Hundreds of Beavers: A Northwoods Christmas

The Woods Hole Film Festival presents a special screening of the new cult classic action comedy feature, “Hundreds of Beavers: A Northwoods Christmas,” by Mike Cheslik, 108 mins, USA, 2024 on Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 7 pm at Redfield Auditorium. Woods Hole will be one of a number of select locations across the country that participate in a simultaneous screening of the film.

In the early 1800’s, Jean Kayak, a drunken applejack salesman, finds himself stranded in a surreal winter landscape with nothing but his dim wits to guide him. Against a backdrop of ruthless elements and forest creatures – all played by actors in full-sized mascot costumes – Kayak develops increasingly complex traps in order to win the hand of a mischievous lover. When he discovers that the Beavers have formed their own secret society, he must infiltrate their lair to uncover their secrets and win the day.

Robert Abele of The LA Times called it, “Gonzo cinema, moonshine distilled from the corny legacy from every loopy genius from Buster Keaton and Tex Avery to Mel Brooks and George Miller.”

The film is described as a gloriously bananas, delightful bonkers, beautifully made, black and white, action-comedy film that is just too much dam fun.

“Hundred of Beavers” was filmed over the pandemic in the Northwoods of Wisconsin by a small crew of 4-6 on a budget of approximately $150,000.  The movie had no script, the crew simply executed Mike Cheslik’s storyboards from a binder. Shot on an inexpensive 1080p camera with video equipment borrowed from local production houses, the crew often used green screen tarps in the sun to capture the needed plates for compositing. After filming, Cheslik painstakingly executed over 1500 effects shots on his home computer over the course of two years.

After a virtual premiere of a rough version at Fantastic Fest in 2022, the movie gained steam on the festival circuit, picking up a slew of awards including an audience award at Fantasia 2023.

With no major offers from distributors, the filmmakers decided to self-release the film, led by producer Kurt Ravenwood, starting with the “Great Lakes Roadshow” in early 2024: a 14- day tour of the Midwest which sold out most screens, including a 700+ audience at the Music Box in Chicago. The show hearkened back to early vaudeville, with Mike Cheslik roasting the audience and the movies star / producer / co-writer Ryland Tews body-slamming beavers.

The New York Times picked up the story, and from there, “Hundreds of Beavers” became an unexpected cult hit in cinemas across the country.

Director Mike Cheslik, grew up in Milwaukee, attending Whitefish Bay High School with Co-Writer Ryland Tews. “My goal with Hundreds of Beavers was to revive a genre I feel has been missing in movies, the physical comedy, specifically the long dormant “Snow-Stick” film.”

Ryland Brickson Cole Tews produced on-set and stars in the film. He performed all of his own stunts and recruited many of his local friends and family in Wisconsin to help with the movie. “With the old school filmmaking, a lot of my performance is based on Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin. And I guess one that we always kept in mind was Toshiro Mifune, because he was really good at striking really strong poses. “

Dinner & A Movie is a program of the Winter/Spring Film Series, twice-monthly in-person screenings of independent film from October 2024 through June 2025. The screenings will be held in the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Redfield Auditorium, located at 45 Water Street, Woods Hole.  

The film begins at 7 PM. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Tickets are $16, $12 for members and $10 student/military $10. Tickets are on sale in advance at www.woodsholefilmfestival.org and at the door if they are not sold out in advance.

Before the screening ticket holders may receive a discount on the meal portion of dinner at the Captain Kidd Restaurant and Bar, 77 Water Street, Woods Hole and Quahog Republic Leeside Pub, 29 Railroad Ave, Woods Hole.

The Festival is supported in part by grants from the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod, the Woods Hole Foundation, the Falmouth Fund of the Cape Cod Foundation, the Cape Cod Foundation, the Martha’s Vineyard Bank Charitable Foundation and Cape Cod 5.

For more information email info@woodsholefilmfestival.org or call (508) 495-3456.

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