Bradley J. Ross–founder/director of Brooklyn-based production company Open Swim–is producing the new indie comedy film I’ll Be Right There which stars Edie Falco alongside Oscar nominee Jeannie Berlin, Charlie Tahan, Kayli Carter, Michael Rapaport, Michael José a Fernando Beach, Sepideh Moafi and Emmy winner Bradley Whitford. Directed by Brendan Walsh, I’ll Be Right There recently wrapped production in New York. The film follows a single mother, Wanda (Falco), whose priority is to put her family first, regardless of how hectic that might be. Her eight-month pregnant daughter (Carter) wants a wedding, her mother (Berlin) thinks she’s dying, and her wayward son (Tahan) is either going into rehab or the army. Meanwhile Wanda barely has time for herself, not that she would know what to do with it anyway. Ross has a number of significant, award-winning credits in the feature film arena. He edited and co-produced the Oscar-nominated, Emmy Award-winning documentary Cartel Land, an unprecedented, on-the-ground exposé of Mexican vigilante groups and drug cartels; the Emmy-nominated documentary Escape Fire; TIFF Audience Award-winning Here Alone; the Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning The Kindergarten Teacher, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal; and his most recent film Centigrade….
Dublin, Ireland-based production company Banjoman, known for its work in the advertising sector, is starting production on its first independent feature film. The movie shoots for five weeks through March and April and aims to find an audience late this year/early next year. The micro-budget project is supported by past and present collaborators of Banjoman, including actors who have been featured in commercials for the production company, and part-funded by brands past and present. Luke Jacobs, a long-term contemporary of Banjoman, will serve as DP on the film which will traverse the festival circuit before hitting a global audience. With the working title Just Frankie, the film introduces us to protagonist Frankie as he attempts to rebuild his life in the aftermath of the Celtic Tiger, a period of economic prosperity in Ireland which was followed by catastrophic decline caused by the onset of the recession in the late 2000s. The scars of the Celtic Tiger are evident in Ireland as the story begins, shown in the abandoned housing developments that are scattered across the country, and held within the lives of people who navigated the monumental highs and abject lows of the period. Predominantly a drama with comedic moments and characters, the film constructs its narrative in the form of flashbacks between 2019 and 2009. In the 2019 world, Frankie is attending his father’s funeral, an emotional day on which a surprise guest drags him back to face the sins of his past. Attempting to rebuild his life in the present day, the film is a redemptive arc for Frankie. Peter Coonan, star of Peaky Blinders and Bad Sisters, heads up the cast, playing Frankie. He is joined by Ruari O’Connor, recognized for ‘The Morning Show’ and The Conjuring, in addition to a host of Irish acting talent including Owen Roe, Olivia Caffrey and Lynn Rafferty. Helmer Dermot Malone, founder of Banjoman, will direct Just Frankie……
