“the WATERING hole” winner of the Producer’s Choice Award

It came as a huge surprise and I am still dumbfounded that my fellow filmmakers chose “the WATERING hole” as their favorite out of all ten movies for the 2011 Place Called Sacramento filmfestival.

I am truly honored to receive such accolades, as is the cast & crew, since there were many great movies up there that could have easily been the favorite of all.

But on Sunday, October 2, 2011 at the Crest Theater in Sacramento after watching Reluctant, The Chozen, CSI: Sacramento, Stalag Sacramento, The Purse, Borrowed Time, Buddies, The Break Up, the WATERING hole, and Lucky Shot, the audience favorite was The Break Up, and truly deserving.

Of course I was not on stage at this time, as I had my 15 minutes of fame last year for THE GOLdEN TREE, as well as, Treasure Chest of South Sacramento that was written by Guy Pace, and this year I was also a contributor to BUDDIES, I meant no disrespect to the other filmmakers, I am not comfortable in front of a huge crowd — I’m not an actor and the reason I am behind the camera.

Anyway, at this time I am saying movie titles to Jim Heck — Audio Master and DP on Buddies and the WATERING hole — that could, should, or might win when Ron Cooper says “The Producer’s Choice Award goes to the collaborative team work of Rob Tillitz and Gerald Martin Davenport”

“WHAT!?”  I said with confusion, disbelief, and a sense of fear — I knew I would have to go up on stage after that.

I was blind sided by the outcome and being chosen by my peers to recieve the Producer’s Choice Award for 2011 for “the WATERING hole” — yes three days later it has not registered that it really happened.  Something we all do is day dream that our name or projects win awards and entertain people, or be super hero and save the day or the world, and when it happens we step back and wonder if it is real.

Granted it’s not a major life changing experience, but it is one nonetheless.  And I am very aprraciative of everyone for enjoyong my work — that was my main goal to begin with when I started this journey, and lets me know that I am on the right track and I do have the talent and sklills — something we all question and second guess ourselves in life.

Contratulations to the cast & crew for winning such a presitgious award, in the Sacramento fim comminuty, and for giving me such great performances to work with and mold into a award winning movie. 

the WATERING hole & BUDDIES

Well another year and another project — or two — for Access Sacramento’s “A Place Called Sacramento” screenplay contest.

Yes, I entered three into the contest:

1. Petite Chardonnay
   • a short sketch of the longer story of Chardonnay which is a relationship and family movie
2. THE GOLdEN TREEs
   • a continuation of THE GOLdEN TREE that follows the family further into their discovery of the historic ancestors of the Sacramento Gold Rush.
3. the WATERING hole
   • a eerie, creepy, demonic tale of David and his visit to a mysterious and strange bar.
     • I co-wrote with Rob Tillitz

the WATERING hole was one of the ten winning scripts out of over one hundred, and I have no understanding of why and how, but that is just how it went.  Someone tried to tell me they wanted diversity in writers and stories, but when reading about the other nine stories, there are three with water and three about the Sacramento Kings — there is no diversity there.  These people are idiots that are the judges that choose the scripts, and I know they don’t like me, and if I wasn’t connected to Rob as a writer, I would not be in.  And if it wasn’t such a great place to meet new people in the film world, I would be doing it.

the WATERING hole will be produced by Rob Tillitz and he may also co-direct a few scenes.  We have Brendan Brooks back on Camera; Jim Heck on Audio; Susan Slaven helping out with the script, and a few more new faces on the crew to help out.

The CAST is an eclectic, unusual, sort you would not think I would spend my time with, but Rob and Deborah Adair took the time to sit at the table on Wednesday, May 18, 2010 to gather head shots and bio’s from potential cast and crew, much to my chagrin as I already had people in mind, but Rob, being the producer, said he was my boss and he would even give up his lead role as David to see if anyone looked better than he did.  And he told me. “No role is cast; let us get all we can and decide with auditions to get the best people for the roles.”

We are looking for unusual characteristics, such as eyes, nose, face, lips, and overall look, as well as, the actors voice.  Auditions are Sunday, May 22, 2011 at the IT Factor Studios, thanks to Ryan McKinney for letting us use the facilities for auditions.

Principal photography will be commencing as soon as cast and crew are in concrete.  Check back or add our rss feed below to stay abreast with this new adventure.

BUDDIES

I have also been ask, along with Brendan, if we would be the DP and Editor for BUDDIES, a fantastic story about hope by Judith Plank, who was also the writer and director of Butterscotch, another one of my favorites of the 2010 PCS contest.

I am truly honored, privileged, and excited about shaping this story into a winner.

More to come on both of these wonderful and interesting movies, as well as, financing for Chardonnay and other Aria Picture Projects.

Find us on   and LIKE us, then go to “the WATERING hole” and LIKE it, as well as, our other projects.  There is a contest running now for “the WATERING hole“