It is always tempting for a filmmaker who takes on the thriller to emulate the great master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. In fact, the term "Hitchcockian" is as overused as it is complimentary. However, in the case of IN MY SLEEP, a nifty thriller presented this evening at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, the parallels are there in spades.

IN MY SLEEP, written and directed by Allen Wolf, takes on a very Hitchcockian subject: the fuzzy line between imagination and reality. How much of the action is real and how much is in the head of the protagonist. In this case, it is the character of Marcus, who suffers from parasomnia, a rare sleep disorder which causes him to do things in his sleep which he cannot remember the next day.

His situation takes a horrifying turn when Marcus wakes up covered in blood with a knife at his side. Urgent questions pound inside his head. "Where was I last night? Who was I with?" Marcus is terrified to put together the pieces. He investigates his own nocturnal activities, desperate to figure out what happens after he goes to sleep at night. His journey to discover the truth ends in a shocking discovery.

As Hitchcock knew, casting is all important, and Wolf has done it well, from the sexy male lead to supporting players. Handsome Philip Winchester brings his chiseled good looks and a sense of fun to this portrayal of the smooth operator who may be less innocent than he appears. Winchester was discovered at 14 years old in Montana when he was cast in Steven Seagal's THE PATRIOT. His passion for acting brought him to England where he studied graduated from the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. While in London, Winchester appeared as the lead in numerous stage plays. Soon after graduating, he was cast as one of the leads in Universal's THUNDERBIRDS. He also co-starred in the independent film LETHAL DOSE before landing the lead in the WB pilot COMMANDO NANNY. Winchester co-stars in the World War I epic film FLYBOYS opposite James Franco and Jean Reno as well as THE HEART OF THE EARTH alongside Academy Award nominee Catalina Sandino Moreno. He also stars in the indie film SHAKING DREAMLAND.

For more information on the film, visit the website: www.inmysleep.com

Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies Editor