Film’s sneak peek to benefit charity
Published: Thursday, February 11, 2010
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By NANCY McCAULEY BRANSTETTER
Special to The Oakland Press
The red carpet will be rolled out Feb. 20 at the Music Hall Center for Performing Arts to showcase a made-in-Michigan film with proceeds donated to Starfish Family Services, an organization that strives to help strengthen family relationships.
“Annabelle and Bear,” a movie made by Radish Creative Group of Royal Oak, was filmed at 12 locations in southeast Michigan last summer and director Amy Weber will soon offer the community a sneak preview of the movie.
“We are excited to share the film with everyone,” said Weber, who resides in Birmingham. “The movie is the tender story of a man named Bear who is thrust into fatherhood, and the love he finds in the heart of his 2-year-old daughter. We teamed up with Starfish because of the agency’s focus on families and children, which is a great fit with the movie’s theme.”
Starfish Family Services is a nonprofit organization based in Inkster that is dedicated to helping children and families in Metro Detroit. CEO Ann Kalass said the donation from Weber and her Radish Creative Group will be used to enrich the lives of local families in need.“We help people like Bear every day,” Kalass said.
“Starfish has many programs designed to teach parenting skills and give them confidence. We have a caring staff to guide and coach moms and dads looking for ways to create a brighter future for their family.”
The film’s cast, crew and musical talent are all from Michigan, Weber said. They are a blend of seasoned professionals and people looking for experience in the film industry.She selected 20 instrumental pieces and songs from a competition Radish Creative Group hosted to help create the film’s musical score. The band, “Nervous But Excited,” won the competition and made a cameo appearance in the film.
“Radish Creative Group opened our doors to people interested in film making,” Weber said.“Our crew of nearly 200 people was just incredible and ignited a passion for the movie and the film industry. Some of those people have already gone on to work with other films.”
A star of the film, 3-year-old Olivia Walby of Oakland County, was chosen for the role of Annabelle from hundreds of young girls who auditioned.“A friend of mine told me about the audition, and I thought it would be a fun outing for Olivia to play act,” said Olivia’s mother, Patty Walby. “When she got the part, I was amazed at how quickly she understood that there was a beginning and an end to her pretending, and could recite several lines of dialogue.”
Walby said that even with her own 20 years of television production experience, she found it fascinating to watch the making of a movie and the many levels of coordination it takes to create a full-length film.
FYI
To purchase tickets for the screening gala of Annabelle and Bear, benefi ting Starfish, call the Music Hall Box Office at 313-887-8501 or visit www. ticketmaster.com. Tickets are $15 each. For more information, visit www.annabelleandbear.com.
