He is the filmmaker of Here There Be Tigers Dollar Baby film.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Aaron Botwick: Hi! Joshua Meadow and I are students at Oberlin College in Ohio. I study English and Film, Josh studies film and Comparative Literature.

SKSM: When did you make Here there be tygers?

Aaron Botwick: We had just completed our previous film, The Last Ache, which is a noir modernization of the Edgar Allan Poe story, The Tell-Tale Heart. We were looking for another story to adapt and I remembered reading years ago about the Dollar Babies project.

SKSM: Why did you choose this particular story to adapt? Did you have any other in mind?

Aaron Botwick: Here There Be Tygers was actually our second choice. The first was The Moving Finger, but it was not available for adaptation.

SKSM: Are you a Stephen King fan? If so, which are your favorite works and adaptations?

Aaron Botwick: I read some of his novels years ago, and I enjoyed them, but I wouldn’t tag me the title of “fan”

SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?

Aaron Botwick: We are working on the script for a horror movie about abortion.

SKSM: Can you tell me a little about the production? How long did it take to film it? How many people were involved? Any bloopers that has happened?

Aaron Botwick: Filming was very short and quite accelerated. Our cinematographer, Jason Outenreath, had to travel out of the country in the spring and we wanted him to be involved in the project, so the shoot took over a weekend.

As for the bloopers, this was definitely the most disastrous production I’ve ever been in. On the first day, we burned out an electrical phase in the school’s science room, so we had to shoot the hall scene afterwards. The next day, Jason plugged a light into a faulty outlet and he almost got hurt by a fireball. Later, when the actor who played Kevin did not appear, we found out that he was about to be expelled from school and that he had to go to his house to talk to his parents. In the end he showed up three hours later.

SKSM: Do you plan to screen the movie at a particular festival?

Aaron Botwick: The film has just been completed and, for now, it has not been selected for any festival.

SKSM: Do you have any plans for making more movies based on Stephen King’s stories? If you could pick -at least- one story to shoot, which one would it be?

Aaron Botwick: We have no plans to adapt another King story at the moment. But the last word is never said.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Aaron Botwick: Thanks to you! Greetings to all readers!

THIS INTERVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN SPANISH IN MAY 2010 ON INSOMNIA DIGITAL MAGAZINE

He played in Rob Darren‘s Dollar Baby Mute as Father Callahan.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Ross Alzina: I am a person that loves life and the experiences that life offer. I relish the fact that I had the opportunity to pick and choose my own path in life.

As far as jobs, I’ve had many different kinds. I would choose with the philosophy of,… that job looks interesting, I’d like to do that.

I’m retired now, but there is nothing in life that I can look back on and say… I wish I would have tried that.

SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become an actor?

Ross Alzina: I never wanted to become an actor. I wanted to be a stuntman. Of course looking back there is a little acting required in that, but I didn’t think about that.

I had just finished doing a live Wild West stunt show in Las Vegas when a fellow came up to me and said,… hey, would you like to be in a movie. I thought about it a minute and said,… sure, why not. So I got a non speaking extra part… but while on the set I studied the actors an I was impressed by their talent and I thought,… that job looks interesting, I’d like to do that.

SKSM: How did you become involved in Mute Dollar Baby film?

Ross Alzina: My good friend Rob Darren introduced me to the project.

SKSM: What do you think it is about the story that attracts people so much?

Ross Alzina: I think people relate to it because any part of the story can happen in real life… maybe to you, someone you know, a story in the news, etc

SKSM: Did you have to audition for the part or was it written directly for you?

Ross Alzina: Neither, Rob asked me if I liked any of the parts, and I said I’d like to play the priest if it’s ok with you. The script was already written but I asked Rob if I could make some changes if I thought it needed it. He said alright.

SKSM: You worked with Rob Darren on this film, how was that?

Ross Alzina: Working with Rob as a director is a dream come true for an actor. First he is a wonderful human being with an endearing personality… no alpha here. Second, he has a vision and he knows what direction he wants the project to go. Third, he lets you know what he wants in a character, but is very open to suggestions because in his mind the commitment to excellence of the project is the utmost importance.

SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when they made the movie that you would like to tell me about?

Ross Alzina: We were in the parking lot of a Catholic Church waiting to film, I was dressed as the priest and as the congregation exited the church, they thought I was a real priest and treated me as such.

SKSM: Do you still have any contact with the crew/cast from that time? If so with who?

Ross Alzina: I’m probably the worst at keeping in touch with people, but I still communicate with Rob from time to time.

SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?

Ross Alzina: I’m in Mexico working on my tan.

SKSM: Are you a fan of Stephen King’s work?

Ross Alzina: I do like Steven King’s work. Mostly I love the plot twists and the fact that the characters behavior can change just when you thought you had them figured out.

SKSM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Ross Alzina: In spite of me being a terrible person for keeping in touch,… know that everyone I’ve worked with in the industry holds a special memory for me and will always be remembered in my heart.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Ross Alzina: I sincerely hoped that you enjoyed Mute. We as cast and crew gave our very best to make sure the quality of our work was something special and that you the audience would be able to enjoy it to the fullest.

SKSM: Do you like to add anything else?

Ross Alzina: I would like to add one thing… I researched the accent for my character ( Father Callahan the Priest). I went on YouTube and found that an “A” list vocal and dialect coach had tutored Leanardo DiCaprio in “Gangs of New York” his rating of 1.4 out of 5 was one of the worst ever for an Irish accent. I looked at two more websites of vocal coaches and read their reviews… both scored very low for their interpretation of the Irish accent.

So I thought if “A” list vocal coaches and profesional language coaches got these kinds of reviews… I was in a no win situation.

So I decided to give my character his own dialogue and accent, one that I thought fit him, not copying Barry Fitzgerald or any particular Irish providence or dialect… I just improvised.

Of course I got some negative comments on the final product. One I particularly liked was… “that was the worst Irish accent I’ve ever heard”.

Since the film never said where the priest was from, and from the thousands of accents and dialects in the world, this critic offered up his own opinion that the priests accent was Irish… my goodness, I’m happy, that’s all I could ask for,… a win in a no win situation.

He is the filmmaker of I Am The Doorway Dollar Baby film.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Samuel Pomerantz: I am a 2020 graduate of Towson University in Maryland. Though my major was in acting, I have long held a filmmaking passion. My formative years were largely spent behind a camera, directing my friends with scripts I typically wrote in an evening. I Am the Doorway was different, however; this was a movie I had spent much time in brainstorming and writing.

Apart from my acting/filmmaking gigs, I work at a marina as a dockhand. In my spare time, I enjoy collecting books, most recently tales of polar exploration. I also frequent the outdoors, camping and hiking and the like.

SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become a filmmaker?

Samuel Pomerantz: When I got a camera for my birthday in fourth grade. I immediately began making movies, and quickly developed a love for it. Though I don’t know if filmmaker fully describes what I aspire to be: I am a storyteller. I not only make movies, but write and act as well, be it for the camera or theatre.

SKSM: When did you make I am the doorway? Can you tell me a little about the production? How much did it cost? How long did it take to film it?

Samuel Pomerantz: I Am the Doorway came about due to a month-long winter break from college in which I had nothing else to do with my time. It was January of 2017. For years I had had a desire to adapt this particular story, even before I knew of the Dollar Baby program. I grew up on sci-fi and horror movies, with a particular fondness for space travel gone wrong plots, and King’s tale was the perfect blend. So I wrote the script, got my usual filmmaking friends to partake, and used the resources available to me. I already had the camera, so really I only had to worry about the sets and makeup. Being a theatre kid, I thankfully had no shortage of friends talented enough to pull off the eye-hand effects.

Most of the scenes could be shot around my house and neighborhood (I thankfully live on the water, so scenes taking place along the cape in Florida were not difficult to pull off). What presented a problem was the space mission segment. Mission control ended up being the computer lab of my high school, and the spacecraft interior was a trailer decked out in reflective blankets with various appliances adorning the walls.

Arthur’s wheelchair was loaned by a friend’s father, who happened to be a pastor. He let me borrow his church’s wheelchair for the duration of the production. I failed to mention it was for a horror film.

All in all, the production was guerrilla in style. As soon as one scene was shot, we moved to another part of the house to film the next. Then we were down the street at the local beach, or rounding up students at the high school to be extras. It was quite the whirlwind. But after twelve days, the production wrapped, with the only expense being the spacesuits that we wore (white painters’ suits with stickers and patches applied to be reminiscent of Apollo-era flight suits).

SKSM: How come you picked I am the doorway to develop into a movie? What is it in the story that you like so much?

Samuel Pomerantz: Growing up, I took a particular interest in the history of America’s space program. The Apollo missions to the moon were very important to me. Since most of the fictional media I absorbed was in the horror genre, this story seemed the perfect one for me to adapt. Once I learned it was up for grabs on the Dollar Baby site, I jumped at the chance. I especially liked that it was based loosely off of NASA’s own plans to send a manned flight to flyby Venus in the mid-70’s, which in turn influenced the flight segment of my movie.

SKSM: How did you find out that King sold the movie rights to some of his stories for just $1? Was it just a wild guess or did you know it before you sent him the check?

Samuel Pomerantz: I believe I learned of the program from a book about Stephen King. I had been a long time fan of his, and upon learning there was a legitimate means for me to adapt my favorite story of his, and for only a dollar, I knew I had to attempt it.

SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when you made the movie that you would like to tell me about?

Samuel Pomerantz: The final day of filming, we were scheduled to film the space capsule slamming into the ocean; this was to be accomplished by dropping a model off of a floating scaffold at my father’s place of work, a marina. He called me right before I was going to leave the house to inform me that, of all days, his contract was being ended and it would be his last day at the marina. My heart sank, and I offered to forgo the shoot and to work out something different for the scene. My father’s response: “Hell no! I’m gonna spend my last day here having fun!” So I showed up and we went about the property getting the shots needed and it was such a fun process, since I typically don’t get the chance to involve my parents in my movies. It was a great experience, and I know my dad appreciated it as a way of not having to deal with the negativity of the morning’s events.

A further happy note: the folks that terminated his contract ended up being ousted, and he was brought back and has been running the facility since.

SKSM: How does it feel that all the King fans out there can’t see your movie? Do you think that will change in the future? Maybe a internet/dvd release would be possible?

Samuel Pomerantz: I must admit, it is a bit of a bummer. I would love the opportunity, not only to showcase my movie to others, but to see what projects various directors have concocted. There’s no shortage of ideas out there to adapt King’s works, and I’d love to see the various takes artists have had over the years.

SKSM: What “good or bad” reviews have you received on your film?

Samuel Pomerantz: Not too many reviews I’m afraid, as it had a restricted release (I imagine most Dollar Babies do), but I fondly remember first screening the rough cut of the movie in the front seat of my buddy’s car. They reacted enthusiastically to what we had pulled off, and the product got even better once music was added later on.

Others have commented on the convincing zero-gravity effect present in the space scenes, accomplished by an old Hollywood trick. Ron Howard, when making Apollo 13, filmed various scenes with the astronaut actors framed from the waist up, maneuvering in a somewhat ridiculous manner that, when on camera, looks like they’re coasting in space. So it was nice to hear from the audience that the effect truly worked.

SKSM: Do you plan to screen the movie at a particular festival?

Samuel Pomerantz: Albeit an admittedly amateur production, I would definitely be open to screening the final product at a festival should the opportunity arise. My friends and I had such fun making it, and that enthusiasm is prevalent throughout the picture.

SKSM: Are you a Stephen King fan? If so, which are your favorite works and adaptations?

Samuel Pomerantz: Absolutely I am! Of his short stories, this remains my favorite, but as for full length novels, Misery reigns supreme for me. I also greatly appreciate his nonfiction piece, Danse Macabre.

SKSM: Did you have any personal contact with King during the making of the movie? Has he seen it (and if so, what did he think about it)?

Samuel Pomerantz: Unfortunately not. I hope he has seen it, and if so, enjoyed it! Would love to know his thoughts on the finished product.

SKSM: Do you have any plans for making more movies based on Stephen King’s stories? If you could pick -at least- one story to shoot, which one would it be and why?

Samuel Pomerantz: I frequently check to see what stories are up for grabs, to see if any appeal to me. I would especially be interested in adapting Strawberry Spring; during my time at Towson, I frequently had to walk home on foggy nights across campus, and as a result, allowed my mind to wander and dwell upon how I would pull off an adaptation using my alma mater’s campus.

SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?

Samuel Pomerantz: A few stories of my own, including a full length novel. It’s a supernatural thriller, naturally.

SKSM: What one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Samuel Pomerantz: I originally detested horror! When I was little, I allowed the hype to terrify me, and swore up and down I’d never like scary movies. Then I was forced to watch one at a sleepover in fifth grade. That was the catalyst that led me to an unending rabbit hole of horror media.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Samuel Pomerantz: For those of you that have made your own adaptation, I commend you! It is an arduous task, no matter how much assistance you may receive, and that feeling upon completion is like no other. For those of you weighing whether or not to attempt your own: do it! You won’t regret it in the least.

SKSM: Would you like to add anything else?

Samuel Pomerantz: Thank you for reaching out to learn the story of this little film! It woke stirring memories, ones that fill me with fondness. I hope to connect more with fellow Dollar Baby directors, to learn their passions, and the stories of their films.

She played in  Jenny Januszewski‘s The Boogeyman Dollar Baby film as Lester’s Mother.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Christine Mascott: I am a professional actor and performer. My resume includes work in Film, Television and theater as well as professional voice work. Currently, I’m narrating a lot of audiobooks too.

SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become an actress?

Christine Mascott: I remember when I was in third grade I wrote a play and wanted to stage it. And my family has stories about my going around singing classic rock as a baby, but I really got bit with a love of theater when I was in high school. I had a very interesting theater director then, who staged things like Sophocles and Brecht, instead of the usual musicals. At the same time I was competing on the speech team and working with a coach on Dramatic Interpretation, which was presenting excerpts from plays, and we always chose challenging pieces. So, the love of acting was definitely born then, working on such heavy classics. My first professional acting jobs were doing classical theater tours.

SKSM: How did you become involved in The Boogeyman Dollar Baby film?

Christine Mascott: Years ago, Jenny Januszewski, the director and I became friends working on a national tour of a musical. I was actually in management on that production and she was a singer. We have stayed friends. When she was making this film, she knew I did voice work and had a studio, so she asked me to play Lester’s Mother.

SKSM: What do you think it is about the story that attracts people so much?

Christine Mascott: Probably the fact that we all have times we can hear our mothers’ voice in our heads. It’s universal.

SKSM: Did you have to audition for the part or was it written directly for you?

Christine Mascott: I didn’t have to audition. Jenny just asked.

SKSM: You worked with Jenny Januszewski on this film, how was that?

Christine Mascott: Great. We collaborated long distance. I recorded the voice in my studio and sent her the files for critique and then recorded the revisions.

SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when they made the movie that you would like to tell me about?

Christine Mascott: None I recall. I wasn’t involved in the live production. My role is a voice role and was recorded independently.

SKSM: Do you still have any contact with the crew/cast from that time? If so with who?

Christine Mascott: Jenny

SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?

Christine Mascott: I have recorded over 20 audiobooks in the last year and have also been doing commercial voice work. Next month I will be filming a role in a short film playing a caregiver for a woman with dementia.

SKSM: Are you a fan of Stephen King’s work?

Christine Mascott: Yes. My favorite is ‘The Stand’. I have another professional tie to his work as well. I had a small dayplayer role in the second season of the Hulu show ‘Castle Rock’ based on his universe.

SKSM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Christine Mascott: I’m also a rock singer.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Christine Mascott: “Be true. Be brave. Stand. All the rest is Darkness.” –SK

SKSM: Do you like to add anything else?

Christine Mascott: Thank you so much for interviewing me!
www.christinemascott.com

He played in  Jenny Januszewski‘s The Boogeyman Dollar Baby film as Lester Billings.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Sam Brilhart: I’m a comedian and an actor who’s been performing since I was a teenager. I’ve been lucky enough to improvise in Chicago, be a standup comedian in Los Angeles, and even act in Moscow.

SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become an actor?

Sam Brilhart: In high school, I was being recruited to play college football. I learned that I could major in the theatre on a football recruitment trip to Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. I thought it was exciting, and when I went back to school, a friend of mine asked me where I was going to go to college. I told them Wayne State, and they said, “what the heck are you gonna do there?” I told them I was gonna be an actor.

SKSM: How did you become involved in The Boogeyman Dollar Baby film?

Sam Brilhart: Jenny, the director, had taken my headshots years ago when I first moved to the city, then I had a small role in her award-winning 3D film, then we did The Boogeyman.

SKSM: What do you think it is about the story that attracts people so much?

Sam Brilhart: There’s something very universal about it that I feel resonates with people.

SKSM: Did you have to audition for the part or was it written directly for you?

Sam Brilhart: I didn’t have to audition, nor do I think it was directly written for me. I probably got lucky, and I was the only guy in town, and it was adjusted for me.

SKSM: You worked with Jenny Januszewsky on this film, how was that?

Sam Brilhart: It was an honor.

SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when they made the movie that you would like to tell me about?

Sam Brilhart: We shot most of the exteriors in Michigan. I had a flight layover in Chicago when traveling from California to Michigan. I missed my connecting flight and had to take a train the rest of the way. Jenny’s sister picked me up from the train station. I didn’t have my bag, it was on the flight I missed, and nobody had time to get it because we were shooting the following morning. I’ll never forget this. Jenny gets on the phone with the airline and tells them I’m a groom at a wedding. She’s my soon-to-be wife. She can’t have me gone for five hours during all the chaos leading up to the wedding. Could they please deliver my bag even though it’s five miles outside their delivery zone? My bag showed up 90 minutes later.

SKSM: Do you still have any contact with the crew/cast from that time? If so with who?

Sam Brilhart: I still talk to Jenny.

SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?

Sam Brilhart: Stand up comedy.

SKSM: Are you a fan of Stephen King’s work?

Sam Brilhart: I’m not a fan of his writing. Scary things scare me, but I am a fan of his as a human.

SKSM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Sam Brilhart: I’m not very surprising. What you see is what you get. Although I did perform as a giant chicken doing standup comedy on season 15 of America’s Got Talent. Youtube it!

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Sam Brilhart: Thank you.

He is the filmmaker of Mute Dollar Baby film.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Sergey Sharovatov: Hello, Oscar. My name is Sergey Sharovatov. I am from Moscow, Russia. In 2019 I graduated as a professional actor of theater and cinema from VGIK – Russian State University of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov.  At the moment I have more than 40 roles in Russian full-meter movies, short-meter movies and TV-series.

My short movie “Mute” based on Stephen King’s story “Mute” is my director’s debut.

SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become a filmmaker?

Sergey Sharovatov: I never intended to become a director, but after reading the novel “Mute” I realized that I really wanted to play the main role in this story. The fact is that I have experienced an almost similar story in my life. I mean that the main character also got through the betrayal of his woman. Of course, there weren’t such tragic consequences as in Stephen King’s story, but still I lived through quite strong emotions at that time. Immediately a picture formed in my mind and I realized that if I gave the direction to another person who hadn’t been in a similar situation, then the film would turn out to be different. So I had to become the director of this film not from directorial ambitions, but involuntarily, in order to convey on the screen exactly what I felt myself.

SKSM: When did you make Mute? Can you tell me a little about the production? How much did it cost? How long did it take to film it?

Sergey Sharovatov: It took almost a year to make the film. In January 2021 we received a contract, in January 2022 Mr. King got the finished DVD.

The peculiar fact about our movie is that we made it with the blessing of the Orthodox Priest Nikolay Konyukhov who read the script, believed in us and helped to adapt the dialogues of the priest with the main character to be common to the Russian mentality. He also blessed us for the film and gave his operating temple for the whole night for filming. For me, as an Orthodox Christian, it was very important to make this film without going against God. I wanted to film confession scenes in a real Russian Orthodox church to show how this story of Mr. King would take place not in a Catholic church in the USA but in modern Russia.

For a very long time we have been looking for a priest who would give his blessing for the filming of this movie. We did not start filming till we found a priest who would bless us and give us his church for filming.

I made the film entirely at my own expense. My friends and acquaintances helped me a little, for which I am very grateful to them. The film turned out to be very expensive for me in every sense, including finances. Of course, the film could cost two or three times more if not my friends who were filmmakers, but people I didn’t know worked in my team.

SKSM: How come you picked Mute to develop into a movie? What is it in the story that you like so much?

Sergey Sharovatov: “Mute” immediately hooked me with its plot and events. This is the strongest work not only in terms of dramaturgy and script, but also in terms of human morality. Indeed, there are a lot of controversial issues for each person in this story. All of us experience intense hatred and resentment when we are betrayed and as a rule we want revenge. Revenge and hatred are the strongest dark feelings of a person, which overlap even the feeling of love. Most of us give up implementing our revenge because it is  a violation of the law at least, and the commandments of God at most. But the fact of the matter is that our sin does not begin with sin itself, but with the thought of it.

SKSM: How did you find out that King sold the movie rights to some of his stories for just $1? Was it just a wild guess or did you know it before you sent him the check?

Sergey Sharovatov: I learned about this program by accident from fellow filmmakers. Then I googled and saw that there were cases in Russia when my young colleagues acquired the film adaptation rights of Stephen King stories and made films. When I submitted my request through Mr. King’s official website I wasn’t even sure that I would be approved in the USA because I am not a directing student or graduate. I wrote that I was an actor by education, I had a little production experience and I really wanted to make a film based on this story. Three days after sending the request I received the contract.

SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when you made the movie that you would like to tell me about?

Sergey Sharovatov: Yes, there was. We filmed two shifts by car in September on the Yegoryevskoye Highway of the Ramensky District, Moscow area. There was a watermelon market on the side of the highway next to us. So, early in the morning on the second shift, we were waiting for the arrival of part of our film crew when suddenly a car drove up to the market  next to us and two big guys jumped out of it. The watermelon seller saw them and ran straight into the forest. One guy ran after him and the second one approached the seller’s car, kicked it and broke off the side mirror. The first guy returned and said that the watermelon seller had run far away and couldn’t be caught up. They got into their car and drove away. Our operator Vitya Antonov said that it looked like a local criminal showdown and we decided to move to another parking pocket with a different watermelon market. But there was no seller at the new point. Here we were, unpacking, a cool jeep drove up to us, the window opened and the guy, who had kicked the car of the first seller of watermelons, looked at me point-blank and asked: «Is that your market? What are you doing here?» I immediately replied that the market wasn’t mine and we were just making a movie. I explained that we had wanted to shoot at the first watermelon market, but after their showdown we decided not to interfere with them and moved here. At this moment all the car windows were rolled down, smiles appeared on the faces of big guys and they said; “Are you really filming? Can we film with you too?” It was a pity that we did not have scripted roles for them, their faces were very interesting and textured. I explained to these young people that there were no more roles, and they were not offended. They offered us to take all the watermelons, but we refused. After that they wished us good luck, said “God help you” and left. At that moment it seemed to us that it was not 2021 but 1991.

SKSM: How does it feel that all the King fans out there can’t see your movie? Do you think that will change in the future? Maybe a internet/dvd release would be possible?

Sergey Sharovatov: Of course, this restriction on the open distribution of the film on the Internet in the contract with Mr. King is frustrating, since I would very much like to see the films of my colleagues from all over the world and show my own film to the widest possible audience and not just the jury of world festivals. It’s a pity to shelve the movie. But these are the current conditions of the program. I think that it would be a wonderful solution for King’s fans from all over the world if the film appears on YouTube after all screenings at festivals.

SKSM: What “good or bad” reviews have you received on your film?

Sergey Sharovatov: I have received so far only ratings from my family members and close friends to whom I have shown the film. None of them have yet spoken badly about the film. We finished the film less than a month ago.  Just this week I sent it to several international festivals. Now we are waiting for news from them.

SKSM: Do you plan to screen the movie at a particular festival?

Sergey Sharovatov: There are no specific plans. Time will pass and we will see where our movie will take part.

SKSM: Are you a Stephen King fan? If so, which are your favorite works and adaptations?

Sergey Sharovatov: To be honest, I never considered myself a Stephen King’s fan. To my surprise, already in adulthood I discovered that «The Shawshank Redemption», «The Green Mile» and «The Lawnmower Man», the films I liked so much as a child, were his hand business.

SKSM: Did you have any personal contact with King during the making of the movie? Has he seen it (and if so, what did he think about it)?

Sergey Sharovatov: No, we didn’t have personal contact with Mr. King. I don’t know if he saw our movie.

SKSM: Do you have any plans for making more movies based on Stephen King’s stories? If you could pick -at least- one story to shoot, which one would it be and why?

Sergey Sharovatov: I already chose the story that I really wanted to shoot. I am happy about it. So far, there are no plans to shoot anything else.

SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?

Sergey Sharovatov: I act in Russian films and serials. Actor is my main job. It fills my whole life. “Mute” is my directorial debut. I don’t have any plans to do anything else. Let’s see if the audience likes my first film.

SKSM: What one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Sergey Sharovatov: Before I became an actor, I got a Ph.D. in Economics, taught Economics to students at the University and worked in the Moscow office of an American real estate and investment company for two years.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Sergey Sharovatov: I’d like to say a few words about the features of our adaptation of the story “Mute” and its film adaptation. In our film we tried to show how this story would take place not in the USA, but in modern Russia.

The main idea of the film lies in its Russian title: “Be careful what you wish for.” I would also add here “Beware of your thoughts and words that you pronounce anywhere.” Everything that we think about and what we desire can become a reality, since our thoughts are material. This Russian adaptation of the story “Mute” by Stephen King is about the repentance of a person in his thoughts and words. My task is to once again draw the viewer’s attention to the fact that our thoughts and words create our life and we need to be more attentive to them.

SKSM: Would you like to add anything else?

Sergey Sharovatov: I would like to add one important idea: “Art knows no boundaries.”

Despite the fact that we all live in different countries and speak different languages, we are united by music, literature and cinema.

In our case, you and I are united by a common love for the stories of Mr. King and for films based on his stories. It is wonderful that because of that love we are talking now.

He played in Sergey Sharovatov‘s Mute Dollar Baby film as the Priest.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Artur Petrov: Hello everyone! I’m Artur and I’m an actor. In 2019 I was graduated from VGIK and since that time I’ve been acting in TV series, movies and advertising.

SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become an actor?

Artur Petrov: First I got an education in economics, tried to work in different specialties, but one day I realized that I was out of place. And I ran away from work to enter the theatre university. Luckily, I was only 22 years old, today I’m almost 27 and I see that it was one of my best decisions.

SKSM: How did you become involved in Mute Dollar Baby film?

Artur Petrov: My classmate Sergey Sharovatov called and told me that he wanted to make his own short movie based on a story by Stephen King. And he wanted to invite me to play one of the main roles. I didn’t know anything about movie, but I immediately agreed.

SKSM: What do you think it is about the story that attracts people so much?

Artur Petrov: I think that story attracts people so much because it’s hard life story, which could happen to anyone. And it’s not about the sin only, but more about the thought of it. All of us were in hard situations in real life and watching the movie we can try on the story of the protagonist for ourselves and get the material for thoughts.

SKSM: Did you have to audition for the part or was it written directly for you?

Artur Petrov: I didn’t have to audition, my friend invited me directly and all the text of my role was written by Sergey, me and a few priests and screenwriters who advise us.

SKSM: You worked with Sergey Sharovatov on this film, how was that?

Artur Petrov: It’s always a pleasure to work with your friend and It’s even better to work with a professional and his team, who inspired by one general idea to make an amazing movie.

SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when they made the movie that you would like to tell me about?

Artur Petrov: Of course, there were some funny and special moments during shooting, but I didn’t remember them because I tried to be deeply immersed in the role and task of the character and I didn’t notice anything around.

SKSM: Do you still have any contact with the crew/cast from that time? If so with who?

Artur Petrov: Yes, I stay in touch with the main part of our team, because I knew them from other projects on which we worked together and “Mute” wasn’t the first and I hope won’t be the last.

SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?

Artur Petrov: Nowadays I’m preparing for new auditions and new awesome roles which I want to play this year.

SKSM: Are you a fan of Stephen King’s work?

Artur Petrov: Yes, I’ve read Stephen King’s books and watched a lot of films based on his stories. “The Green mile”, “The Mist”, “The Shining” are my favorite horrors and thrillers. Stephen King is rightfully one of the greatest writers of these genres.

SKSM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Artur Petrov: I was born in Kazakhstan, I lived there all my childhood so I always had a lot of problems and refusals for work in Russia because of my Kazakh citizenship. Soon I will receive a Russian passport and all these problems will disappear, I hope.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Artur Petrov: If I could say something to the fans, I can quote my character: «be careful what you wish for». Especially, bad wishes 🙂

SKSM: Do you like to add anything else?

Artur Petrov: But seriously, live honestly according to your conscience, watch good movies and enjoy life.

He played in Tod Gorman’s The Jaunt Dollar Baby film as Rudy Foggia.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Devin McGee: Hello! I’m Devin McGee and I’m an actor, writer and musician currently living in Los Angeles, California.

 SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become an actor?

Devin McGee: The acting “bug” first bit me around the age of 6 when I performed in my first grade school production of the play Grease. When I was growing up my cousins and I used to spend our summers writing and filming short films and silly spoof commercials on our VHS camcorder. As a teenager, life took me in a different direction and I became obsessed with drumming and playing in rock bands all throughout high school and college. A few years after graduating college, I rediscovered acting when a friend of mine hired me to play a drummer for Michelle Branch’s band on an episode One Tree Hill. It was the first time being on a real film set and I immediately fell in love with it – the excitement, the collective creative energy and the mechanics of it all. After that, I started seriously pursuing and studying acting again. Ironically, almost a decade later I ended up playing a prominent villian on the same exact show (One Tree Hill).

SKSM: How did you become involved in The Jaunt Dollar Baby film?

Devin McGee: I was living in Wilmington, North Carolina at the time and some friends of mine were in the film program at UNC Wilmington and had acquired this script as part of their senior film studies project.

SKSM: What do you think it is about the story that attracts people so much?

Devin McGee: In this story set in the 24th century, humans have developed teleportation as a means of travel and are using it to colonize planets in other solar systems. Even though this technology has been refined, it is not without risk and 30 people have either died or gone insane since it’s invention in 1987. My character, Rudy Foggia (a convicted death row criminal), is seen in a flashback when he accepts a full pardon in exchange for being the first human test subject for the then brand new technology. During my teleportation or “jaunt” I remain fully awake and when I come out the other side I am not the same person I was before I entered as I have “seen eternity in there.”

I think The Jaunt is a classic cautionary tale about knowing and pushing past our limitations. In the quest for human advancement, how much of a calculated risk are we willing to take in order to reap even greater rewards? In a sense, I guess humankind has always done that throughout history as we (hopefully) continue to evolve as a species.

SKSM: Did you have to audition for the part or was it written directly for you?

Devin McGee: To be honest, I think we shot this almost 16 years ago and I can’t remember if I auditioned for the role or they just offered it to me LOL.

SKSM: You worked with Tod Gorman on this film, how was that?

Devin McGee: I have fond memories of working with Todd and the entire crew. Everyone was very kind and really cared about what they were doing. Even though they were all still film students at the time, they had a level of professionalism well beyond their years.

SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when they made the movie that you would like to tell me about?

Devin McGee: Again, that was so long ago it’s hard for me to remember a lot of details on that shoot but one thing I remember was us all having fun coming up with the designs for the prison tattoos all over my character’s body (which were ultimately just drawn on me with a Sharpie marker). I also remember it took about a week for them to all finally wash off my skin.

SKSM: Do you still have any contact with the crew/cast from that time? If so, with who?

Devin McGee: I have run into a few of the old cast and crew over the years working on various film and television projects in Wilmington, NC. This past summer, I shot a feature comedy film, Birdies, in Wilmington with one of my fellow Jaunt actors, Timmy Sherrill. That film actually has its premiere there (Wilmington) at the end of this month.

SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?

Devin McGee: I am currently pursuing acting in Los Angeles and also in the process of pitching a vampire comedy series to network and streaming platforms that my father and I created and developed along with a few close friends.

SKSM: Are you a fan of Stephen King’s work?

Devin McGee: Absolutely! One of my favorite films to this day is Stand By Me, which isn’t the stereotypical King horror but a timeless and touching story, nonetheless.

Stephen King also has a long standing affiliation with Wilmington, North Carolina.

He’s the reason the film industry came to Wilmington due to them filming Firestarter there back in the 1980’s. He has also filmed other works of his there such as Maximum Overdrive and Under the Dome

SKSM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Devin McGee: I’ve been a strict vegan for nearly a quarter of a century now. It’s way easier to find vegan options nowadays than when I first started!

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Devin McGee: “Find what you love and let it kill you.” One of my favorite quotes from Charles Bukowski.

SKSM: Do you like to add anything else?

Devin McGee: Kudos to Stephen King’s Dollar Baby program! It has given many aspiring filmmakers access to great material to pull from and personalize over the years on their journey to realizing their own dreams.