Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/108313
Sarasota News Leader February 8, 2013 ster), who is cast as Richard James, the main character's deceased father, and Ed Lauter (The Artist, The Longest Yard, Trouble with the Curve), who plays the pastor who presides at the father's funeral. In addition, a portion of the film was shot over the course of a week in Dublin, Ireland, with the assistance of Irish actor and Blind Pass Associate Producer James Sexton, who acted in the film as well as guided the cast and crew to various locales, such as pubs, restaurants, castles and vistas that are prominently featured in the movie. Page 72 try in this area — my hometown — and that was very exciting to me." Those not from the Sarasota-Bradenton area who were involved with Blind Pass also have high hopes for what the film could portend for the community. In an interview with the News Leader the day prior to the preview, Sexton said he is confident it will boost tourism, particularly from Ireland. "Generally, [when] Irish people think Florida, they think Orlando, Miami; they think of the bigger cities," he said. "I think the movie showing in Ireland will do a lot for Sarasota because people will look at it as a destination." While Tatone and White are confident the inclusion of well-known actors and footage of the streets, establishments and landscapes of Dublin will help to increase the mass appeal of the film, they also hope the resulting exposure will demonstrate to those in the film industry that the Sarasota-Bradenton area has enough attractive locations, talented artists and skilled technicians to be seen as a viable place to produce independent movies. Only time will tell if Blind Pass proves to have the national or international impact its producers are hoping for in regard to the future of the Sarasota-Bradenton area. As Tatone noted following the preview, the next step is to market the movie: attract investors, submit it to film festivals and secure a release. Tatone added that he hopes Blind Pass, like his previous film, Beautiful Noise, will be shown at the upcoming Sarasota Film Festival. White, in fact, was so dedicated to the idea that she moved back to Sarasota from Los Angeles, where she was pursuing a career as an actress, to take up the leading role in Blind Pass, join Tatone's Midnight Pass Productions as co-producer and collaborate with Tatone on his draft of the script for the film, in which she also sings. Since the screening of Blind Pass, there have been a few developments. In a follow-up email interview with the News Leader on Jan. 30, Tatone wrote the response to the private screening had been "terrific." He added that he also has been "fielding a tremendous amount of calls and inquiries from international film distributors interested in bidding on the film to secure worldwide distribution rights." "I became very excited about the idea of being able to produce and being able to really make the script come to life," White told the audience during a question-and-answer session with Tatone, Lauter and Sexton after the Blind Pass screening. "I was trying to get a job in L.A. while I had a job here. It made no sense," she continued. "I had a really cool opportunity here to learn and to grow an indus- Regardless of what transpires, those involved with the movie have expressed much satisfaction with the final product. "I think it's a very good movie and it's going to entertain a lot of people," Lauter said on stage after the screening, having seen Blind Pass for the first time. "I'm just proud to be in this film." %