March 29, 2010
 Director Matthew Leutwyler directs the camera on the set of "The River Why". Matthew Leutwyler was born in San Francisco where he studied film at the San Francisco Art Institute. Leutwyler’s first feature film was the black comedy Road Kill, produced on a $180,000 budget. The Daily Variety called Road Kill “A breezy entertaining ride… A jaunty trip with a good balance of dark comedy and legitimate drama.˝ The San Francisco Metropolitan called it ˝Clever˝ and the London newspaper, The Mirror, called it ˝A Four Star Classic!˝ Road Kill premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival where it won the Audience Choice Award for best feature film. As his follow-up, Leutwyler wrote, directed and edited the more personal romantic comedy This Space Between Us. The film˝s ensemble cast included Jeremy Sisto, Poppy Montgomery, Alex Kingston, Vanessa Marcil, Taylor Negron, Erik Palladino and Garry Marshall.
Leaving The Bay Area and moving to Los Angeles, Leutwyler co-founded the production company Ambush Entertainment. His first film for the company was the award winning comedy-horror-musical Dead & Breakfast starring Jeremy Sisto, Erik Palladino, Portia DiRossi, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Ever Carradine. Since then Ambush has executive produced The Academy Award nominated drama The Squid & The Whale, and produced the sexually charged comedy The Oh In Ohio starring Parker Posey, Paul Rudd, and Danny DeVito, the horror sci-fi Unearthed (also directed by Leutwyler), and the Matthew Broderick drama Wonderful World. Most recently Leutwyler has produced the comedy Lower Learning with Eva Longoria Parker, Jason Biggs, and Rob Corddry and directed the adaptation of the acclaimed novel The River Why starring Zach Gilford, Amber Heard, and William Hurt. He is currently directing Answers to Nothing, starring Dane Cook and Elizabeth Mitchell.
Outside of his career as a filmmaker, Leutwyler has worked as a mentor with the Los Angeles based non-profit The Fulfillment Fund and as an industry professional volunteer working with East Los Angeles youths on short film productions for the Youth Employment Internship Program (YEIP).
 Matthew Leutwyler on set with Zach Gilford and William Hurt. Directors Statement:
Upon high school graduation I left on a trek to Australia and took along with me a softcover copy of The River Why. It was my constant companion on an adventure that included working on a dairy farm and fishing the various rivers and streams of Victoria’s high country. I must have read the book four or five times over the course of my journey, identifying closely with Gus’s departure from his home in pursuit of happiness in the wilderness. The book remained a favorite of mine over the years since I returned so naturally when the opportunity came to direct the film version it was a dream come true.
March 26, 2010
 Zach Gilford and Amber Heard fish on location in Oregon. I recently read an article in the Oregonian that chronicled the simple pleasures of a Winter afternoon on the Nehalem River, in Northwestern Oregon.
It made me think about the many rivers I grew up playing in and fishing in—I grew up just north of Tillamook, OR (a.k.a. “The Land of Many Waters”) so I had lots to choose from—and it made me curious to hear what your favorite rivers are.
My younger sister went fishing last June with her then-boyfriend and came back engaged. It’s not every day a girl finds a diamond ring in a tackle box, so I’m pretty sure the Lewis River racked up some serious points in her book!
You don’t need to give away any family secrets, but I’m curious: What is your favorite river and why is it special?
Please add your comments to the blog and feel free to add a picture to our Facebook Fan Page.
Cheers!
-Windy
March 25, 2010
 Zach Gilford on set of "The River Why". “The difference between fly fishers and worm dunkers is the quality of their excuses.”
~Anonymous
Fly or Worm? It’s an age-old debate and one that may not be resolved any time soon.
“Fly fishing is possibly one of the oldest fishing techniques, the first reports date back to the early 1700′s,” Marcel Bernard writes, and “many fishers consider fly fishing as an art.”
“There is a big difference between casting a line with traditional fishing techniques and fly fishing techniques,” Bernard continues. “With traditional fishing the weight of the bait or lure leads the line in the water. The fly fishing fly is too light to lead the line into the water and it needs to be done a different way. The line is thrown onto the water and the stream sends the fly to the exact place where the angler wants it to be.”
This debate is personal for Gus, the main character and narrator of The River Why. His parents, while deeply loyal to each other, are polar opposites: his father is a famous fly fisherman and his mother is a down-to-earth plunker of worms. Their opposing views on how to catch a fish are the source of turmoil and hold the secret to a family myth about the famous catching of Najinsky.
Gus tries to keep peace in the family by becoming an expert at both forms of fishing, but throughout the film he becomes “the Mozart of fly-fishing.”
So where do you fall on the fly vs. worm debate? Leave us your comments. We look forward to reading them.
Thanks!
March 24, 2010
Over a montage of rivers and water, Gus Orviston, the hero and narrator of the The River Why, is born with this observation: “The surface of the earth is 30% land and 70% water. A newborn baby is composed of 70% water and 30% everything else. I guess this means that life and water are inseparable.”
 Zach Gilford fishing on "The River Why".
This observation is re-enforced by his upbringing. His parents, while deeply loyal to each other, are polar opposites: his father is a famous fly fisherman and his mother is a down-to-earth plunker of worms. Gus tries to keep peace in the family by becoming an expert at both forms of fishing. He becomes not only the Mozart of fly-fishing, but he also saves a small trout struggling in a polluted stream with the thread from an old coat.
 Gus, played by Zach Gilford, on set of "The River Why".
Zach Gilford plays “Gus Orviston”. Mr. Gilford stars as Matt Saracen, the backup quarterback turned football hero, in NBC’s critically acclaimed drama, Friday Night Lights. He appears in the soon to be released: Post Grad Survival Guide starring opposite Alexis Bledel, Michael Keaton and Carol Burnett directed by Vicky Jenson (Shrek) for Fox Atomic. Mr. Gilford recently completed Dare with Emmy Rossum and Alan Cumming. He has also appeared on Law & Order: SVU. Zach graduated from Northwestern University and spends his free time leading backpacking, ice climbing and diving expeditions in Alaska, New Zealand and Australia.
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