CAST

ADAM NEAL SMITH (JEFF)

Focusing primarily on sports through his teenage years, Adam’s interest in film and the craft of acting did not develop until adulthood. As a history major at the University of North Texas, Adam took an introductory acting class to meet the requirement for a fine arts credit. He was hooked immediately. Within a year after graduation from UNT, Adam relocated to Los Angeles and formed a band, The Ethels. He then joined The 68 Cent Crew Theater Company, where he performed as Billy D. during a six-month run of Samuel Shem’s Bill W. and Dr. Bob and co-wrote the play, On the Brink. Additionally, Adam signed on to take the role of Homer Morris in the traveling children’s show, The Morris Brothers. The show sparked an interest in improvisation, which he nurtured by enrolling at Los Angeles’ Second City conservatory. Meanwhile, he and his friend Gordon Bash composed the score for Eric Wolfson’s feature film, Callback.

ALESSANDRO CALZA (ANDREA)

Alessandro is a prolific new media designer based in Genova, Italy. He has produced websites and print materials for Nokia, KLM, Bausch & Lomb, Motorola, and Lions Gate Films. Prior to that, his interest in costume design led him to an acting audition at Teatro Stabile, where he was chosen as one of the twenty finalists to be considered for admission at the distinguished acting school.

CHARLES W. BLAUM (MARK)

Charles was discovered by Yen in a newspaper article about the Dallas Diablos, a gay rugby club he co-founded. He remains an active member of the organization and is also an avid karaoke singer.

ETHEL LUNG (LAUREN)

Ethel has worked with Yen on his award-winning Happy Birthday. She has since been working in Los Angeles and is a member of the 68 Cent Crew Theater Company. Ethel has also appeared in a series of international commercials for Nokia and Allianz Insurance.

CREW

YEN TAN (CO-WRITER/DIRECTOR)

Born and raised in Malaysia, Yen’s first short film, Love Stories, had a successful run at North American film festivals and was voted one of the six “Best of Fest” selections at the Dallas Video Festival. His debut feature, Happy Birthday, screened at numerous film festivals worldwide. The film also won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature at the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival, and Yen was then awarded the New Directors Showcase at the Portland GLBT Film Festival. Happy Birthday was acquired by TLA Releasing. Yen contributed a segment to the acclaimed omnibus film, Deadroom, which premiered at SXSW Film Festival. The directorial joint venture was presented with a Director’s Award for Best Narrative Feature at Texas Film Festival. Concurrently, Yen was featured as one of the “20 Great Dallasites” in the 20th anniversary edition of the Dallas Voice. He has earned praises from esteemed author and critic Michael Bronski, who considered Happy Birthday “a work of intelligence and deep emotional sensibility.” Trick and Queer As Folk screenwriter Jason Schafer also commended Yen for having “a recognizable voice and a developed style this early in his career.” In addition to Ciao, Yen has written the Sundance Screenwriting Lab semi-finalist, Pit Stop.

JIM McMAHON (PRODUCER)

Jim met Yen while working on the set of the feature drama, Wedded Bliss?, where he worked as a Gaffer and Yen was an Assistant Director. Since then, they have built a close friendship and professional bond. Intensely focused, Jim has produced two feature films in the past three years while building strong relationships in all aspects of production, distribution, and exhibition. Currently working as a Post-Production Producer for a successful ad agency in Los Angeles, he frequently works on commercial projects with a total production budget of $500,000 to $1,000,000. His directorial debut, a thriller entitled Bloodshed, premiered at the Dead by Dawn Film Festival in Scotland and gained immediate sales representation through Strategic Film Partners and Spotlight Pictures. Also an accomplished Director of Photography, Jim has shot three feature films: Deadroom (which he also Executive Produced), Mere Acquaintance, and Prison-A-Go-Go!

JAMES M. JOHNSTON (CO-PRODUCER)

James has been making independent films for about eight years, primarily as a writer, producer, and director. His works include Mere Acquaintance, Deadroom, GDMF, and his latest, Merrily, Merrily. He did not attend film school and took his first fateful step towards filmmaking by volunteering to work on an ultra low-budget film. From there, he kept working on films in various roles and this is how he collected a great group of friends and collaborators that he works with on a regular basis. When not working on films, he is Executive Chef for his wife Amy McNutt’s award-winning vegan restaurant, Spiral Diner & Bakery.

MICHAEL VICTOR ROY (DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

Michael graduated from the USC School of Cinema and Television Production and has been working as both a Gaffer and a Chief Lighting Technician of independent film productions. With over twenty feature credits, including Adrienne Shelly’s Waitress and An American Crime with Catherine Keener, Michael has begun to concentrate his efforts on cinematography. In addition to Ciao, his current projects include Mortals, an intimate drama based on the writings of celebrated author Tobias Wolfe, and Waste Land, a feature length documentary film addressing the ramifications of a “throw-away” society.

CLARE FLOYD DEVRIES (PRODUCTION DESIGNER)

Winner of several Column Awards for her theater set designs, Clare was honored with the Dallas Theater League’s Leon Rabin Award for Watertower Theatre’s acclaimed Sweeney Todd. Since then she’s been nominated for four shows: Enchanted April, It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues, The Crucible, and Urinetown: the Musical; where she won for Enchanted and Urinetown. The Dallas Morning News singled her out for an Arts Day profile, calling her “arguably Dallas’ best set designer.” More recently, she was interviewed as part of the National Public Radio series: American Stages: Flexible Theater Design and Audience Intimacy.

DAVID PATRICK LOWERY (CO-PRODUCER, EDITOR)

A two-time Texas Film Production Fund recipient for his short film The Outlaw Son and upcoming feature, St. Nick, David is primarily a writer and director who is equally passionate about film editing. He has edited James M. Johnston’s Mere Acquaintance and Deadroom, where he also worked closely with Yen. David was also a finalist for the Sundance Screenwriting Lab and participated in the Berlinale Talent Campus.

SAMUEL CASAS (SOUND DESIGNER)

Samuel is a professional sound mixer at Lime Studios in Santa Monica. He has worked on commercials for Volkswagen, American Express, Ford, and USA Networks.

STEPHAN ALTMAN (COMPOSER)

Stephan is the lead composer and creative director at Venice Beach, CA-based Mophonics, a boutique music production house creating original music for brands, artists, and film. His first feature film score was for Alejandro Gomez Moneverde’s Bella, winner of the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released theatrically by Roadside Attractions/Lions Gate Films. He has also composed music for many national and international TV campaign spots for Apple, Visa, Verizon Wireless, Adidas, and Pepsi.

GLEN WALSH (MUSIC SUPERVISOR)

During his volunteer tenure at KCRW, Glen co-promoted a successful and long-running progressive dance music night in Los Angeles’ Westside. As a music supervisor with an encyclopedic knowledge of contemporary music, he has worked on several commercials for Apple, Visa, Adidas, and Nike. Born and raised in the south side of Santa Monica (otherwise known as Dogtown), Glen is also a seasoned surfer fond of executing complex longboard tricks through shark-infested waters.