|
United Film & Television Artists, Inc. Work On Production Of Wild Sunflowers
By Rick Michaels
Thomas Griffith began writing and directing politically driven independent movies in the mid-1980s when he and his wife Jeanne Holland-Griffith created Straightawaymovie.com in Miami, Florida. Wild Sunflowers is his first to tackle the human puzzle from the stand point of service to one’s country, while surviving the elements and type of war that no Americans certainly have dealt with, that equals our current involvement in Iraq.
He originally became interested in this story while following the progress of an ABC News correspondent who came back from Iraq with a head injury caused by an IED. He was impressed with how much the correspondent’s family was affected by the injury, and how drawn-out the rehabilitation process took for both.
According to Griffith, “This is not an anti-war story, but more a story about dedicated professional public servants being let down by a less than optimum support system, left to deal with the results of coming home to immense uncertainty, after being wounded in combat.”
Documented statistics reveal that amazing numbers of servicemen and women in Iraq (and even in Afghanistan) are surviving combat mishaps and returning home with unimaginable wounds, which in previous wars would have been fatal. Emergency medical and field triage has progressed so much in the past few decades. The problem compounds itself, with ill prepared family members to deal with finding continuing assistance to help now permanently disabled sons, daughters, husbands and wives.
Sunflowers’ also delves into local rural politics and spirituality, and was shot before the current financial crisis took root in our country. He comments,” The characters in this story were in financial trouble before the sub-prime mess came to town.” It was shot on location in smaller rural communities throughout South Florida, including Clewiston, Lake Worth, and Homestead, Florida.
He even crafted the characters running for political office in the story, to be honorable men. “Both want the best for their constituents, and believe in running a clean campaign, and not throwing their opponent under the bus”, says Griffith, even after one campaign uncovers a messy situation that would certainly sink national office seekers efforts.
Establishing the cast was a combined effort of using former South Florida actors that he was familiar with from earlier productions, and surfing the web using sites like
Nowcasting.com and Craig’s List. He also relied upon one of the films co-producers, Rick Michaels to send him talent from the greater Lee/Collier County, Florida area, utilizing the services and talent of United Film & Television Artists, Inc.
Current UFTA President, Deborah Smith Ford plays a supporting role as the character Dottie Beasley, Past President and UFTA Founder, Al Quinn plays the character of Ned Parsons, a Vietnam War era veteran, and Publicity Chairperson Rick Michaels plays the character of Sheriff Tom Moffat.
Three of the lead roles were cast from the LA market, including Rick Crawford, who also claims Belfast Ireland as home, and is one of the films co-producers.
A first public viewing is being planned for the summer of 2008.
|
