It’s been six years since Vancouver producer/director Brendan Keown was approached to shoot a Michael Moriarty film, provocatively titled Hitler Meets Christ, based on a play the controversial actor and former Law & Order star wrote in New York in the early ’90s.

‘It was a strange coincidence because I’ve always been a fan of Michael’s work,’ Keown, who produces with Jeremy Dyson through their Third Tribe Productions, tells Playback Daily.

The film, which will make its world premiere at the 17th annual Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, CA on March 2, took more than six years to complete, partly because there was no major studio involved.

‘We weren’t on someone else’s budget or schedule, and constantly went through this project to add extras and work on sound. We had to be sensitive to the material to make sure we got it right,’ Keown explains.

Keown and Dyson have been together for a dozen years, with credits including an unreleased horror pic with political undertones about pharmaceutical companies. When Moriarty heard about it through a crew member on another project, he brought his screenplay for Hitler Meets Christ to the filmmakers.

Moriarty stars as Adolf Hitler in the dark comedy, which explores the opposite philosophies of two of the most controversial figures in history. Vancouver actor Wyatt Page portrays Jesus Christ.

Keown says Hitler Meets Christ reminded him of the works of Samuel Beckett and Woody Allen. ‘It’s very reminiscent of Beckett in terms of the humor, but also similar to Allen in terms of [being] a low-budget, dialogue-driven film whereby individuals are integrated into the city,’ he says.

The film, shot in Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside, was a ‘labor of love’ that relied on private contributions, according to Keown, who wouldn’t disclose its budget. A. Jonathan Benny (Mount Pleasant) was director of photography.

Keown, who marks his directorial debut on the project, describes Moriarty as ‘an extremely professional and sensitive individual,’ whom he felt very comfortable with. ‘Actors tend to be eccentric, but I enjoy that,’ he says.

Moriarty, who has won major awards for Hollywood TV projects including Holocaust (an Emmy and a Golden Globe), The Glass Menagerie and James Dean (Emmys for both), gained notoriety for his political views on issues such as abortion, illegal immigration, Islamic fascism and the New World Order.

Hitler Meets Christ will be sent to distributors following its premiere at Cinequest, according to Keown, who adds that there’s been lots of interest in the project.

‘I get e-mails every week,’ he says.

www.hitlermeetschrist.com