Film Synopsis
Receiving news that his mother is ill, Max Rollins (late 40s) returns from the reclusiveness of a small Mexican fishing village to the Venice Beach, California home where he was raised. Having been fostered since early childhood and finally adopted as a troubled youth by Judy Rollins, Max and his younger brother (also adopted,) Jonah (late 20s) are now challenged with the reality of their mother’s health crisis. Her abrupt passing sets in motion a journey of discovery for the patchwork family that is left behind. Along the way, wounds are faced and long buried pain is worked through. In this unforeseen season of life, both Max and Jonah must rise to the occasion as they take on new responsibilities neither feel equipped for. Honoring Judy's legacy, not only involves rescuing her fledgling Art Youth Center but also taking on the permanent guardianship of Levi (10), a placement who is navigating trauma of his own. Abandonment being a major theme in their lives, the boys struggle to accept and offer the unconditional love that Judy instilled, eventually finding reconciliation and ultimate healing as they selflessly acknowledge and walk in the truth of their mom's life motto ... We are our brothers' keepers.
#LIFEISART, a foster care story of hope and healing set in the Street Art world of Venice Beach, California celebrates the beauty of broken lives redeemed.
CAST
THE TEAM
WRITERS / PRODUCERS - DAWN AND BRADLEY GREGG
(*See About Page)
CASTING DIRECTOR / PRODUCER - NANCY FOY CSA
Casting Director Nancy Foy began her career in 1980 at Francis Ford Coppola's Hollywood based Zoetrope Studios. While employed as a member of Zoetrope Casting, she assisted in the casting of numerous films including "The Outsiders," "Reds," and "Frances." In 1982 she joined Michael McLean and Associates; and in 1984, she established her own company, Nancy Foy Casting. Nancy has cast for both motion pictures and television. She was EMMY Award-nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Casting for the HBO films "The Late Shift" and "The Rat Pack," and for the TNT film "James Dean: An Invented Life," for which she is credited with casting actor James Franco in the title role. Nancy was twice honored with the prestigious Casting Society of America's ARTIOS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Casting for "The Rat Pack" and "James Dean: An Invented Life." She was ARTIOS Award nominated for "October Sky," in which she cast 17 year-old Jake Gyllenhaal in his first leading role. In 1990, Nancy was recruited to serve as Vice President of Motion Picture Casting by Paramount Pictures Co-Presidents of Production, Gary Lucchesi and David Kirkpatrick; she continued in that capacity through 1994, when she left Paramount to resume her career as an independent casting director. In 2007, she again joined the executive ranks, this time at Twentieth Century Fox as Vice President Feature Casting. Nancy remained at Twentieth Century Fox through 2015, returning to independent casting in 2016. Over the course of her 35 year career, Nancy has cast for such distinguished directors as Robert Redford; Warren Beatty; Richard Benjamin; Joe Johnston; Sam Peckinpah; Hugh Hudson; Arthur Hiller; Mike Newell; Roland Joffe; Harold Ramis; Betty Thomas; Jeffrey Bleckner; Mike Figgis; Graeme Clifford; David Seltzer; Les Mayfield; Rob Cohen; Bryan Gordon; Rod Holcomb; Barry Blaustein; Guillermo Del Toro; Jay Russell; John Pasquin; Ron Underwood; Antoine Fuqua; Andy and Larry Wachowski; Rob Minkoff; John Dahl; Tim Fywell; Greg Yaitanes; Kevin Lima; Jim Fall; and Mark Rydell. Nancy is a graduate of Professional Children's School. She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drama from Carnegie-Mellon University, Class of 1972. She served on the Casting Society of America Board of Directors from 1998 to 2000, and was reelected to the CSA Board in 2010. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
PRODUCER - SABRINA SIPANTZI BALLARD
Having Produced and Production-Managed numerous feature films & television shows over the past two decades, Sabrina Sipantzi Ballard has experience in diverse forms of production. Her resume includes mid-budget features, independent films, television series’ and reality television. After graduating from UCLA, Sabrina got her start as a studio production assistant/page on the set of the sitcom Amen at Universal. Working her way up from Production Assistant to Producer, she has gained much experience as a Production Coordinator and UPM along the way. Her credits include many genres from horror/thrillers like Leprechaun and I Know Who Killed Me to family films such as Labor Pains and the sequels to Legally Blonde and The Cutting Edge. She has worked for networks, including Nickelodeon, on the children’s series Just For Kicks as well. She helped produce the Joan Jett/Cherie Currie story, The Runaways, starring Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning and Michael Shannon. Sabrina was also the Unit Production Manager and Challenge Producer of the NBC reality series, The Contender, for Mark Burnett Productions. She believes one of her most important roles is bridging the gap between the above and below the line personnel and enabling them to function as a team under financial constraints. This past year, she produced a series about innovators called “The Ripple Effect” for Red Bull TV, which she is very proud of.