Iconoclastic Features, in association with Jay-X Entertainment and MGDB Productions France, is proud to present the new motion picture about an outsider icon. Written and directed by Matthew Mishory and starring James Preston in the title role, Joshua Tree, 1951 redefines James Dean for a new generation.

“The movie is art...mesmerizing and sexy!”
-- Dave Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle

“A nuanced portrayal of an entire era...JOSHUA TREE gives us an account of the process by which Hollywood molds an individual into its systemic image of a star. That it accomplishes this through a formal subversion of Hollywood's stylistic code...makes the message all the more subtle.”
-- Travis Jeppesen, Artforum

“An evocative, nuanced, visually stunning black and white intimate portrait of a period of time in the life of James Dean before he was a household name.”
-- Carolyn Moloshco, Filmmaker Magazine

“A dreamy meditation on [the] Hollywood icon.”
-- Steve Rose, The Guardian

“Evocative character study [is] an engrossing confluence of sociocultural and psychosexual elements...served up in a rich bundle of shadowy, high-noir atmospherics, stark desert rapture and intensely affectionate and craftily delivered Hollywood fetishism. It's got a rich, authentic old-school look, thoughtful understated performances, and an all-around appealingly serious tone that sets the flick apart.”
-- Jonny Whiteside, LA Weekly

“Nothing short of stunning! Seeing Dean through the eyes of [Matthew] Mishory, himself clearly a young talent worthy of our attention, is a joyful experience.”
-- Kareem Tabsch, Miami New Times

“JOSHUA TREE, 1951 deviates from straight documentary into an artful interpretation of Dean’s pre-fame life—this portrait dramatizes it with panache.”
-- Dave Segal, The Seattle Stranger

“Matthew Mishory's visual feast gives us a glimpse of the rebel with no cause in a biopic beautifully following the aspirations of the ill-fated Hollywood icon.”
-- Eve Lucas, Exberliner

“Riveting!”
-- Richard Burnett, The Montreal Gazette

“It is easy to forget that filmmakers with an artistic bent are precious. Matthew Mishory’s debut feature...makes us think about the expressive possibilities of filmmaking for our hybrid times. An auteur manifesto!”
-- Vera Mijojlic, Cinema Without Borders

"JOSHUA TREE, 1951 redefines James Dean for a new generation!"
-- Sophie Challen, ScreenSlam.com

"Be prepared to swoon. Shot in glorious black-and-white, this might be Outfest 2012’s most ravishing film...[it] is also one of the most compelling films in this year’s lineup. A breathtaking look at a little-known period in the actor [James Dean]’s life."
-- Jeremy Kinser, The Advocate

"An ethereal and exquisite dream noir. Matthew Mishory makes a movie about James Dean like no other...perfectly and meticulously executed. An intoxicating triumph!"
-- James Waygood, SSG Magazine

"This magical film is an intimate portrait of James Dean on the cusp of achieving notoriety. Matthew Mishory deftly uses black-and-white...while James Preston gives an uncanny performance as James Dean."
-- Olivier Namet, Buzz Magazine

“A poetic dreamscape...when a film is this beautiful, it's hard to ignore. Out of all of the film fest films currently on the circuit, JOSHUA TREE, 1951 was the one that stayed with me most, long after the film ended.”
-- Kevin Taft, Edge Magazine

“Hypnotic...bitterly funny!”
-- David Lamble, Bay Area Reporter

“A visually stunning, meditative film steeped in the classics.”
-- MovieMaker Magazine

“The most gorgeously stylized, luminously shot film in [Outfest]. It’s so beautiful, it’s tempting to jump in through the screen.”
-- Gary M. Kramer, Frontiers Magazine

"Beautiful to watch and a fascinating imagining of Dean’s life prior to fame! James Preston...capture[s] the confidence and physicality of the icon."
-- Christina Hulen, Examiner.com

“The film is exquisite. It's like new, new, New Queer Cinema. Watching it, I recall the same feelings I had as a youth watching early Todd Haynes.”
-- Jonathan Caouette, director of Tarnation