Check out our movie by hitting the play button below.
Strange Bird Productions in association with Domani Productions proudly presents this Mark Riccadonna film. Through Open Doors was adapted by Raven Petretti-Stamper from her one-act play, Fish Tacos. Here's where we're at with the movie:
- The screenplay advanced to the quarterfinals of the New York International Screenplay Awards.
- The movie advanced to the semifinals of the Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival (an Academy Award qualifying event).
- The movie was a Monthly Pick at Rome Prisma Film Awards.
- We were selected by Best Shorts Competition to advance to their awards round. We won Awards of Merit, Special Mention for film short and our leading actor Sean Hoagland. We also won Awards of Merit for Directing, writing and our leading actress, Hannah Beck.
- We are a monthly pick, Best Original Story, Grand Jury Award for Directing and Honorable Mention for Actor winner thanks to New York International Film Awards.
- Thank you New Jersey Film Awards for awarding Through Open Doors Best New Jersey Short and our leading lady, Hannah Beck, Best Actress. We're also thankful for nominations for Sean Hoagland as Best Actor and the entire cast as Best Ensemble.
- We finished our festival run with a Best Narrative Short, Best Producer and Best Editing nod from 8 & HalFilm's special event in Cannes.
- Our World Premier was thanks to the Louisville's Festival of Film on Oct 8.
- Our NY Premier was thanks to NY Shorts International Film Fest on Oct 27 at 2.
- Our NJ Premiere was thanks to Atlantic City Cinefest on Oct 15.
- Our movie also screened to a sold out and very engaged audience in NYC thanks to the inaugural MMM (Music, Movies, Mic drop) Festival.
What's it about? Returning home after a year away, a jetlagged Charlie walks into the wrong apartment and has a chance encounter with a handsome stranger. Their mutual attraction and undeniable chemistry has a hitch, though: It is her apartment and he’s been living there.
Louisville's International Festival of Film
Atlantic City Cinefest
NY Shorts International Film Fest.
MMM (Music, Movies, Mic Drop) Fest
Doug Devita. | Playwright
Here's what Mark Riccadonna had to say about the movie.
Everything starts with a great script, and as soon as I read this, I knew we were in for a beautiful journey to tell an off-beat and funky story.
I was so proud to be part of "Through Open Doors" I mean, the cast and crew came together and worked like we were all old friends, telling a true story we were all involved with. I could not ask for a better group of people to collaborate their expertise in making this go from page to film. Raven, Michel, AJ, Mike, and Nick all put so much time, thought, and hard work into making a perfect set so our actors could concentrate on their work on screen.
One of the most challenging moments was sitting with Don Sill, our editor, and making choices about what went in the movie. Sean and Hannah gave so many unique, solid and flawless takes for us to decide on. In the end, I hope you enjoy this rollercoaster about "familiar strangers" meeting for the first time as much as I do.
Paul Donnelly | Playwright
Hannah is a New York based actress and creative. She stars in the soon to be released This Is How It Starts, a period feature set in the 1950's. Other film credits include: Loveless, Damsel, What Tomorrow Brings and Empty Bed , which has screened at multiple festivals across the country. Stage appearances include: Roberta in the Off Broadway production of John Patrick Shanley's Danny and The Deep Blue Sea, directed by Helen Hayes nominated Peter Allas, and Masha in the US premiere of Lucy Caldwell’s Irish adaptation of Three Sisters directed by Obie Award winner and Drama Desk nominated Christopher McCann. Her performance in Three Sisters earned her the following review: “The smoldering Beck was warming up to a tryst just inches from my seat. Goosebumps betrayed my own human weakness and showed her sublime acting." Hannah appeared alongside Wayne Wilcox (Gilmore Girls, Rent) in Til There Was You, a play that was presented virtually in 2021 and earned a Best Actress Nomination (TheaterMaker Awards) for her performance. Most recently, she appeared opposite Romano Orzari in the new film The Fifth of January, a political drama.
Sean Hoagland is a theatrically trained actor with a passion for film, Sean received his bachelor's degree in performance from the University of Maryland. Shortly after graduating, Sean left his hometown of Baltimore and headed to Los Angeles, where he spent several years appearing in numerous theater and independent film productions. Some of his favorite credits include "The Elephant Man" (title role), with make-up by Academy Award winning artist Barney Burman, "Tracers", for which Sean received recognition from Stage Scene LA for his portrayal of Dinky Dau, and "Sinners" (Dylan Thomas Award, Swansea Bay Film Festival). Although Sean loved LA, he was always curious about New York City and it's fast paced energy and he decided to give it a try. Sean currently studies at The Beverly Hills Playhouse, New York, with instructor Neal Matarazzo. He has two films in post production, and has recently begun writing and producing his own work.
Aly Kantor | Playwright
Mark Riccadonna is a professional comedian who is somewhat of a specialist in reading audiences and making them feel comfortable. He has toured globally playing theatres and clubs as well as with the USO and Armed Forces Entertainment (which landed him his Travel Column "Dad Trippin" in Today's Man Magazine). Over ten years of touring Mark found time to thrive as an on-air host for talk radio out of Atlantic City, performed in an Off-Broadway hit "Happy in the Poor House", did three films in three years; "The Devils Tree", "The Days of Power" and "Game Night". Mark worked as a voice-over actor and directed the play "The Boom" for the NYC Dream Up Festival, Directed "Saint it Ait So" for Theatre 68, Now Directed a pilot he co-wrote called "Radio Gods" with Paul Provenza, John Fugelsang, Rich Vos and Rick Overton and "Through Open Doors". Because of his attitude, he is considered fun, lovable, and easy to work with, landed him shows on FOX, MTV, SPEED network, SPIKE TV, The CW, NBC and The Food Network and a contributing writer for Saturday Night Lives "Weekend Update". Mark is a gifted storyteller, with a charisma that makes you feel like you've known him forever, unique delivery, signature voice, and likability; you will see why he is a favorite at clubs and theatres everywhere.
Raven Petretti-Stamper‘s full length plays include 2020: A Fantasy and It's Still You. Her one-act plays have been presented through various festivals across the country. Her short plays have been published by Smith & Krauss and the Little Red Theatre Company. Her short story, Kindness, advanced to the quarterfinals in Screencraft's Cinematic Short Story Contest and her screenplay for Through Open Doors advanced to the quarterfinals in the New York International Screenplay Awards. An avid student, she has studied at the School of Early Departures (NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and American Academy of Dramatic Arts as an Acting Major) and obtained her MFA from the School of Life where she is now studying for her doctorate. She resides with a hubby who occasionally gets tired of reading her drafts and her rambunctious cats who inspire characters in said drafts. She was selected for the Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive in 2021, Yale Writers’ Workshop in 2022 and is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild.
New York International Screenplay Awards
Strange Bird Productions was founded in 2000. The company's mission was to produce original work and they did so by producing many one-act festivals in NYC that featured playwrights including Lawrence Schwabacher and Brett Hursey. The company began producing full length work in 2019 with the world premiere of Raven Petretti-Stamper's 2020: A Fantasy at Shetler Studios in NYC. This short would not be possible without the magic provided by Domani Productions, and co-producers Mark Riccadonna and Michel Grey. They never wavered while steering our ship. This is SBP's first foray into the world of film but it most certainly won't be the last because of their efforts.
Domani Productions was formed in 2018 by wife and husband team Hannah Beck and Sean Hoagland. Together, they have produced the short film What Tomorrow Brings, a festival favorite web series Love in the Time of Corona: A Comedy (now available on RokuTV), a new short film by Jean Passanante (General Hospital, Guiding Light), an Off-Broadway production of John Patrick Shanley’s Danny and the Deep Blue Sea directed by Helen Hayes nominated Peter Allas, and several industry readings, including a new play by Traci Parks featuring Austin Pendleton and Robert LuPone. They recently joined the producing team of Flawless: A Feminist Fairytale, a pilot which goes into production this summer.
Rene Zabel | Playwright
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