Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Baltimore Shot Film '25 Years'

I had the pleasure to be at the Baltimore premiere of 25 Years.

The film, shot in Baltimore and Prince Georges County Maryland, was written and directed by Maryland filmmaker Derek L. Gray

About the film:
Mark and Drew Anderson weren't born brothers but, for two boys who had lost so much, so young, their parents union meant that they would have the unbreakable bond of brotherhood, love and support through each other for the rest of their lives. Well, at least for 25 Years...

Diagnosed with cancer and losing the battle, Mark struggles to hold everything together as his family begins to fall apart. 

The film is a clever blend of two narratives as it tells the story of how these two brothers...became brothers and also shows you what their lives are now.

Of course there's a lot of family drama and almost none of it is because one of the brothers Mark is dying. There’s good performances from the cast Phillip A. Stamp as Drew and Paul R. Sieber as their father Edward, but it’s the main couple Mark and his wife Reid who as you can imagine carry the weight of the picture. Monica Smothers as Reid does a good job at playing the wife who is supporting her husband as she knows he’s dying, but as you can imagine the Lead in the film Napoleon Rogers as Mark gives the most substantial performance. Rogers couldn't be at the Baltimore Premiere because he is now living in Los Angeles pursuing his acting career and I think that’s a good choice. He has the talent and should pursue it.

I really enjoyed this locally produced film and will be looking forward to more from Derek L. Gray.

You can read more about the film at http://www.dereklgray.com/

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