Actor hopes to bring his movie to life

July 8, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Mark Pavilons
Movies are great when they’re filled with chaos.
A nearby Maple resident has led a life that movies are made of.
And he’s looking for support to bring his project to life on the big screen.
Domenic Cina, who’s spent several years in Hollywood as an actor, returned home to work on his one-man play, entitled “Without Reverse Gear.”
The main protagonist, in this case “Domenic” needs to be able to overcome life’s hurdles in order to successfully reach his goals – then again, that’s only if we’re watching a success story.
Some of the most successful individuals in the world have the most messed up stories. It’s not that they’re looking for trouble, but pursuing the things they are pursuing in life puts them in some unordinary situations.
Cina firmly believes that you can’t find the unexpected if you do what’s expected.
“Success stories are only as grand as the failures that lead up to them. Without an epic loss you can’t have an epic win.”
Without Reverse Gear is the story of the rise and fall and redemption of Domenic who, after going through hell, is reborn.
Friends and family kept urging Cina to write his life story, given everything he’s been through.
“It’s funny how often times in life we can take our own stories and experiences for granted. I know I did. Then one day I began to hit the key boards.
“I was a frustrated actor who was tired of waiting for the phone to ring, to go to an audition. I wanted to take the bull by the horns. It was about having some control in an industry where there is barely any control for an artist.
“I began writing my life story in the form of a one-man play. The idea was to follow in the foot steps of other one person shows that have been made into very successful feature films. Both A Bronx Tale and My Big Fat Greek Wedding were one-person shows before being made into feature films. Once the play was written, the plan was to put it up, whereby I’d be performing in a small theatre playing all of the characters.”
Cina said his play did get a lot of interest and attention in New York and he did get an offer to put it off-Broadway. Financing proved difficult.
Towards the end of 2014, a very reputable and prestigious production company took an interest in the feature film rights. The film will be an adaptation of the play. The company, Cina noted, has committed $2.5 million U.S. (50% of the budget). They are a major player having produced many films and their star continues to rise.
In 2014 they produced The Humbling, starring Al Pacino, directed by Barry Levinson, that premiered at the Venice Film Festival then here at TIFF.
They just finished shooting/producing In Dubious Battle, based on the John Steinbeck novel of the same name. It stars and is directed by James Franco, along with a great ensemble cast – Robert Duvall, Selena Gomez, Brian Cranston, Ed Harris etc.
“So as you can see, I’m in great company and excited about the opportunity to have them behind my film.”
In the end, Domenic is centered and grounded in reality. He flew too high and too fast. Like Icarus, he touched the sun and crashed. The Catholic theme is also prevalent in the story, in fact it’s at the heart of this story.
It is an honest look at the surprising face of mental illness and the fragile line between the quest for success and self-destructive obsession.
Currently, Cina is focussed on raising the balance of the funds. Film financing is tricky and the money often comes from outside of the industry. It comes from high net worth individuals who are lovers of the arts. It comes from people who want to be associated with Hollywood. Also the investor may turn out to be someone who is just as passionate about the story.
“I feel that my film/story may appeal to an investor’s desire for philanthropy, essentially the ‘love of humanity’ as there is a humanitarian component to my story.
“Mental illness/mental health is a hot topic these days, especially after Robin Williams’ passing from suicide. Depression among men is still in the closet. Because of the stigma associated with it, it is swept under the rug. Often times it’s because of the whole male machismo thing.”
Once the financing comes into place, it all comes together rather quickly.
This production company is like a mini studio; they finance, produce and distribute. The timeline is usually about 8-12 months. Getting the screenplay to where it needs to be, hiring the director, the stars and we go from there.
“It’s really that simple. Though everything depends on financing,” he said.
Cina pointed to a well known example.
The 2014 film Dallas Buyer’s Club starred Mathew McConaughey, Jared Leto, and Jennifer Garner. Both Mathew and Jared won Oscars for their roles. That script had been kicking around Hollywood for 18 years. Then the financing came together within 48 hours. The film was made for $4 million.
“That’s Hollywood for you. Hence the importance of how timing is everything and without financing a script remains a manuscript sitting on someone’s desk.”
Cina said the great thing about working with this particular production company is they are hands on throughout the entire process and have a track record of success. To date, all of their films have made money. This is what a given investor wants to hear.
So after completion, the plan is to enter the film into various festivals – TIFF (Toronto Film Festival), Cannes, Venice, Berlin. Also there would be theatrical release, Netflix and Amazon. This company knows how to maximize the exposure and distribution of a given film for it to make money and garner the attention that it so deserves.
The Toronto-born Cina has Italian roots and began his career as a model. It took him to Milan, Paris, London, New York and Los Angeles. While in Toronto, he was cast as a boxer in a Black Label beer commercial that really put him on the map.
He subsequently moved to Los Angeles, where he continued modelling, studied acting, and moved up the ladder, working in film and TV. His first big break came when he was cast on a sit com working alongside Burt Reynolds – Evening Shade. Another huge break came when he was cast in a (North American wide) Banana Republic campaign alongside Kate Moss and other supermodels.
Unfortunately for Cina, tragedy struck, which forms the basis of his film. He packed his bags and returned to Toronto.
Years later, he continued to pursue acting in Toronto and built up his resume with more film and TV credits.
He then took a sabbatical, working in the 9-5 world and took time to write his one-man play and focus on getting his film made.
If you’d like to find out more about the film, visit www.domeniccina.com. You can contact Cina at domenic.cina@yahoo.com.