BY BELINDA BREMNER
Congratulations to Rachel Tenner of Tenner Paskal and all those involved in the independent film Kwik Stop, directed by Michael Gillo, produced by Tenner and edited by Chris McKay! Why, you ask? Because they were one of only 30 films selected from over 2,300 entrants for the Los Angeles independent film festival. In fact, they were the second film chosen! The film, starring Rich Komenich, Lara Phillips and Karin Anglin, will be screened for two weeks in Los Angeles. How cool is that? If you want more information you can check out the Web site at www.laiff.com.
So, while Rachel does the LA thing, Mickey and crew have been working on casting the 'N Sync feature film–On The L–which will be filmed, in part, here in our fair city.
The lovely Jane Alderman called to say that the folks from the Miller Beer national were thrilled with the Chicago talent. And why shouldn’t they be. She will be prepping soon for the next visit from "ER."
Simon Casting, always a champ, added Larry Tankson, Bob Stewart, Richard Lexsee and Kevin Morrow to the cast of Muhammad Ali. In addition to their feature casting, they are working on the NBC pilot for Debi Guetierrez, the "Untitled Semi-Like Show" produced by Drew Carey, and the pilot "What are You Thinking?"
The Illinois Film Office reports that we just got Stolen Summer, the winner of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Project Greenlight competition. The film by Chicagoan (Deerfield, actually) Pete Jones will be shot in town and in the northern suburbs. Jones will direct and shooting begins mid-May. Great news as we head into what may be a drought due to the pending WGA and SAG strikes. MTV’s "Real World," involving neither real writers nor real actors, comes to town for approximately five months starting in June. There is plenty of scouting going on around these parts, but it is all post strike, meaning September or beyond. On a positive note, the numbers have been very, very good for "What About Joan" and we should all hear around May 15 if it has been picked up.
So just who will be casting that Project Greenlight winner Stolen Summer? Chicago Casting Center won the job. The team there is also working on a pilot entitled, are you ready, "Elimadate", described as "The Dating Game meets Survivor." Somehow you just knew that had to happen. Chicago Casting Center is also casting for Seattle Rep and the Intimon Theatre, both Seattle LORT houses.
And catching up with the agents brings word from Lily’s that there were commercial bookings for clients Daniel Shelly, Jun Mock, Les Jennings, Chase Ludwig, Allison Hart and Damian Eason. Industrials went to clients Madrid St. Angelo, Perry Williams, Jermaine Randle, Jennifer Liu, Jason Borgardt and April Lynn Baker.
Peace.