LINCOLN PARK — An unbiased mob comedy, shot partially in Chicago, is coming to Sides for a premiere screening Monday.
“This Is Our Metropolis,” directed by Joseph Galizia, is the debut function for Galizia’s Las Vegas-based manufacturing firm, Fairly Fairly Powerbomb Productions, which he runs along with his spouse and writer-producer Marissa Lessman-Galizia.
Each are Chicago veterans, having lived right here for 12 years and graduated from the Chicago Faculty of Performing Arts at Roosevelt College, the place they earned their bachelor’s levels in performing. Lessman-Galizia later earned her grasp’s diploma at DePaul College, the place she now serves as an adjunct college member.
Whereas Fairly Fairly Powerbomb — and the movie itself — is ready in Las Vegas, the manufacturing has deep Chicago roots. The pair drew from their intensive community of current expertise in Chicago to supply the movie and shot a couple of days within the space.
Impressed by mockumentaries like “Reno 911!” and mob comedies like “Get Shorty,” “Metropolis” takes the type of a documentary arrange as a sting operation by FBI agent Ron (Aaron Latterell) to draw the dual failsons of a strong mob boss (performed by Oscar nominee Eric Roberts) who want to use their connections for fame. However when the don will get arrested, the keys to the empire fall to “Child Boy” Invoice Galanarri (Galizia) and his fool brother Frankie (Chicago actor Adam Marcantoni), who got down to construct up their very own crew of misfits and take over — with the doc crew proper behind them for each outrageous step.
“This film has loads of Chicago-ness to it,” stated Galizia.
That features a majority forged of Chicago improv veterans comparable to Max Fabian, Wesley Danel and Kasey Alfonson.
“It’s in all probability trite, however I’ve had the pleasure of working with actors from everywhere in the nation, and Chicago actors are the perfect,” stated Lessman-Galizia. “They’ve this innate resourcefulness and creativity that loads of people simply don’t.”
The story’s nature as a mob comedy naturally attracted the Galizias to Chicago as a supply for inspiration, as effectively. The movie begins with a pretend quote from Al Capone’s “descendant.”
“Chicago is only a city that has mob ties,” Galizia stated. “We point out Al Capone; we point out Fortunate Luciano. So it’s a Vegas film particularly, however the historical past of the mafia runs by way of Chicago.”
The Galizias shot the movie over 12 days this fall, with a crew together with Chicago-based cinematographer Patrick Belics and assistant director Juan Linares. A few of these days had been spent in Chicago, accumulating B-roll within the North Aspect and Skokie and Winnetka areas, amongst different areas.
To finish the sound combine, the Galizias used SAG-approved Chicago recording studio Tightrope Recording, the place in addition they filmed a few of the inserts that includes characters recording podcasts.
The movie has already loved its Las Vegas premiere on the Beverly Theater; now, the Galizias are wanting ahead to its Chicago premiere at Sides to drum up extra nationwide curiosity to the movie and to carry it house to the crew that helped create it.
“Chicago is the place our inventive coronary heart is, and we needed to have fun the work that the Chicago forged and crew did,” stated Lessman-Galizia.
The choice to work with Sides was due primarily to fortuitous timing and the amicable communication that they had with the theater’s crew.
“It’s a very nice, beautiful area,” Lessman-Galizia stated.
With the Chicago premiere and past, the Galizias stated they’re searching for a chance for “This Is Our Metropolis” and Fairly Fairly Powerbomb on the whole to develop additional into the Chicago market. They hope that the excitement from the Las Vegas and Chicago premieres will spur distributors — a few of whom are based mostly right here — to choose it up, whether or not for a theatrical or streaming run.
“We’re unbiased filmmakers, so the purpose is simply to come up with the money for to make our subsequent mission,” Lessman-Galizia stated.
The broader ambitions for Fairly Fairly Powerbomb are to grow to be a number one unbiased manufacturing firm, extending past Las Vegas to Chicago. Future potential productions embody a Chicago-based pawn store horror movie referred to as “Pawn,” in addition to a horror comedy sequence referred to as “Pigpen.”
“On the finish of the day, what we wish to hold doing is that this factor we like to do with folks we like to do it with,” she stated.
The general public is inspired to attend the free “This Is Our Metropolis” premiere 6 p.m. Monday at Sides, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave. Extra details about the movie is obtainable on the Fairly Fairly Powerbomb web site.
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