HAMPTON – A locally produced film will return to the big screen this month with a special screening in the Hampton Roads area.
Producer and actor Robert Shepherd said the movie The Mardi Gras Man will be shown on March 20 at 7:15 p.m. at VIP Cinemas Peninsula Town Center.
Tickets for the event are currently on sale.
The film has deep ties to the region. Shepherd said the production was created locally and filmed throughout the peninsula.
“We probably incorporate all seven cities of Hampton Roads into our productions,” said Shepherd.
The project began years earlier as a script written by Shepherd’s production partner.
“The Mardi Gras Man was actually written many years ago by James Sanzo, my production partner,” Shepherd said. “We have formed a small production company, actually, probably around 12 years ago or so, and he had this script before we formed the company.”
When Shepherd and Sanzo later formed their production company, they decided the script would eventually become one of their films.
“So when we formed our company, we decided that would be one of the projects that we would film,” Shepherd said. “It actually isn’t the first. We actually have produced two other films before we cycled back to get The Mardi Gras Man produced.”
The story centers on a man trying to rebuild his life after problems in his marriage. The lead character, played by Chris Korkalo, moves to Hampton for a new job in hopes that a fresh start might eventually help repair his relationship. While settling into his new life, he has an unexpected encounter with a police officer, played by Arkeisha Roberts. Their first meeting is less than friendly, but the interaction ultimately becomes the beginning of them getting to know each other.
Shepherd served as both a producer and a supporting actor in the film, a balance he said is common in independent filmmaking. He explained that his production partner focused heavily on finding locations while Shepherd worked more on casting.
“I probably concentrate a little bit more on casting because I’ve been pretty active for the last 30 years and really have had the opportunity to work with so many talented people here in the Hampton Roads area,” Shepherd said.
Using local talent and locations is also a practical decision for small-budget productions.
“It’s critical because when you don’t have a very big production budget, which actually none of our four films have,” Shepherd said. “We try to pay a day rate to our principal actors.”
The upcoming screening came about largely because the film remains a favorite for the filmmakers. He also noted that the theater’s reopening may help draw local audiences to see a film produced in their own community.
“I think the hope is if they end up showing a movie that’s totally based here, that we’re going to have family, friends, and other people that are curious. That’ll come out to see it,” Shepherd said.
Beyond entertainment, Shepherd said the film carries a deeper message.
“I think one of the embedded themes here is that there’s always an opportunity for second chances,” he said. “Just because something has not worked out, you don’t have to dwell in that, that there is, potentially, if you do what you’re supposed to and work hard, there is an opportunity to start over.”
