FILM
Hollywood Hopeful (2022)
William Hollowway (Vas Provatakis) has a dream to be a Celluloid Hero. He arrives in Hollywood, woefully unprepared for the challenges the city and the endeavor itself presents. My character, (Henry), is a veteran actor who has never reached the heights but finds solace in the work and the journey.
This was my third project with Gavin Gaitan who directed from a script he wrote. Ty Carlin was the cinematographer and shared producer credits with Gavin. Vas Provatakis fleshes out the lead character with depth, vulnerability and passion. Once again, my hat's off to casting: every actor cast brings something interesting and authentic to the film, especially the talent agent and the burly biker. Bravo!
Empty Spaces (2020)
This short film is the story of an abandoned upright piano, a boy (Kid) who is musically curious and a happy go lucky piano playing neighbor (Sonny) who mentors the boy. I got to play lots of boogie woogie, some stride piano and the film score which was From A Foreign Land by Robert Schumann.
Kai Atanassov plays the boy (Kid) in this story by Evan Falls and the film was directed by Julia Spinola.
Life In Long Beach (2020)
Mark the Hobo opens and closes this feature which is comprised of a series of interconnected vignettes that weave the characters and milieu of Long Beach California with the angst of the times. The story is framed through the perspective of an outsider and is a kaleidoscope of feelings and life experiences.
Life in Long Beach had it's world premiere at the prestigious indie film festival, Dances With Films in 2021. This was my second opportunity to work with Gavin Gaitan, who is making a name for himself in contemporary independent film. He's a visionary with excellent writing skills and he has the forbearance to bring his films to fruition. Robert Mugica was the cinematographer and Ty Carlin rounds out the team as the producer with technical prowess. They pick the right actors, the right story and they create without fear of provocation. This was an excellent experience for me.
Slab City Trip (2020)
Slab City Trip is a coming of age story that swings between psychological thriller and supernatural horror. Rick (Biagio Castelo) and his best friend Alex ( Kelsey Packwood) journey to an isolated colony in the California desert to find the father he's never known. The setting is Slab City and my character (Boutros) is the man. Within an isolated society that mistrusts all strangers and government institutions, it is Boutros who has assumed the role of ambassador to the outside world.
This was a sizzle reel for the feature that Andres Otero and Alan Morris wrote about a real off the grid community near the Salton Sea in Niland California. Otero directed the project with the help of a top notch crew and Julia Cheney. Music at night around the campfire, great storytelling and excellent vittles all helped to create an unforgettable camaraderie.
The Legion (2020)
Nero's reign. The invasion of Parthia has been a fiasco. Two Roman legions have been brought to a standstill in the snowy mountains of Armenia, and the men are dying slowly in the cold. The rest of the Roman army is in Syria, only two weeks march away but the mountains swarm with Parthian patrols. Noreno, a half-Roman, is entrusted the mission of crossing the mountains to ask for help. However, he might not be the best option, he's an expert runner, but he despises Rome. Jose Magan produced/directed this period piece and shepherded it through many drafts and iterations.
I was brought in to play Valerius when the production moved to Hollywood in early 2019. The scenes I had with Mickey Rourke and Lee Partridge were both poignant and great fun.
A Brief Discussion Between Two Men (2018)
A young man (Micheal) visits his estranged father (Richard) at his father's office. Michael is in the dumps and is hoping for a sympathetic ear and support. Richard instead doles out a cold dose of tough love hoping Michael will challenge the weakness he's wallowing in.
This was my first project with the talented writer and filmmaker, Gavin Gaitan. Stoan Maslev gives a strong performance as Michael.
Break (2018)
A young magician uses her cunning and sleight of hand in order to make money and keep her home life intact. When she gets caught, she has to decide what she's willing to sacrifice to help her family. This is an edited version of a short film that was put together for an HBO film contest. This is an edited demo of the Grace Hanna short film, Break, that showcased the amazing cardist and sleight of hand skills of Anna DeGuzman.
Midnight in Her Eyes (2017)
A short mysterious and erotic horror tale of a young woman who has an intense, trans-formative encounter with a vampire in an old building.
This was my second film with Mike Okum, who wrote and directed Expressway to Your Skull. I played the Older Gentleman Vampire which is singular in that this is my first stab at a vampire.
Expressway To Your Skull (2014)
Expressway To Your Skull is the story of Ed and Amy, a thrill-seeking couple in their 20's desperately searching for a way to fix their strapped existence. With a stash of drugs, backpacks and half-cocked enthusiasm, Ed and Amy hit the road...but as they arrive in the woods their idyllic 3 day trip slowly starts to turn into a nightmare.
Mike Okum wrote and directed this feature that was filmed primarily in Topanga Canyon but several locations in the greater Los Angeles area were also utilized. I played a former Special Forces Marine now living the rugged survivalist life in the mountains. I relish the role and the opportunity to do my own stunts and make character choices that found their way to the screen. Mike encouraged free flow of ideas from Day 1 to wrap. The cast and crew bonded to the extent that they now feel like family. Cheers all!
Typecast (2014)
An actor strives to break free of his "type" to play more interesting roles that move and inspire others.
Matt Kohler wrote and directed this short film that won Best Drama at the Wildwood Film Festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It also made Official Selection at the prestigious Toronto International Film and Video Awards, 2014. I play a artsy Director who sees promise in the young leading man (Kohler) who is auditioning for my upcoming big project. Lisa Roumain plays the Casting Director in our scene together.
The Guardsmen (2014)
In 1871, the Department of Justice contracted the services of the Pinkerton Detective Agency to help in the detection and prosecution of those guilty of violating federal law.
But in the aftermath of the Homestead Strike of 1892, Congress enacted the Anti-Pinkerton Act, prohibiting the government from hiring the services of the Pinkerton's.
As a result... THE GUARDSMEN were born.
Jesse Montes wrote and co-directed (with A.J. Mester) this period Western that was filmed over the course of a week in Landers, CA at the Whitehorse Ranch. Jesse and Matt Kohler were co-leads in this trailer for a television series that hopefully will get picked up. I play Federal Marshall Tannen, who is Matt's father in the story.
Pipeline Dreams (2013)
In order to realize his dream of becoming a surfer, a young African-American who's enamored with the ocean must overcome his inability to swim along with his father's oppressive will to turn him into a star basketball player.
What could be better? To be able to play a sage surf Guru named Nestor in a passion project and also be able to surf the great breaks in Ventura County as an integral part of the story. Well, with a wonderful cast and talented crew, the film wrapped and the footage is "in the can". The only thing that could be better would be for this project to come to fruition and find an audience. The script was written and directed by Juan Carlos Velasco and stars television star, Najee De Tiege.
Captain Planet (2012)
The earth's temperature is rising. Our ice caps are melting. It's clear that the planet is in trouble - and there's only one blue-skinned dude who can save us from ourselves. That's right: I'm talking about Captain Planet. After 10 years being apart, the Planeteers must reunite once again. A trio of neo-Planeteers has produced this live-action trailer and everything about the clip is spot-on - impressive special effects and especially the villain's devious dialogue, "When the world sees chaos, war, despair - I see dollar signs" (Mark Aaron as Looten Plunder). Check it out.
This was my first project with the prolific and talented actor/director/producer Matt Kohler. I was cast as the TV cartoon villain, Looten Plunder. Jay Diaz directed, Noah Baron, Matt Kohler and Robert Santiago produced this slick trailer which has had over 2 million Youtube views.
Holt and Randy (2010)
The story of two childhood friends - Holt Holiday and Randy Thyme, Los Angeles natives who return home to Hollywood after spending years touring the world as roadies for the Rolling Stones to start new lives running a small film studio owned by Holt's dubious Uncle Ron.
Directed by Russell Griffith, this South Hollywood Studios production was pure fun from day 1 to wrap. The actors were encouraged to improvise and the set buzzed with enthusiasm. Rich Bokides and Jason Heath created and produced from a script by Adam Litt.
Redland (2009)
As a family struggles to survive in rural America during the Great Depression, their daughter's secret affair begins a journey into the unknown. From writer/director, Asiel Norton, comes this story about the eternal laws of survival and existence, and how one act can begin the dissolution as well as the rebirth of a family. Debut director Asiel Norton chose 35mm for this gorgeously filmed morality tale of sex and incest set during the 1930's recession in Redland County CA.
Winner: Best Feature Debut, Raindance Film Festival, London UK. This project was the experience of a lifetime. Asiel Norton, who directed from a script by Norton and Magdalena Zyzak, allowed his actors to live and explore their characters freely in the wilds of Humboldt County California. We performed our own stunts and on an interesting note: the house in the hills of Arcata, which was set decorated to be the family home, was a Northern California Grateful Dead crashpad for many years.
Outpost (2009)
Mojave Desert, 1965. A train-hopping drifter settles in a tiny roadside outpost where a chance encounter brings him face to face with his own haunted past, and the doomed love affair that has left him emotionally barren. We see that it is never too late to put our demons to rest and surrender to love.
This film, directed by Dominik Domingo, has been well received on the film festival circuit winning "Best Short Film" at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Dominik won "Best Director" for his work on Outpost at the Long Beach Film Festival.
Outpost, 2nd unit scene
Homeland (2008)
A renegade soldier takes up arms against his superiors in a righteous effort to thwart our side's enhanced interrogation techniques. I play a DOD senior official who decides where the chess pieces move.
The Great Misfortune of Charles Proctor (2006)
Dr. Charles Proctor, brilliant scientist, led the perfect life - until he fell victim to a terrible lab accident that changed things forever. Relegated to be a cripple for the rest of his days, it slowly drove him to madness. Years after his involuntary retirement from his research at Sandell Corp, Proctor hires a young man named Bradley to help satiate his wife Mary's basic needs - as he sees them. In the meantime, Proctor secretly conducts the remnants of his unfinished experiments in his own primitive laboratory, while Bradley suffers silently under the unsettling conditions of Proctor's requests. Charles himself is soon to meet his own misfortune as this tale of perverse hope unfolds into a startling revelation for all.
Nikita Kleverov wrote and directed this ambitious, stylized film. Steven Bello produced it. Charles Proctor suffers a life changing injury to his baby making equipment during a lab experiment and rather than see his beautiful wife go unfulfilled, he hires a stud with a heart to take care of business.
Phoenix (2003)
Steve Bordelon wrote and directed this well received sci-fi thriller about a Svengali megalomaniac who uses mind control techniques to weaponize his army of children. My death scene was a noteworthy brain implosion.
The Swell Life (2001)
Threats, vandalism and assault over waves? This Darren E. McInerney documentary which received wide airplay and acclaim, brought to light the problem of localism or surfer related violence. This film looks beyond surfing's idyllic face, showing how many surfers are junkies and they need their "fix." In this short film we learn about surfing etiquette, Nazi surfers, and localism: a form of surfer tribalism.
Darren contacted me from the exposure a page 2, L.A. Times article garnered on an episode of surfer related violence that was winding it's way through the Ventura County court system. I spearheaded this court case and agreed to go on camera and tell my story.
The Rubys (1999)
This film is a family coming of age drama that closely resembled writer/producer Nan Hazen's early years. My character was a strait-laced father who had to deal with his alcoholic wife. This feature film was unreleased.