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"