East Coast Premiere

Whether Ryan Avery is a wunderkind or just a strange wonder, one thing is for sure: the downtown Phoenix art scene hasn’t been this electric since native son Alice Cooper found fame. When this cherubic 19-year-old alt-culture renaissance man isn’t fronting his band Father’s Day—which serves up surreal spectacles like I Hate My Kids—he’s singing a cappella with duo The Best Friends, acting in the improv troupe Catorce, or performing his “open diary” project called Hi My Name Is Ryan, to name a few of his outlets. He also draws and paints with assured vision.

As a child, Avery suffered from hypopituitarism, a deficiency in hormones from his pituitary gland, which stalled his growth and, as an adult, gives him the appearance and voice of a pubescent teenager. This appearance has both fueled and served his outsider status.

Though Avery seems destined for an artist’s life, he’s approaching a calling of another sort. A devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he knows that his madcap antics will be put off for his religious duty. Avery eagerly awaits his departure to spread the gospel according to Joseph Smith on his Mormon mission. Yet, with what some might call a god-given gift, Avery must learn to reconcile his two competing callings.

Stephen Rose and Paul Eagleston present an enormously entertaining and original film that shares the same creative dynamism as that of their subject. Bursting with energy, humor, and affection, HI MY NAME IS RYAN is a welcome introduction to not one but three major artists—Avery and the filmmakers.

-Sky Sitney