4/18/10
I am very excited to announce that two wonderful actors have attached to the lead roles in my upcoming features. Lennie James will play “Detective Jack Nolan” in VACANT. And Dawn Olivieri will play the title role of “Midnight”.
In supporting roles, Rena Owen has signed on to play “Anne” in VACANT and Treva Etienne will play “The Priest” in MIDNIGHT.
3/27/10
I have partnered with the producing team of Mong Chan and Richard Alan Brown, who will raise money and produce five features that I wrote and will direct. We are working with a law firm to prepare proposals for the investors. We have letters of intent from a number of wonderful actors for the five projects. And we have screenplays out to another dozen actors.
5/4/07
My short film PROMISE will screen at the Silver Lake Film Festival http://www.silverlakefilmfestival.org/ on May 4th at 9:30 pm at the Los Feliz 3 Theaters in Los Angeles. This is my first L.A. film festival appearance. DP Luke Miller and I will be in attendance.
2/26/07
Vacant and Promise are screening at the Lake County Film Festival http://www.lakecountyfilmfest.com in March.
Promise shows in the "We Love Short Shorts" program on Friday, March 9th at 7:20pm and Saturday, March 10th at 10pm.
Vacant shows in the "Thriller Shorts" program on Saturday, March 10th at 10am and Sunday, March 11th at 630pm.
Check their website for venue details.
2/21/07
Let Go and Vacant are screening at the Macon Georgia Film & Video Festival (MAGA), http://www.maconfilmfestival.com, this week. Let Go screens on Wed, 2/28/07 and Sat, 3/3/07. Vacant screens on Sat, 3/3/07.
2/4/07
Simeon "SimBo" Henderson was named Best Actor in a Cutting-Edge Drama at the San Diego Black Film Festival. He was in attendance to accept the award.
1/8/07
VACANT has been accepted into the San Diego Black Film Festival (http://www.sandiegoblackfilmfestival.com). The festival runs from February 1st thru 4th. VACANT screens Friday, February 2nd at 8:00pm.
10/23/06
My short film PROMISE will screen at the Lake Forest Film Festival on Saturday, November 11th, 3pm, at McCormick Auditorium as part of the Chicago Matinee program. You can find details at http://www.lakeforest.edu/life/groups/film.asp or http://www.lffilmfestival.org.
9/12/06
Read RewindVideo.com's review of VACANT:
http://rewindvideo.com/R2007/public_html/article.php?story=20060904234740580
9/8/06
LET GO has been chosen for this year's UNDEREXPOSED FILM FESTIVAL in Atlanta, GA at Georgia State University. (http://www.theauvidgroup.com/festivalhomepage.htm) Of the films that will be accepted into this year's festival, COMCAST "ON DEMAND" will select several films to be added into its "ON DEMAND" Library.
8/28/06
LET GO has been accepted in Independent Film Forum's Season 2 online film festival. (www.independentfilmforum.com) This is an online voting film festival, so please go online and vote and spread the word to everyone you know!
8/26/06
My feature screenplay ONE HELLUVA GIRL was not one of the 245 entries selected as a Quarterfinalist in the 2006 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, but it did make it into the top 15% of the 4899 entries.
8/15/06
Renee Domenz was awarded BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS for VACANT at MICROCINEMA Fest VI at the Awards Dinner on Sunday, 8-13-06. (www.microcinemafest.com)
PROMISE will have it's world premiere at YOUR HOMETOWN FILM FESTIVAL at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, IL on Monday, 8/21. (www.geneseetheatre.com)
DP Luke Miller and I will be in attendance and we hope to have other Cast & Crew there too. PROMISE is part of a line-up that includes other local shorts and a special half hour preview of 5-25-77 by Patrick Read Johnson (BABY'S DAY OUT, ANGUS). He will be in attendance to introduce the preview and for a Q & A. The Reception starts at 5pm. The screenings start at 7pm. You can find more info at www.geneseetheatre.com.
7/26/06
VACANT has it's world premiere at the Black Harvest Film Festival located in the Gene Siskel Film Center on Wednesday, August 9th at 8:15pm. (http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org)
VACANT will also screen at MicroCinema Fest in Palatine on Friday, August 11th in the 1pm-5pm block at Cutting Hall. (http://www.microcinemafest.com)
7/6/06
My feature screenplay ONE HELLUVA GIRL has been chosen as one of the semi-finalists for the 2006 Illinois/Chicago Screenwriting Competition, sponsored by the Chicago and Illinois Film Office. My script will be sent to the second tier of judging, which will determine the 10 finalists.
7/4/06
LET GO has been accepted by the Bay Street Film Festival (www.baystreetfilmfestival.ca) in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The festival will take place September 16, 17 and 18, 2006 at the historical Finlandia Hall.
6/22/06
VACANT has been accepted by Microcinema Fest in Palatine, IL (http://www.microcinemafest.com).
It will screen on Friday, August 11th in the 1pm-5pm block (specifically at 2:35pm) at Cutting Hall, 150 East Wood St., Palatine, Illinois. I will be in attendance.
5/27/06
LET GO has been accepted by the Long Island International Film Expo (www.longislandfilm.com). It screens on Wednesday, July 12th in the 430pm block of short films. I don't know yet whether or not I'll be able to attend.
PROMISE will be part of a special Lake County Film Festival screening (www.lakecountyfilmfest.com) on 9/8/06 at CLC between 7-9pm. Although I will officially be an L.A. resident by then, it looks very likely that I will be able to attend.
I was just hired to AD Marc Selz's new feature SATANIC PANIC (www.satanicpanicthemovie.com). Marc's previous 2 features have been distributed on DVD and this new one is co-written by friend and longtime composer Karl Sundstrom. It shoots in Elizabeth and Galena, IL in August and September. I can't say anything official yet, but the cast will include a few names, as well as some Chicago actors who have appeared in my short films.
And if you haven't heard, at long last, I will be moving to L.A.! The timing is excellent because longtime DP and great friend, Pat Russo, was just accepted into the Cinematography program at the American Film Institute (AFI), so we will be moving together. We leave at the end of June. We're having a going away party on Saturday, June 3rd from 4pm-12am at The Dark Horse Tap and Grille, 3443 N. Sheffield Ave, Chicago, IL. All are welcome!
4/24/06
LET GO has been accepted as an official selection by the Twin Rivers Multimedia Festival in Asheville, NC. It has also received an Honorable Mention Award.
SNARE will be part of Middle Georgia's independent film showcase program entitled INDIE SHOWCASE and will air on WCOX 15, Locals Only, in Middle Georgia to Cox Communications' subscriber base of 100,000. SNARE is part of the May program line up and will be featured in May and June and on their programming website www.wcox15.com.
Also, there is a brief piece about my recent screenings on ReelChicago.com.
Here's the link: http://www.reelchicago.com/story.cfm?StoryID=1236
4/10/06
I am very excited to announce that EVERYBODY SINS won 2nd Place Drama last night at the Macon Georgia (MAGA) Film and Video Festival. COMMITMENT received Honorable Mention Drama last night at MAGA.
Here's a link to some local Macon press about the festival:
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/14283151.htm
I am pleased to announce that VACANT has been accepted by the Black Harvest Film Festival, which will be held at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago this August. When I get specific details about the screening, I will post them here.
