A product of
being raised by a single mother the young actor shares with us his struggles of
getting to where he has gotten. “It’s been a long dream,” he says. “Years of
planning, positive affirming and struggling. I’m still not quite where I want
to be artistically.”Maybe not, but he’s
definitely getting there.Rod Grant’s
new film “Experiment 7,” will open this years Sunscreen Film Festival in Tampa,
Florida on March 13th at 9 pm. www.sunscreenfilmfestival.com.
The film (www.experiment7themovie.com), is
about Dr. Felix Copper (played by Grant), a doctor of Biological Sciences who’s
on a quest to find a solution to purifying radiation from water in the year
2022, ten years after the fall of humankind. He has to travel to the far
outreaches of every city known, trying to make his way to the coveted
underground lab, if the Mutants don't get him first. Along the way he meets
some unwarranted friends, Sam and William, two off the cuff heroes who cause
more problems than they fix, and Aco, a super-model turned weapons expert.
Together, Dr. Copper just might survive long enough to find a cure. “I really
had fun shooting it.Joe’s
(writer/director, Joe Davison) a good friend of mine and we’ve worked together
before so it was nice to hang out with him again.” Grant states.
For Grant, the
work truly speaks for itself, with prizes accumulating. He swept Tampa’s
Gasparilla Film Festival a couple of years ago with three films being shown and
winning Best Local Production for his Film “Gunn Highway,” in which he played a
psychotic killer. The role also won him a Best Male Actor Award for the Tampa
Film Revue, a local Tampa, Florida Film revue that showcased independent films.
But more than that the role brought him notoriety. Independent filmmakers began
to take notice and started casting him in lead roles. He has had at least one
film in at least one major film festival every year for the last six years. A
feat many filmmakers will quickly tell you is not always possible. And this
year proves no different, with the Gasparilla Film Festival showing two of his
films “The Ghosts of Ybor – Charlie Wall,” and “Combination Lock,” (www.gasparillafilmfestival.com).
This last year he finally broke through with his film “100 Tears,” getting
international distribution and now on DVD in your local stores. In the film, he
plays Detective Dunkin, a quick-witted guy more interested in getting the girl
than catching the killer. Always wanting to take control of his own career,
he's been establishing friendships with many independent production companies.
Such as Film Ranch International’s “Brainjacked,” where he played Dr. Karas, an
evil doctor set on taking over the world one mind at a time. The film is
currently in distribution stage. “I believe that if you’re an artist then
create! Ya know. I’ve never waited around for someone to give me a chance. I
wanted to create, so I started,” he adds.
The
actor/producer/screen writer/playwright and yes author knows something about
creating. He’s a published author and writes under his name “Rod L. Griffin.”
He’s written seven titles, two of which are fiction and is one of the youngest
authors to ever release three titles in one year within three separate genres.
Another feat most never seem to come close to. “When I started writing it was
really a solution to having failed at the time as an actor.” He states, now at
peace with the circumstances. “My whole life I’ve been preparing for a life as
an artist. That’s really been my whole life, my whole drive for everything! I
want to create, ya know!” He says, emphatically.
And creating he
has been. He recently crossed over into playwriting with the release of his
original hit comedy “Women Want Everything!”The play, about four friends who are asking themselves the age-old
question, “What do women really want?” Leads to a hilarious journey to find out
they just might want everything. Grant wrote, directed, co-produced and starred
in the production and is currently mounting a limited national tour across
select cities, so you might just get a chance to see it. "I’d like to
bring new laughter to the American theatre," he states. “I hear theatre
people and some say ‘we’re struggling,’ well they keep showing all the same old
stuff! The classics are wonderful don’t get me wrong, I love them. But the
theatres have to make room for what is new and modern; take a chance. I feel
like I have a hand on what is funny and what the people want, at least I hope I
do. And I want to bring that to them.” He adds, with humility.
And if film
wasn’t enough he’s making theatre alliances as well, such as with his friend
Rory Lawrence and R.L. Productions. A Tampa, Florida Theatrical production
company paving new ground in the theatre world. In the enthusiastic ways
producers talk about him, you hear that he has kindled a rare degree of
admiration and respect. "Rod is one of the top five actors in this area
and a great person." Declares Joe Davison, Pop Gun Pictures Founder and
writer/director of “Experiment 7.” In fact, the role was written specifically
for Grant. “We wanted to work together but couldn’t find the right product;
finally Joe just came up with a great idea and wrote it in days.” States Grant.
The film already has distribution in Germany, Asia, and others and will be
released in over 120 theaters in the UK in March of this year. No stranger to
the big screen however, Grant is forging on. He just acquired a supporting role
in another feature film as well as launching pre-production on his own romantic
comedy. “I love romantic comedies. I love happy endings and the feeling you get
from them upon leaving the theater, that’s what I want to create for others,
that kind of exhilaration.” He states, smiling.
After all, that
is the feeling that came over him when he was just nine years old. Sitting in a
movie house listening to the audience bellow with laughter he thought, he would
like to be up there on the big screen someday doing that. And doing that he is.
Catch “Experiment 7,” at the Sunscreen Film Festival this coming month or at
your local theater soon.
A product of
being raised by a single mother the young actor shares with us his struggles of
getting to where he has gotten. “It’s been a long dream,” he says. “Years of
planning, positive affirming and struggling. I’m still not quite where I want
to be artistically.” Maybe not, but he’s
definitely getting there. Rod Grant’s
new film “Experiment 7,” will open this years Sunscreen Film Festival in Tampa,
Florida on March 13th at 9 pm. www.sunscreenfilmfestival.com.
The film (www.experiment7themovie.com), is
about Dr. Felix Copper (played by Grant), a doctor of Biological Sciences who’s
on a quest to find a solution to purifying radiation from water in the year
2022, ten years after the fall of humankind. He has to travel to the far
outreaches of every city known, trying to make his way to the coveted
underground lab, if the Mutants don't get him first. Along the way he meets
some unwarranted friends, Sam and William, two off the cuff heroes who cause
more problems than they fix, and Aco, a super-model turned weapons expert.
Together, Dr. Copper just might survive long enough to find a cure. “I really
had fun shooting it. Joe’s
(writer/director, Joe Davison) a good friend of mine and we’ve worked together
before so it was nice to hang out with him again.” Grant states.
For Grant, the
work truly speaks for itself, with prizes accumulating. He swept Tampa’s
Gasparilla Film Festival a couple of years ago with three films being shown and
winning Best Local Production for his Film “Gunn Highway,” in which he played a
psychotic killer. The role also won him a Best Male Actor Award for the Tampa
Film Revue, a local Tampa, Florida Film revue that showcased independent films.
But more than that the role brought him notoriety. Independent filmmakers began
to take notice and started casting him in lead roles. He has had at least one
film in at least one major film festival every year for the last six years. A
feat many filmmakers will quickly tell you is not always possible. And this
year proves no different, with the Gasparilla Film Festival showing two of his
films “The Ghosts of Ybor – Charlie Wall,” and “Combination Lock,” (www.gasparillafilmfestival.com).
This last year he finally broke through with his film “100 Tears,” getting
international distribution and now on DVD in your local stores. In the film, he
plays Detective Dunkin, a quick-witted guy more interested in getting the girl
than catching the killer. Always wanting to take control of his own career,
he's been establishing friendships with many independent production companies.
Such as Film Ranch International’s “Brainjacked,” where he played Dr. Karas, an
evil doctor set on taking over the world one mind at a time. The film is
currently in distribution stage. “I believe that if you’re an artist then
create! Ya know. I’ve never waited around for someone to give me a chance. I
wanted to create, so I started,” he adds.
The
actor/producer/screen writer/playwright and yes author knows something about
creating. He’s a published author and writes under his name “Rod L. Griffin.”
He’s written seven titles, two of which are fiction and is one of the youngest
authors to ever release three titles in one year within three separate genres.
Another feat most never seem to come close to. “When I started writing it was
really a solution to having failed at the time as an actor.” He states, now at
peace with the circumstances. “My whole life I’ve been preparing for a life as
an artist. That’s really been my whole life, my whole drive for everything! I
want to create, ya know!” He says, emphatically.
And creating he
has been. He recently crossed over into playwriting with the release of his
original hit comedy “Women Want Everything!”
The play, about four friends who are asking themselves the age-old
question, “What do women really want?” Leads to a hilarious journey to find out
they just might want everything. Grant wrote, directed, co-produced and starred
in the production and is currently mounting a limited national tour across
select cities, so you might just get a chance to see it. "I’d like to
bring new laughter to the American theatre," he states. “I hear theatre
people and some say ‘we’re struggling,’ well they keep showing all the same old
stuff! The classics are wonderful don’t get me wrong, I love them. But the
theatres have to make room for what is new and modern; take a chance. I feel
like I have a hand on what is funny and what the people want, at least I hope I
do. And I want to bring that to them.” He adds, with humility.
And if film
wasn’t enough he’s making theatre alliances as well, such as with his friend
Rory Lawrence and R.L. Productions. A Tampa, Florida Theatrical production
company paving new ground in the theatre world. In the enthusiastic ways
producers talk about him, you hear that he has kindled a rare degree of
admiration and respect. "Rod is one of the top five actors in this area
and a great person." Declares Joe Davison, Pop Gun Pictures Founder and
writer/director of “Experiment 7.” In fact, the role was written specifically
for Grant. “We wanted to work together but couldn’t find the right product;
finally Joe just came up with a great idea and wrote it in days.” States Grant.
The film already has distribution in Germany, Asia, and others and will be
released in over 120 theaters in the UK in March of this year. No stranger to
the big screen however, Grant is forging on. He just acquired a supporting role
in another feature film as well as launching pre-production on his own romantic
comedy. “I love romantic comedies. I love happy endings and the feeling you get
from them upon leaving the theater, that’s what I want to create for others,
that kind of exhilaration.” He states, smiling.
After all, that
is the feeling that came over him when he was just nine years old. Sitting in a
movie house listening to the audience bellow with laughter he thought, he would
like to be up there on the big screen someday doing that. And doing that he is.
Catch “Experiment 7,” at the Sunscreen Film Festival this coming month or at
your local theater soon.
Misconceptions, a comedy starring Orlando Jones and AJ Cook, was filmed in and around St Petersburg, FL in January and February of 2008. Ron Satlof produced , co-wrote and directed Misconceptions It had its world premiere at the Montreal World Film Festival in August 2008, and was acquired for North American distribution by Regent Releasing/Here Films. In Florida it premiered at the Gasparilla International Film Festival in February 2009, where it was awarded the "Special Mention" prize. It will open theatrically in New York, at the Quad Cinema, on January 22....in Los Angeles, at the Sunset 5, on January 22, and in San Francisco, at the Roxie Theater on January 29. More cities to follow.
This film is executive produced and cast by Ed Arenas of Unique casting.
Misconceptions is a story about Miranda Bliss, an evangelical Christian, who runs ”Fishes and Loaves Christian Catering” with her sister Lucy Dexter, in rural Coover Corners, Georgia.
After seeing a documentary on TV, Miranda gets a message from the Lord, telling her to become a surrogate mother for the married gay male couple from Boston who were the subject of the TV program: African American dance choreographer/costume designer Terry Price-Owens and Jewish physician Sandy Price-Owens.
Complicating all this is the pregnancy of Miranda’s sister Lucy – long married, but up to now unable to conceive. Lucy now becomes pregnant with ‘rescued’ embryos supplied by an evangelical organization called “Destiny’s Children.”
Confiding in Lucy, but without telling her husband Parker, Miranda goes up to Boston to meet Terry and Sandy, agrees to have a baby for them, and ultimately becomes pregnant – the men have “mixed and matched” their sperm, with an egg supplied by their lesbian friend in Boston who was herself unwilling to carry the child for them.
After Miranda is back home and pregnant in Coover Corners, all Hell breaks loose when Terry Price-Owens shows up uninvited, and against his husband Sandy's wishes, to micro-manage Miranda's pregnancy – and he won’t leave!
Miranda, thinking on her feet, concocts a story for Parker that Terry is in Georgia to try out for a job in her and Lucy’s catering business. Although Terry goes along quite creatively and elaborately with the ruse, and handles Parker Sr. very well, he doesn’t make it easy for Miranda. To safeguard the baby, Terry quickly sets about clearing ‘toxics’ out of her kitchen and then from Parker Sr.’s shed as well, until Miranda explodes and banishes him back to his motel.
When Parker Sr. accidentally finds out that Miranda is pregnant, he concludes that she too is carrying a ‘Destiny’s Child. When he discovers the truth – that Miranda is acting as a surrogate for a Boston couple, and that Terry is one half of that couple, and the next day, that Terry and Sandy are two gay men, Parker goes to Court to establish his own parental rights to the child. As Lucy asks Miranda in the hallway outside the courtroom, “Why does Parker even want the gay men’s baby?”
Ron Satlof was born and raised in New York City, Ron Satlof is an Academy Award and Emmy-nominated director and producer who has worked in film and television as well as repertory theatre. A graduate of Carnegie-Mellon
University, he began his film career as a trainee assistant director.
Long active in network TV as a producer and director, Ron produced the long-running, top
ten, TV series McCloud with Dennis Weaver, for which he received an Emmy nomination, and directed episodes of such classic shows as Hawaii Five-O, Quincy and Barnaby Jones.
Ron was a contract director at Columbia Pictures Television, where among other projects, he directed a two-hour TV production of From Here to Eternity with Don Johnson and Kim Basinger, Barbara Hershey and William Devane. Ron's picture Spiderman Strikes Back, which he produced and directed, was distributed in Europe, Asia and South America by Columbia Pictures International. He has also directed such recent TV productions as Perry Mason Returns, Diagnosis Murder, Martial Law and Silk Stalkings. TV pilots he's directed include Jake and the Fatman with William Conrad, and Hunter, with Fred Dryer. He also directed the TV movie Original Sin with Charleton Heston and Ann Gillian.
He received an Academy Award nomination for his live action short Frog Story, which he co-produced, and directed.
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