Rita Ciolek (Writer, Director, Producer) 

Rita immigrated to the United States from Poland in 1995.  She spent the first few years in Chicago working towards a bachelor degree, and in 2001, she graduated in the top 25 students in the senior class from the DePaul University’s College of Commerce while at the same time obtaining a CPA certification.  Upon graduation, Rita joined an accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers where she worked for nearly a decade and where she gained valuable business skills in strategy, leadership, and teamwork. 

Eventually, her adventurous spirit and passion for storytelling led her to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Cinema degree from the School of Cinematic Arts at DePaul University (2015).  Wanting to combine her business skills with her newly awakened creative side, Rita founded Kazia Productions, LLC a media production company that aims to create human interest and social impact stories.  Rita’s notable works include Jax, which was nominated for Best Editing and which won a Best Documentary award at the 2014 DePaul University Premiere Film Festival.  For her MFA thesis work, Rita wrote, directed and produced Growing Strong


Alex Goldberg (Associate Producer)

Alex began work in video and narrative film production after graduating from the University of Illinois where he studied cinema.  Since 2007, he has worked in a variety of capacities on short films, producing and directing six of his own.  Currently he is working on his thesis film for the MFA Digital Cinema Program at DePaul University while working at the Steppenwolf Theater. 

Steven Callas (Associate Producer)

Steven is a Greek-American producer and assistant director from Chicago.  He has worked on FOX's musical drama "Empire, "Love is a Four Letter Word" (NBC), "Runner" (ABC), and has assistant directed and produced a variety of features, short films, and web series.  He runs a small studio called Some Film Company that discovers interesting stories and develops them for film.  Visit Steven’s website at www.callas.me.


Katharin “Ladie K” Mraz (Production Designer)

Katharin proclaims herself  “The Original Self-Expressionist and Starving Artist” promoting free will and expression amongst minorities and women in the media.  In 2011, she established Ladie K Productions, a socially responsible and progressive media, marketing, and production company creating new standards in the entertainment industry and media.  In 2013,  Katharin incorporated Creative Works Media, a video and film production company, and Smart Pretty Designs, a production art and design company.

Erin Hughes (Director of Photography)

Erin is the owner of Erin Hughes Productions, a production company that specializes in film and video production in Chicago and Michigan.  Erin Hughes Productions films events such as weddings and bar mitzvahs, corporate videos, music videos, and much more.  Erin is a graduate of the DePaul University film program with a concentration in Cinematography.  She works professionally as a cinematographer, camera assistant, and gaffer.  Erin’s work experience includes gripping on Mind Games, a 20th Cent. Fox TV, gaffing on We Had This Band indie feature, and a Director of Photography role on A Priceless Woman (1961) – a student short, which won several awards at the 2014 DePaul University Premiere Film Festival, including Best Picture. Visit Erin’s website at www.erinhughesproductions.com.


Kevin Quick (Associate Producer)

Kevin is a recent DePaul University film school graduate who seeks out independent films to produce. Though he has traveled for projects he loves working in his home town of Chicago, Illinois. Genres that he has tackled thus far are drama, horror, and documentary although he is never tied down to one thing for too long.

Sally O'Brien (Editor)

Sally has worked extensively in both Los Angeles and Chicago.  She came back to her Midwest hometown of Chicago to get her masters degree at DePaul University, and currently enjoys cutting for a variety of projects.  Other recent credits include the feature documentary "Without Charity", the award-winning short film "Una Mujer sin Precio," and the webisode series "Humane Resources."


Derek O’Rourke (Sound Recordist, Sound Designer)

Derek is a Chicago-based audio engineer and filmmaker.  He is the owner of Do Audio. Derek’s driving philosophy when providing production audio services is to capture clean, usable audio – no matter what.  His motto will always be ‘”Death Before ADR”. Derek’s expertise in sound extends into post-production audio, which includes noise reduction and sweetening up a clean dialogue edit, foley art, SFX, and music editing.  Derek is proud to have worked with some of nation’s finest filmmakers and production companies that include Jason Knade, Shatterglass Studios, Big Fish Entertainment, DimeStore Films, VES Creative, and Corrina Crade. Visit Derek’s website at do-audio.com.

Elliot Callighan (Music Composer)

Elliot is a recent graduate from DePaul University with a Masters in Digital Cinema Audio Production.  He began playing the violin at the age of 4, piano at 8, guitar at 12 and discovered he could make music on the computer at age 20. He received at BA in music composition from Columbia College and has self-released two albums under the electronic artist name, Ramova along with scoring numerous student and independent films. He hopes to hang out and have a beer with Alexandre Desplat and James Newton Howard some day.  Visit Elliot’s website at ramovamusic.com.

Cast

Lily Strong  |  Sophie Thatcher

Rosemarie Blythe  |  Samantha Doane-Bates

Sam White  |  Daniel Bruington

Wes Strong  |  Andrew Krukowski

Cathy Strong  |  Chandra Michaels

Mr. Naszlo  |  Mike Seely

Sherri  |  Cathy Rawlings

Dolores  |  Kristy Calman

Judge  |  Sonny Burnette

Truck Driver  |  John Heffley

Young Lily  |  Zola Giammasi-Scaman

Young Dorothy  |  Riley Sawin

Book Club Woman 1  |  Betty Littleton

Book Club Woman 2   |  Rebecca Rippetoe

Bus Driver  |  Ted Wiseman

Store Clerk  |  Joe Fisher

Store Customer  |  Carl Eriksen

Uncle William  |  Mikaal Bates

Poetry Contest Audience  |  The wonderful residents from Midway, Paris, and Lexington, KY

Crew

Line Producer/UPM|  Kevin Quick

Script Supervisor|  Alex Goldberg

1st AD|  Meghan Freeman

1st AC|  Dan Wagner

DIT|  Gordon Glenn

Gaffer|  Andres Reynoso

Key Grip|  Valentin Flores

Grip|  Edwin Ruiz

Grip|  Emma McGinn

Set Decorator/ Property Master|  Kelsey O'Brien

Art PA|  Carl Eriksen 

Hair Stylist|  Genell Banks

Makeup Artist|  Genell Banks

Set Decorator (Chicago)  |  Tina McCarthy

Art PA (Chicago)  |  Matthew Wrobel

Art PA (Chicago)  |  Scott Feigen

Set Photographer    |  Christina Noel

Set Photographer|  Jake Winsett

Horse Wrangler|  Monica Lynch

Sound Mixer|  Derek O'Rourke

Boom Operator|  Savannah Arindaeng-Hall

Production Assistant|  Randle Taylor

Production Assistant|  Jake Winsett

Production Assistant|  Jack McKinney

Assistant Editor|  Gordon Glenn

Colorists|  Peilin Tan, Mark Irion

Sound Designer|  Derek O'Rourke

Music Composer|  Elliot Callighan

Visual Effects|  Amar Mitra

Casting Director - Chicago|  Sarajane Crowley

Casting Director - Kentucky|  Kathy Campbell (Heyman Talent Agency)

1st AD (2nd Unit)  |  Steven Callas

1st AC (2nd Unit)  |  Ward Crockett

Grip (2nd Unit)  |  Christopher Nguyen

Grip (2nd Unit)  |  Kelli Tynan

Production Assistant (2nd Unit)  |  Gregory Dixon

Very Special Thanks To

Daphne, Andy, Saxon & Skye Marvin

Aj & Julie Shoultz

Gary Winsett

The Barr House Bed & Breakfast - Robert Barr

Midway Christian Church - Rev. Heather McColl & Joni Angus

Midway College - Ellen Gregory & Marsha Melville

Fisher Antiques - Joe Fisher

Windy Corner Market

Midway Body Shop - Andy Devers III

Historic Midway Museum Store - Leslie Penn

Crittenden & Company

Daybreak Farm Stables - Monika Worlin & Karen Paniagua

Louise L. Hay, You Can Heal Your Life, 1999, Hay House, Inc., Carlsbad, CA

Kentucky Film Office - Dian Knight

Blue Grass Tours - Corey Jones

Cineverse - Stan Glapa

Clever Underdogs - Becca Hamrin & Josh McNally

Holistic Health Practice - Sara Davenport 

Cinespace Chicago Film Studios

Dotson Brothers Paris, KY - Rodney Dotson

Rings Excavating, Cynthiana, KY

Dan Rogers

Tom Bozarth, Mayor (Midway, KY)

Nancy Jones

Laura Morton Mattingly

Mary Hinckley

Jean Sawin 

Jennie Giammasi 

Julie Halpern

Candice Young

John Klein

Agata Paleczny

Adele Red

Tabish Khair

Jared Pettit

Elliott Lonsdale

And to everyone else who made this film possible

Kentucky Assistance

Jim Leigh, Deputy with Bourbon County Sherrif Dept & retired Battalion Chief (Paris Fire Dept)

Deputy Mike Jones, Bourbon County Sherrif Dept  

Sgt. Bryan Jared & Officer John McBride, Lexington Police Dept

Battalion Chief Jeff Nantz, Lexington Fire 

Capt. Chris Burke, Lexington Fire

Capt. Marshall Thompson, Lexington Fire

Firefighter Markus Burchfield, Lexington Fire 

Firefighter Joe Nugent, Lexington Fire 

More Thanks to DePaul University

Matthew Irvine 

Kristyn Benedyk

Peter Biagi

Brad Riddell

Joanne Zielinski

Steven Jones

John Corba

Joe Lyons

Wendy Roderweiss

Everyone at the Cage, Stage, Production Office, and Cinespace

Animals

Horse "Royal Ascot" as Beauty

Horse "Dazzle Them Duke" as Beauty

Horse "Buick" as Beauty

Hamster "Chuck"

Cats "Cowboy" and "Shadows"

Copyright @ 2020 Kazia Productions, LLC. All rights reserved.