Writer/Director/Producer
GianCarlo Fernandez
Born in Los Angeles, California and raised a stone’s-throw away from New York City, GianCarlo Fernandez’s fervor for filmmaking seems only natural. The New Jersey-based director boasts more than 10 short films and as many professional writing credits. GianCarlo honed his creative energies at Montclair State University, where he studied fine arts with a concentration in filmmaking and film production.
GianCarlo’s ambition and skill-set, evidenced by his overachieving student films, quickly earned him a rare internship with Michael Uslan, the famed Batman producer and CEO of BatFilm Production, INC. Under the mentorship of Michael Uslan and fellow producer F.J. Desanto, GianCarlo contributed ideas and got first-hand experience in film development on over a dozen major studio films while still in college.
After graduating from Montclair, GianCarlo quickly began his commercial directing career by directing animated spots for major companies such as “Hot-Pockets” and “Bud-Light” among many others. After a few years of directing, editing, producing and writing commercials, marketing videos, music videos and short films GianCarlo turned his attention to teaching his craft. GianCarlo worked at Apple INC., for almost two years teaching software, photography, filmmaking and video/photo editing.
While at Apple GianCarlo realized that he was helping people achieved their creative goals, but it came at the cost of not reaching his is own. GianCarlo quit his job and devoted a year to sharpening his story telling skills, filmmaking techniques, and writing a budget conscious independent film with his friend and co-writer Rocco Petrullo. While Apple, INC., GianCarlo met Danny O'Halloran and after working together on multiple projects and constanlty talkng about making a film together they finally took the chance. GianCarlo and Rocco recently started their own production company: Gorilla Ocho Films. This will be GianCarlo's first independent feature film directorial debut, Rocco's first time starring in a feature film and Danny's second feature film.
Cinematographer
Danny O'Halloran
Born in Baltimore Maryland, he attended film school at the famed Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. He began his passion for photography in high school while studying black and white film processing and printing at the Pratt Institute in New York City. While attending Pratt Danny honed his skills in classical and experimental lighting and exposure techniques.
His work at Pratt gained him early admission into NYU where he studied cinematography under Michael Carmine (Friends, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and How I Met Your Mother) and Tom Mangravite (The Hunger). While shooting dozens of films for other students Danny also helped spearhead some of the first trainings in Red Digital Cinema cameras at NYU and was an instrumental part of the NYU's first ever digital cinematography class.
Danny continued his love of high end digital cinema while working in post production for Red-centric productions for the likes of Todd Solondz, Doug Liman, and Martin Scorsese. After a sort time working at Off Hollywood Digital New York Danny moved on to Apple where he trained local professionals in digital workflows for editorial and motion graphics. While at Apple Danny began to work as a Freelance cinematographer and has since left apple to work full time shooting short films, how-to videos, and corporate projects for companies such as Runaway Publications, Love2Brew Homebrew Supply, and Paypal.
While at Apple Danny met GianCarlo and they worked together on several projects and finally realized it was time to go for broke and use the resources and experience they have acquired to produce and shoot this amazing feature film that Gian Carlo and Rocco had penned. This is Danny's second feature film and first feature film with Rocco and GianCarlo.
Writer/Actor
Rocco Petrullo - THE MASKED AVENGER
Rocco Petrullo was born in Hackensack and raised in Garfield, New Jersey. Never has the thought of being anything other than a filmmaker crossed his mind. While still in high school Rocco began his foray into film production by interning for Megavideo Productions and learned video editing. Rocco become interested in every aspect of filmmaking from editing to writing, acting, and directing.
He found that he had a lot of fun performing and creating so took his film ambitions to Montclair State University and quickly earned himself a BFA in filmmaking in just three years in a four year program.
After graduating, he began a freelancing career as a videographer and editor, all while doing stand up comedy and writing, acting and directing many short films.
Rocco continued to make connections in the entertainment industry by interning and working for reputable casting,TV and comedy companies such as: Shirley Grant Management, Current TV’s Bar Karma: TV You Control, Comical Radio and Stand Up NY.
Rocco and GianCarlo become friends and collaborators in college and have since worked on freelance projects together. Eventually they started looking for something bigger and original that they could to together. After months of coming up with ideas for original movies Rocco and GianCarlo decided to develop an old story titled 8 Minute Epic that GianCarlo had starred in, and Rocco had written and directed in college. This time around, Rocco and GianCarlo will be switching roles in creating their first feature film together
28 Minute Epic is Rocco Petrullo’s first feature film.
Actor
Patrick Litgow - SPANKY
Born and raised in central New Jersey, Pat has been entertaining people from a very young age. His first memories of acting are from the Middlesex county college kids theater summer camp, where he got his first taste of the stage.
Pat attentded Edison Highschool New Jersey, where he took several theater arts classes, and where he first met a certian Latino direct/actor and began a long standing friendship that has lasted over the years.
In the years after highschool to the present, Pat has been in numerous musicals and plays. The bulk of which is mainly in central New Jersey community theater, i.e., Villagers Playhouse in Sommerset, Playhouse 22 in East Brunswick and Georgestreet Playhouse, just to name a few.
Pat also has experince in TV & film, having done extra and commercial work, not to mention a short modeling stint. Pats experice so far has been amazing and he attributes that to the guys he has most closley worked with on this project: Proior to this project, Pat worked with GianCarlo on his intro short film that allowed GianCarlo to attend film school ore than eight years ago. This is Pats first endevour into full length feature films, and he is very excited and proud to be working with such an experienced, talented and funny group of people.
Photo Credit to Siouxsie Suarez
Actor
Steve Boghossian - THE DARK RIDER
Born in New Brunswick, NJ and raised around the same area, Steve Boghossian has always had a strong love for the arts. An experienced effects and timing editor, actor, and classically trained percussionist, Steve has experience on many independent projects, animations, and albums.
Having a degree in Animation and Media arts from Philadelphia, he was exposed and trained in special effects timing and compositing, as well as acting and voice acting. Working with many independent artist, including visionary animators such as Robert Wurzburg from Herbipolis Inc., Steve had first hand experience with all aspects of film creation and effects. He also worked on the set experience from being an extra on feature films.
While working for Apple Inc. for many years, he met director GianCarlo and cinematographer Danny O'Halloran and began working with them on short films, all while honing his acting training with coach Christopher Halladay (Law and Order SVU, Of Mice and Men, In Masks Outrageous and Austere, Jason’s Big Problem).
This is Steve's first full length film.
Actor
Jhailyn Puello - Vannessa
Photo Credit to Rob Warhurst
Composer
Manny David
Jersey born musician/composer. He began his musical career by being HUGE fan of his brother's musc projects. Listening to his brother's express themselves through songs, made Manny set on writing his own.
He played in serveral silly high school bands(most being different band names with the same people) playing guitar and singing.
In colleg he decided to understand the production and engineering aspect of music to better help him create, rather than just playing.
Studying at Full Sail University(mostly learning from the incredibly talented students) he was able to write, produce, engineer, mix, and master his first feature length album, 28 MiNUTE EPiC(with loads of help from Alexandra Bandcroft, Michael Tornello, Aasen Bloedoorn, Christine Kadets, and of course Rocco and GianCarlo)
Storyboard Artist
Jess Sims
Jess Sims is a storyboard artist and illustrator who lives in Albuquerque New Mexico and works all over the country creating storyboards for student and independent films. Jess studied both Filmmaking and Illustration at Montclair State University in New Jersey, earning her Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Filmmaking in 2013.