Award winning filmmaker Jay Silverman has just wrapped production on his newest dramatic film, Camera, the story of a young boy who, unable to speak, communicates solely to the world through the lens of a still camera.
The stars of Camera are Beau Bridges, Jessica Parker Kennedy and Bruce Davison – and introducing Miguel Gabriel as “Oscar.” Other cast members include: Scotty Tovar; Ross Partridge; Jorge-Luis Pallo; Ezekiel Bridges; and Ayinde Howell.
Camera was produced and directed by Silverman, written by Jamie Murphy, a Nichol Fellowship Semi-Finalist, and produced by Beau Bridges, Bethany Cerrona, Ian Christian Blanche, and Joe Gamache. Casting is by Beth Holmes and Lindsay Bellock Lieber. The film was shot on location in Los Angeles and Northern California.
Please see: https://www.jaysilvermanproductions.com/the-camera
Camera presents the story of a nine-year-old boy, Oscar (Gabriel), who is unable to speak, as he struggles to adapt to the small fishing town where he has just moved with his widowed, hard-working mother Evelyn (Kennedy). Brought together by a broken film format camera, an unlikely friendship is formed between Oscar and a kind repair shop owner, Eric (Bridges). With the local fishing industry in a decline, the townspeople where Oscar and Evelyn now live become fiercely divided as to whether or not to stake their futures on building a luxury hotel – which will surely bring in new jobs – or fight to keep things the way they have been there for generations. With Eric’s guidance and mentorship, young Oscar captures the goodness in people, and in so doing, heals a wounded community.
Regarding his passion for this project, Silverman said, “A single photograph has the power to significantly impact a person’s life. Not just the viewer, but the person who captures it as well. This is something I know first-hand – it’s the reason I spent 35 years as a professional photographer, and it’s the same reason I endeavored to direct Camera. While my experience as a photographer convinced me to pick up this script, it was my experience as a father that kept me turning the pages, moving me beyond words. Having raised a daughter born with impaired speech, it was easy for me to relate to this story’s young protagonist, Oscar, and the older man who sees his artistic potential and dedicates himself to sharing it with the world. Their friendship is the beating heart of Camera.”
Adds Silverman, “Even if you don’t struggle to express yourself in the same way as our character Oscar does – or have someone looking out for you, like our character, Eric – we all know how it feels to want to be seen, to be heard, and to be understood…and how special it is when you finally meet someone who truly does acknowledge you. That’s the real magic of this story. At a time when I – like so many of us – feel socially isolated and disconnected, this script restored my faith that life doesn’t have to be this way and that positive change may come from the least assuming amongst us. Through the interplay between still images and moving ones, my goal for Camera was for this story to come alive – to be as real to the audience as a thinking, feeling organism, and for this heartwarming storyline to move them towards a brighter future, after the picture fades to black.”
About JAY SILVERMAN PRODUCTIONS
The mission behind Jay Silverman Productions is to use the power of storytelling to inspire and entertain, with a message that is uplifting for society. As an independently owned and operated entertainment production company that develops and produces independent films and television shows, the company believes it has an important responsibility to use storytelling to make the world a better place.
In addition to Camera, Jay Silverman Production has previously produced a number of award-winning, earlier, high profile projects. These include:
- Saving Paradise: The inspiring story – based on true events – of a looming foreclosure on a bankrupt pencil factory, and the community’s fight to save it.
- Off The Menu: The tale of an unlikely heir to a Mexican fast-food empire who falls in love with a feisty female chef and becomes involved in the success of a small, New Mexican restaurant.
- Girl on the Edge: The powerful, true story of a teenage girl who finds healing in the most unlikely of places in her own recovery from the trauma of her past.
- The Cleaner (A&E) recounts the inspiring true story of a real life “extreme interventionist” who strikes a deal with God, and vows to kick his addictions, in exchange for a second chance.
About JAY SILVERMAN
Award winning filmmaker Jay Silverman has excelled as a leading Director, Producer, and Photographer for over 35 years. In addition to his role as Producer and Director under his Jay Silverman Productions’ banner, Silverman has also been creatively involved with countless television, digital and print advertising campaigns, working with dozens of top celebrities including Denzel Washington, Beyoncé, Quentin Tarantino, Jamie Foxx, and Ray Charles. He has also produced advertising campaigns for such major brands as Apple, Coors, Pepsi, Disney, and Budweiser.
