SUNDAY | BLOCK K | 1:15 | DESPERATE MANNY (26min)

#1: Can you describe your movie and why somebody should see it in less than 140 characters

At night, Manny wrestles with his demons, trying to save his young son and himself. Having drawn two others into his plight, an old friend and a stranger, he’s not sure whom he can trust.

#2: What do you want the Borrego Springs Film Festival audience to know about your film that isn’t obvious from its title?

Desperate Manny is a dark, suspense-crime drama – a kind of neo-noir Western. Our protagonist, Manny, is hiding out with his son, because he’s lost legal custody of the boy. His old friend and confidant, Neil, is on the phone trying to talk sense into him, and soon we learn Manny is holding a hostage -- a female police officer who pulled him over as he was speeding away with his son. Now Manny and Officer Reyes must each figure out how to save the boy and survive the night. It’s a story about love, addiction, courage – and unintended consequences.

#3: What is your movie making background? Tell us about yourself.

I’m a first-time director/filmmaker, but I’m also a musician, writer and medical graphics supervisor on TV’s Grey’s Anatomy. With a background in theater and music, I came to Los Angeles more than 20 years ago and have been working steadily in film and television production, coordinating video and computer graphics under the name, Hawkeye Images. I also play guitar, bass guitar and sing, currently in a hard-rock band, The Returned; and also with my wife Leslie in country-rock band, The Running Kind – whose album, “The Girl For All The World,” was released in 2010, receiving worldwide critical acclaim and a Pick of the Week in the LA Weekly.
Both in music and film, I like to create moods, and then find the characters within. From the characters, a story can form - almost of its own accord. I’m especially drawn to characters that are in a moment of crisis.

#4: What was the biggest lesson learned in getting your film made?

I think the greatest lesson I learned during the process of making Desperate Manny, was how truly collaborativeitwas. IwasfortunatetobeabletoworkwithsomeverytalentedfolksonManny– friends and colleagues, and sometimes complete strangers – that all contributed to make this film great! We raised our budget through crowd-sourcing – Indiegogo.com – which in many ways, was the hardest part of the process for me. We assembled an amazing cast and crew, shot in 4 jam-packed days, and worked meticulously on editing and scoring – as well as sound sweetening and color- correction – all with ongoing collaboration from people who only had an interest in seeing a good short film get made. And for that, I’m truly grateful.

#5: What does the future hold for your film and you?

Manny has been in the festival circuit for about 6 months now – with screenings in Breckenridge, Colorado and Studio City, California – and Peter Brooke recently won an award for Best Actor in a Short! With a little luck, we’re hoping to find a distribution platform, so that viewers can watch Desperate Manny at home. I’m also writing more storylines for Manny and Officer Reyes – perhaps to become ongoing episodes, or maybe a feature film.
In the meantime, I’ve got a short comedy in the works - a story about not hearing correctly and the ramifications that can have... Hoping to have that ready to go to festivals in 2018!