The Nana Project

Last updated

The Nana Project
Directed by Robin Givens
Screenplay byEric Ulloa
Produced by
  • Carl Moellenberg
  • Anthony Del Negro
Starring
CinematographyHilton Goring
Edited by Andrew Keenan-Bolger
Nick Everhart
Music byCaleb Damschroder
Production
companies
  • Dominion Pictures
  • Stargazer Films
Release date
  • September 14, 2023 (2023-09-14)(SOHO International Film Festival)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Nana Project is a 2023 American mockumentary comedy film directed by Robin Givens from a screenplay by Eric Ulloa (in his narrative feature writing debut), with additional writing by Carl Moellenberg and Anthony Del Negro, the film's producers. Set at the Timeless Acres Retirement Home, the film follows a documentary crew who develop an interest in one of its star residents—feisty chess master Helen “Nana” Lewis (Mercedes Ruehl). The film stars Ruehl with an ensemble cast that includes Nicky Whelan, Morgan Fairchild, Tony Todd, Charlene Tilton, Beth Broderick, Margaret Avery, Sierra McCormick, Katie Sarife, Gina Hiraizumi, Nolan Gould and Will Peltz.

Contents

It premiered as the opening night film of the SOHO International Film Festival on September 14, 2023. [1]

Cast

Production

Development and casting

On December 21, 2021, it was reported that Mercedes Ruehl will star in the mockumentary-style comedy directed by Robin Givens. [2] On May 12, 2022, Nicky Whelan, Morgan Fairchild, Tony Todd, Charlene Tilton, Beth Broderick, Margaret Avery, Sierra McCormick, Katie Sarife, Gina Hiraizumi, Nolan Gould, Will Peltz, Olivia d’Abo, Eddie Steeples, and Mike Manning have joined the cast. [3]

Filming

Filming began in Louisville, Kentucky from May 18. [4] A number of local background actors were hired to work on location: Julie Engelhardt, Lincoln Crum, Carlisle Baker, Mark Neff, Sally Johnson, Ed Hoben, Barbie Mueller, Kimberley Gant, Kathleen Ashcraft, Raydonna Guy, and Terri Weber.

Release

The film premiered as the opening night film of the SOHO International Film Festival in New York City on September 14, 2023. Some of the cast was able to attend the screening due to the producers having signed an interim agreement that would allow them to promote the film during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. [5] [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Heat</i> (1995 film) 1995 film by Michael Mann

Heat is a 1995 American crime film written and directed by Michael Mann. It features an ensemble cast led by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, with Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Wes Studi, Jon Voight, Ted Levine, Dennis Haysbert, and Danny Trejo in supporting roles. The film follows the conflict between an LAPD detective and a career criminal while also depicting its effect on their professional relationships and personal lives.

The following is an overview of events in 1986 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.

The year 1976 in film involved some significant events.

<i>Batman Begins</i> 2005 American superhero film by Christopher Nolan

Batman Begins is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman, with Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe, and Morgan Freeman in supporting roles. The film reboots the Batman film series, telling the origin story of Bruce Wayne from the death of his parents to his journey to become Batman and his fight to stop Ra's al Ghul and the Scarecrow from plunging Gotham City into chaos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bad Robot</span> American film and television production company

Bad Robot is an American film and television production company founded on May 27, 1999 and led by Katie McGrath and J.J. Abrams as Co-CEO. Under its Bad Robot Productions division, the company is responsible for the television series Alias, Lost, Fringe, Person of Interest, Revolution, and Westworld alongside the feature-length films Cloverfield, Star Trek, Super 8, Star Trek Into Darkness, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Star Wars Episodes VII and IX, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Star Trek Beyond, The Cloverfield Paradox, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, and Overlord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Todd</span> American actor

Tony Todd is an American actor who is perhaps best known for portraying the title character in the Candyman film series (1992–2021).

<i>Interstellar</i> (film) 2014 film by Christopher Nolan

Interstellar is a 2014 epic science fiction drama film directed, written, and produced by Christopher Nolan and starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, Michael Caine, and Matt Damon. Set in a dystopian future where humanity is embroiled in a catastrophic blight and famine, the film follows a group of astronauts who travel through a wormhole near Saturn in search of a new home for humankind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Irvin</span> American film director

Sam Irvin is an American film and television director, producer, screenwriter, actor, author and film teacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nolan Gould</span> American actor

Nolan Gould is an American actor. He is known for his role as Luke Dunphy on the ABC sitcom Modern Family.

Connections is the Royal National Theatre in London's annual youth theatre festival. It was founded in 1995 and sponsored by Royal Dutch Shell until 2007 when the Bank of America took over the sponsorship. The plays are also published by the National Theatre each year.

The YoungStar Awards, presented by The Hollywood Reporter, honored young American actors and actresses from ages 6–18 in their work in film, television, stage and music. Winners were chosen via a poll of 3,500 entertainment industry insiders who read The Hollywood Reporter. The awards ceremony was held from 1995 until 2000; there was no ceremony in 1996.

The 65th Writers Guild of America Awards honor the best film, television, radio and video-game writers of 2012. The television and radio nominees were announced on December 6, 2012. Film nominees were announced on January 4, 2013. All winners were announced on February 17, 2013 at the JW Marriott Hotel in the L.A. Live entertainment complex.

<i>Inconceivable</i> (2017 film) 2017 American film

Inconceivable is a 2017 American thriller film directed by Jonathan Baker and written by Chloe King. It stars Gina Gershon, Faye Dunaway, Nicolas Cage, Nicky Whelan and Natalie Eva Marie. The film was released on June 30, 2017, by Lionsgate Premiere.

Guild Hall of East Hampton in the incorporated Village of East Hampton on Long Island's East End, is one of the United States' first multidisciplinary cultural institutions. Opened in 1931, it was designed by architect Aymar Embury II and includes a visual art museum with three galleries and the John Drew Theater, a 360 seat proscenium stage. It is historically significant for its role in exhibiting the works of the American Abstract expressionists Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Lee Krasner, John Ferren, and Robert Motherwell; performances by Helen Hayes, Thornton Wilder, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson, and hundreds of other world-class stars of stage and screen; and involvement by the literary figures George Plimpton, Peter Matthiessen, Gore Vidal, Edward Albee, and John Steinbeck. It holds a permanent collection of 2,400 works of art and continues to build on important relationships in the worlds of film, theatre, dance, music, and visual art. The museum's current director is Andrea Grover, who was previously Curator of Special Projects of the Parrish Art Museum.

References

  1. https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/calendar/event/20230914/edabf2d9-730d-499e-b9ba-387d2d780512/soho-intl-film-festival-unveils-2023-lineup-the-nana-project-little-brother-scrap-and-more
  2. Castaneda, Tom (December 21, 2021). "Mercedes Ruehl to Star in the Mockumentary-Style Comedy "The Nana Project" | Hispanically Yours".
  3. Grobar, Matt (May 12, 2022). "Robin Givens Mockumentary 'The Nana Project' Adds Sierra McCormick, Tony Todd, Katie Sarife & More".
  4. ""The Nana Project" directed by Robin Givens will be filmed in Louisville". Mondovino Le Film.
  5. https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/653174099/robin-givens-the-nana-project-starring-mercedes-ruehl-nolan-gould-will-peltz-to-open-soho-int-l-film-festival
  6. https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/calendar/event/20230914/edabf2d9-730d-499e-b9ba-387d2d780512/soho-intl-film-festival-unveils-2023-lineup-the-nana-project-little-brother-scrap-and-more