In 2010, aspiring filmmakers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman decided to make a documentary about Schulman’s brother, photographer Yaniv (Nev) Schulman, who was involved in a relationship with women that he met on Facebook. As the filmmakers follow Nev’s relationship with a young woman named Megan, they slowly realize that she is not who she says she is and the three friends form a bond as they set off on a cross-country adventure to discover the truth behind Nev’s new love. The result was the cultural phenomenon Catfish, which made a splash at the 2010 Sundance film festival and then opened in theaters later that year.

Now, Schulman and his colleagues return with a new MTV series based on the popular motion picture, as well as his own personal experiences with online dating. The series will be hosted by Schulman himself, and feature the photographer answering letters from fans who are experiencing a similar online dating experiences. They will then meet with the person who sent the letter, travel with them to meet their online partner and together discover the truth for better or worse. Schulman will use his life experience to act as a counselor or mediator between the two Internet lovers. The series will act as a way to help anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation to what Nev went through in the film. In fact, the popularity of the movie has actually spawned the phrase “Catfish,” which is now known to describe anyone who lies about themselves on the Internet. So if you are currently in an online relationship with a “Catfish,” or know someone who is a real-life “Catfish”, then Schulman and MTV want to hear from you!

I recently had an opportunity to speak with photographer/documentary filmmaker turned reality TV show host Nev Schulman about the proposed MTV series and the cultural impact of Catfish. Schulman talked candidly about the film, his real life experience, adapting it into a TV series, the show’s premise, his involvement in the series, the look and feel of the show, casting, the cultural impact of the film, and the aftermath of its success for Schulman and his fellow filmmakers.

If you haven't seen co-directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman's 2010 documentary Catfish, you're sorely missing out on a propulsive and fascinating examination of online relationships, digital deceit, and, ultimately, the narratives we create to make our lives livable.  It's a movie that inevitably sparks conversations about the nature of truth, particularly in a technological age where social media allows us to craft online personas, creating fictitious versions of ourselves.  Now, a new MTV series focusing on Online Double Lives is set to continue exploring the themes of Catfish, and the documentary series is currently casting.

Fans of the Paranormal Activity franchise will soon be able to possess their own copy of the third film in the series as Paranormal Activity 3 becomes available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning January 24th. In honor of this monumental event, the creator of the series, and several actors from the franchise assembled at Hollywood’s legendary Roosevelt Hotel recently (on Friday, January 13^th in fact) to discuss the success of the series and drop a few hints about the unenviable Paranormal Activity 4.

Along with several other members of the press, IAR attended the “Tea with Toby,” which is of course named after the demonic entity featured in the films. Tea, coffee, cheese and dessert were served while we all sat down at a table that had seating cards with our individual names printed on them. A special spot at the table was reserved for our host – Toby, but he never made his presence known.

On hand was series creator Oren Peli, as well as actors Katie Featherston, Micha Sloat, and Chris Smith. Also in attendance were Chloe Csengery and Jessica Tyler Brown, the young actresses that play Katie and Kristi, respectively, as children in the most recent film.

As soon as Paranormal Activity 3 showed that the franchise could continue making dumptrucks full of money at minuscule budgets, it was abundantly obvious that Paramount Pictures would have Paranormal Activity 4 at multiplexes across the nation just in time for Halloween 2012.  So for months its been a foregone conclusion that Paranormal Activity would be the new Halloween horror standby after years of the Saw franchise's grisly reign.  Now, the fourth installment has a release date and a pair of familiar directors.

Seeing through the mystery that is Catfish - a documentary shot by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost - is a bit like staring into a fogbank as dense as John Carpenters own 1980 malevolent force. There’s something in the mystery that glows, and steals the attention immediately…yet you can’t see three steps in, and that makes you want to plunge six deep.

That level of mystique is fixed from the very beginning, growing at a subtle rate, and before you’re fully aware of what’s happened, you’re transfixed on the life of Nev Schulman, and his long distance relationship with Megan Faccio.

For the sake of the mystery that still surrounds the film, I’ll be fairly vague while breaking the picture down, but beware, minor spoilers may seep through in spots. In fact, I’m going to really jump into this with somewhat of a spoiler…

We just offered you a glimpse of the cool new Catfish poster on Monday morning. Now we’ve got some beefier media that’s a bit easier to sink your teeth into. That being a brand new trailer for the film, of which you’ll see below.

The trailer runs roughly two minutes in length, and chronicles the early stages of lead Nev Schulman’s budding romance with Megan, a woman he met on facebook.com.

We’re not treated to much of the films second half, as that’s where the mystery transitions itself into a moving piece of dark subject matter best left to be viewed in it’s entirety, versus brief chopped clips in trailer mash-ups. And, after you’ve viewed the film, you’ll know exactly why I say that.

For the time being, check out this new trailer for Catfish, and if you’re as intrigued as you should be, make sure to check the film out on December 17th.

Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman are the two responsible for crafting this dark examination of today’s society, the significance of the social network, and the turmoil that accompanies our modern means of communication.

There’s nothing overtly complex about Catfish, as Schulman actually just follows his brother Nev Schulman, documenting his new relationship with Megan, whom he discovered through his social network. Things don’t go quite as planned between Nev and Megan however, and therein lies the film’s twist, which will not be revealed here!

Check out the new poster, which clearly plays off of The Social Network, which is obviously a fitting approach for the film. And, be sure to keep your eyes peeled, as Catfish will be hitting DVD and Blu-ray January!

Suzanna Choffel may not be a familiar name, but it’s very likely you’ve heard her voice.

Thanks to a little movie called Catfish, it seems that more people are discovering this talented singer/songwriter. Thanks of course to one pivotal moment in the film regarding Choffel’s cover of Jimmy Driftwood’s “Tennessee Stud”.

Catfish truly is the film that everyone is talking about. The New York Times calls it "one of the most intriguing films of the year!" There is still time to check it out in theaters.

If you have seen the film, consider sharing your Catfish stories here. We want to hear from you!

Catfish earned enough notice at the Sundance Film Festival to spark major buzz and a solid theatrical push. While the story details remain a mystery for the most part (unless you‘ve had the privilege of seeing the film, which opened in select theaters September 24th) , the momentum the film has built certainly hasn’t.