Heat and Sunlight (1987) | Stream

Sundance Film Festival

Grand Prize 1988

Nilsson's second improvised Direct Action feature, explores the intersects of sexual obsession, jealousy and violence. The last few hours of a love affair between a photographer traumatized by the Biafran War and his dancer girlfriend creates a cacophony of fear and misunderstanding. Also funny and absurd, the film is a Rorschach of the moods and modes of animal love.

Independent Spirit Awards

1990 | Nominee: Best Feature

Toronto International Film Festival

1987 | Official Selection

San Francisco International Film Festival

2007 | Official Selection

"Rob Nilsson’s Heat and Sunlight is the kind of independent feature we see too seldom in an era dominated by broadcast standards and narrative conventions...the film’s aggressive mating of method and purpose has unexpected power and a consistency of tone... its confrontational stance is undeniably refreshing in comparison to more homogenized independent films." - Reece Pendleton, Chicago Reader October 26, 1985

“Heat and Sunlight (Times-rated Mature, for nudity, sex and language) won the 1988 Sundance Film Festival Grand Prize. And it deserved it for many reasons: the stunning black-and-white graphics, the inventive and even poetic editing, the audacity of its eroticism and self-revelations, the power of the best actor’s moments--and most of all, as an exemplary work for all filmmakers working outside conventional systems."

- Michael Wilmington, LA Times, May 3, 1991

Director:

• Rob Nilsson

Story:

• Rob Nilsson

Improvised by the Cast:

• Rob Nilsson - Mel Hurley

• Consuelo Faust - Carmen

• Don Bajema - Mitch

• Ernie Fosselius - Bobby

• Bill Bailey - Barney

• Bill Ackridge - Salesman

• Lester Cohen - Salesman

• Bob Elrons - Salesman

• Burns Ellison - Salesman

• Dan Leegant - Salesman

• Herb Mills - Salesman

• Richard A. Rohieder - Salesman

• Russell Murphy - Adam

• Raven De La Croix - Raven De La Croix

• Johnny Tidwell - Raven’s Bodyguard

• Charles Webb - MC

• David Schickele - Spirit of the Birthday

• Randolph Crook - Drummer

• Rahni Raines - Singer

• Anisa Gamal - Singer

• Daniel F. Hohmann - Bartender

• Suzanne McCabe - Waitress

• Cody Bear - Cody

• Elvin Case - Client

Silhouette Club Attendees:

• Carolyn Allen

• Stephen Ashton

• Barbara Boyle

• John Boyle

• James Jardine

• Chris C. Johnson

• Keary Kensinger

• Roy Kissin

• Roland Thomas Kovaks

• Douglas R. Marklinger

• Daniel Merritt

• Richard Norris

• Leonard Pardoe

• Chris Patch-Linsay

• Roger Patterson

• James A. Roberts

• Juanita Rusev

• Dave Thomson

• Wendy D. Thrower

• Wayne Weeks

• Chris Windle

• Elliot ‘E.Z.’ Zolto

Street Party Attendees:

• Malcolm Jones

• Frank Triest

• Thaddeus Mazurek

• John Hanson

• Phil Polakoff

• Nancy Pfund

Additional Voices (Telephone):

• Bret Lama

• Fay Levine

• Steve Burns

Choreographer:

• Consuelo Faust

Cinematographer:

• Tomas Tucker

Additional Cinematography:

• Eli Adler

• Lawrence Crig

• Robert Dalva

• Jon Fontana

• Uli Kretzschmar

• Stephen Lighthill

• David Myers

• John Tarcossa

Cinematography (Africa):

• David Schickele

Aerial Cinematography:

• Lou Calderon

Sound Mixer:

• Dan Gleich

Sound Mixer (Second Unit):

• Philip Perkins

Gaffer:

• Don Starnes

Production Design:

• Hildy Burns

• Steve Burns

Production Managers:

• Fay Levine

• Kathy Wittle

First Assistant Director:

• Karen J. McCabe

• Margie McGovern

Second Assistant Director:

• Bret Lama

Technical Director:

• Milt Wallace

Editor:

• Henk Van Eeghen

Sound Engineer:

• Jeff Roth

Additional Sound Mixer:

• Fred Runner

Sound Effects Production Assistant:

• William Eric Kreth

Special Effects Editor:

• Norman L. Levy

Consulting Editors:

• Edgar Burcksen

• Will Parrinello

Music:

• Mark Adler

• Michael Small

Producers:

• Hildy Burns

• Steve Burns

Executive Producer:

• Gregory A. Friedman

Okunrin Meta - David Schickele