOGRAPHER
PROFESSOR
MARK STEVENSON
Futurist author and advisor to Virgin Earth Challenge, Atlas of the Future, and others
AUTHOR
MARIE BENTON
Founder of the 'Choir With No Name' a choir for homeless and marginalised people.
CHIEF EXECTUIVE
ALASTAIR RYLATT
Philosopher and award winning author
PHILOSOPHER
LARA
5 YEAR OLD GIRL
MAX
STEVE HARRADINE
sheep farmer
FARMER
POLLY HIGGINS
Climate activist and leading advocate for International Ecocide Law
BARRISTER
DAN THOMPSON
Social artist writer and speaker. Instigated post riot clean up phenomenon in UK
SOCIAL ARTIST
JOHN PAUL FLINTOFF
Author, broadcaster, and journalist TED speaker
JOUNALIST
PETER ROSS
Co Founder of Ross & Brown Interior design
DESIGNER
14 YEAR OLD BOY
SIMON BEAUFOY
Academy Award winner for 'Slumdog Millionaire' and Golden Globe and BAFTA award winner
SCREEN WRITER
ROMAN KRZNARIC
Founding member of 'The School of Life'. Adviser to Oxfam and the United Nations
SOCIAL PHILOSOPHER
GRAHAM STRONG
Australian of the year 2008 for widespread tree belt re generation
SHEEP FARMER
PROF GEOFFREY
BURNSTOCK
Discoverer of purinergic signalling in the brain. Nobel Prize nominee.
NEURO SCIENTIST
DAISY
8 YEAR OLD GIRL
Thankyou to the camera operators Will Thaxter, Keith Saunders and Graham Strong who gave up their time to help with the camerawork.
Special thanks to Mark Stevenson who arranged many of the interviews and maintained endless optimism throughout.
Dedicated to the memory of two extraordinary agents of change, Alastair Rylatt and Polly Higgins. R.I.P.
What is preventing us from achieving a more harmonious world?
PROF HUGH MONTGOMERY
Pioneer in genetic research. Climate change speaker and founding member of the UK Climate and Health Council.
The Suited Man
The interviews are interwoven with a conceptual ‘art film’ which depicts an ordinary businessman with suit and brief case walking aimlessly from the city into the wilderness where he confronts a symbolic orb. This is ‘ The Fear Engine’ a metaphor for his deepest fears and his unconscious desire for significance
The Questions
1 WHY DO PEOPLE TELL LIES?
2 WHY DO PEOPLE WANT TO BE FAMOUS?
3 DO YOU DISTRUST ANYONE ?
4 DO PEOPLE NEED EACH OTHER TO BE HAPPY?
5 WHEN HAVE YOU FELT MOST ALIVE?
6 WHAT IS AN ARTIST?
7 WHY DO PEOPLE FEAR FAILURE?
8 DOES THE WORLD NEED TO BE A BETTER PLACE?
9 HOW CAN WE MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE?
10 IF YOU KNEW YOU COULDN'T FAIL ... WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
The Awards
The film was completed early 2020 and since then has picked up many awards 5 official awards including best documentary fearture at the Festigious Film Awards Los Angeles
🏆 WINNER Best Documentary Feature
Festigious Film Awards Los Angeles 2020
🏆 FINALIST & Honourable Mention: Feature Documentary
Florence Film Awards 2020
🎖FINALIST
International Independent Film Awards -2020
LOS ANGELES
🎖FINALIST
Oniros Film Awards®New York 2020
NEW YORK U.S.A .
🏆Award of Excellence: Documentary Feature
The IndieFEST Film Awards.2020
LOS ANGELES U.S.A .
🏆Award of Excellence: Contemporary Issues
🏆Award of Excellence: Awareness Raising
The IndieFEST Film Awards 2020
LOS ANGELES U.S.A .
🎖SEMI FINALIST
Los Angeles Film Awards 2020
LOS ANGELES U.S.A .
⭐️ Official Selection
Paris Lift-Off Film Festival 2020
PARIS,FRANCE
⭐️ Official Selection
Amsterdam Lift-Off Film Festival. 2020
AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND
⭐️ Official Selection
Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival 2020
LOS ANGELES U.S.A .
⭐️ Official Selection
Sydney Lift-Off Film Festival 2020
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
⭐️ Official Selection
Melbourne Lift-Off Film Festival 2020
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
