RAVEN REELS FILMS 'SERI' PREMIERE: STORY REMINDS US LIFE IS TEMPORAL
“Seri” film poster, center. At left, front row left to right, Syd Latimore, Gregory Mohn, Veronica Tinsley and JP Smith, in background left to right, Ron Licari, Dean Phillippi and Joe Ray. Photo at right, left to right, Dean Phillippi, Joe Ray, Vesta Millard, Violetta Licari and Syd Latimore.
▶ BY KEVIN SCOTT COLLIER
Raven Reels Films, and parent company KLU (Keep Looking Up) Productions, will present a special screening of the faith-based/suspense short film, Seri, on October 26th at the AMC, in Altamonte Springs, Florida. An award ceremony follows in November.
“It's a red carpet affair,” Seri writer/director, Violetta Anna Licari, told CM. “My film falls into thriller category. I'm excited about this film.”
Licari is the founder and CEO of KLUP Productions and Raven Reels Films. The film centers on a writer named Serifina, who is feeling trapped by a spirit of death.
“She recently lost her son in a tragic accident, so struggles to write,” Licari explained. “The thoughts, concerns and questions people have about life, and the afterlife, come into question as Seri seeks to find answers.”
A series of unusual events transpire, challenging Serifina’s family and closest friends to understand the strange happenings in her home, as they gather to comfort one another.
“Finding comfort and an answer in the Bible leads Seri to an important realization,” Licari added. “An unexpected ending leaves everyone dumbstruck. My inspiration [for writing the story] comes from the thought that we hold onto things that keep us bound. When we release the bondage to the Lord, we truly become free.”
The film stars Dean Phillippi Sr. as Nick Roma, Kimm Marie as Sophia Roma, Stephanie Kirves as Jenna Roma, Violetta Anna Licari as Seri Roma, Vesta Millard as Nettie Roma, Craig Raymond as Joseph Roma, Joe Ray as Jimmy Roma, Brenda Ingraham as Kathleen, Sherron Jackson as Mindy, Matthew Arnold as Ben, and Ron Licari as the Dark Figure. Behind the scenes is director of cinematography Gregory Mohn, script supervisor JP Smith, sound engineer Syd Latimore and 1st assistant director Veronica Tinsley.
There’s a lot of Roma’s in this tale, and according to Licari, they “are a typical Italian family, very close and very opinionated. They love each other and when one family member hurts, they all hurt.”
The project had a quick turnover time, beginning back in June, with a concept and then a completed film submitted by October 13. Filming took place in Palm Coast, Florida. Gregory Mohn conveyed they engaged in “a very ambitious script, to be filmed in essentially one day, with a cast of 13 characters.”
“I was also editor and sound design, and the work print was over 12 minutes long, for a 10 minute limit,” Mohn told CM, which presented a challenge. “Finding what could be cut and shaving scenes here and there was heartbreaking. Seri is a much bigger story that deserves far more time to develop, but we just didn't have that flexibility.”
Actor Dean Phillippi said “filming was very well planned, organized, and discussed along the way for different angles, lines, and etc.”
“I enjoyed doing this film, since we all prayed at the beginning of each scene, throughout the day, and prayed over the film,” Phillippi told CM. “Any film that is faith-based I love, and love working on. Violetta is awesome to work with, and very inspirational with the scripts that she writes. Everyone was such a pleasure to work with, and I look forward to working with each and everyone on this film again!”
For actress Vesta Millard, it’s her third movie working for Raven Reels Films.
“Violetta’s incredibly insightful as a director, because she's an actress herself,” Millard told CM. “So she comes at it from an actor's standpoint, and is wonderful at drawing out a meaningful performance from her cast.”
Millard explained that initially Seri reminded her of some of the old Rod Serling Twilight Zone episodes.
“They always made me think a lot about what it meant to BE human, and of human frailties,” Millard said. “What makes us tick, and persevere. And there's always a twist ending that you might not see coming. Art is at it's best when it's cathartic.”
Actress Sherron Jackson, whose uncle was a pastor and mother a Sunday school teacher, has a special role in the film, playing Serifina’s best friend.
“It was an honor to work with all of the cast,” Jackson said. “Violetta did an incredible job directing us, and all of the actors were great.”
Actor Craig Raymond harnessed a personal experience to add real-life for the fictional piece.
“I told Violetta that I had recently lost both of my parents, so I had a lot of real emotions to draw from,” Raymond told CM. “It was a wonderful set with many talented local actors, and Violetta cooked a wonderful Italian dinner for us! I had a wonderful time and made some new friends.”
Actress Brenda Turner Ingraham also enjoyed a special experience as part of the team. She said Licari’s “passion and drive to create meaningful content that touches the soul” is on display in Seri.
“What appears to possibly be a horror thriller shows how death is not the end, but just the beginning of our transition from this life,” Turner told CM. “Our grief can turn to joy messages when we realize that death is just a passing. Yes, we will miss our loved ones, but we have hope, because we will be with them one day! That is the hope we have in the price Jesus Christ paid. We do not grieve as the world!”
Actress Kimm Marie enjoyed playing the role of Sophia Roma, as she was “able to be over the top.”
“Coming from an Italian family myself, I felt some nostalgia doing my scene,” Marie told CM. “I took a few risks with that and it played out nicely. A lot of the characters were close to home.”
Actor Joe Ray conveyed it was more like hanging out with family than being on assignment.
“It was exciting to work with Violetta and the entire cast in Seri,” Ray told CM. “This was the best family atmosphere I've encountered on set thus far. I portray Uncle Jimmy, and I'm excited to see how it all comes together.”
For actress Stephanie Kirves, it was her first time “working with visionary director Violetta Licari.”
“It was a great experience to be able to work on Seri,” Kirves told CM. “It was definitely a long day, and of course a few issues sprang up in its course, but we ended up getting all of the family's scenes done in just one day--all while maintaining a high level of quality.”
As the youngest member of the cast, Krives said, “It was great to be able to work and network with some of the local veterans in the industry.”
“I learned a lot on how to move my career forward, and would love to be able to work with many of these talented individuals again in the future,” she shared. “Not only were the actors fantastic, but the crew was also top-notch and kept everything running smoothly, and on schedule. Honestly, this is one of the most professional, independent short film sets I have had the pleasure to work on.”
Although patrons will see only the small troupe of actors who occupy the screen, there were many talented individuals behind the scenes who make the film look polished, well done, and interesting.
And what is it that Seri creator Violetta Anna Licari wants most for audiences to learn from the motion picture?
“Life is temporal, let go of all that keeps you bound!”
Raven Reels Films, and parent company KLU (Keep Looking Up) Productions, will present a special screening of the faith-based/suspense short film, Seri, on October 26th at the AMC, in Altamonte Springs, Florida. An award ceremony follows in November.
“It's a red carpet affair,” Seri writer/director, Violetta Anna Licari, told CM. “My film falls into thriller category. I'm excited about this film.”
Licari is the founder and CEO of KLUP Productions and Raven Reels Films. The film centers on a writer named Serifina, who is feeling trapped by a spirit of death.
“She recently lost her son in a tragic accident, so struggles to write,” Licari explained. “The thoughts, concerns and questions people have about life, and the afterlife, come into question as Seri seeks to find answers.”
A series of unusual events transpire, challenging Serifina’s family and closest friends to understand the strange happenings in her home, as they gather to comfort one another.
“Finding comfort and an answer in the Bible leads Seri to an important realization,” Licari added. “An unexpected ending leaves everyone dumbstruck. My inspiration [for writing the story] comes from the thought that we hold onto things that keep us bound. When we release the bondage to the Lord, we truly become free.”
The film stars Dean Phillippi Sr. as Nick Roma, Kimm Marie as Sophia Roma, Stephanie Kirves as Jenna Roma, Violetta Anna Licari as Seri Roma, Vesta Millard as Nettie Roma, Craig Raymond as Joseph Roma, Joe Ray as Jimmy Roma, Brenda Ingraham as Kathleen, Sherron Jackson as Mindy, Matthew Arnold as Ben, and Ron Licari as the Dark Figure. Behind the scenes is director of cinematography Gregory Mohn, script supervisor JP Smith, sound engineer Syd Latimore and 1st assistant director Veronica Tinsley.
There’s a lot of Roma’s in this tale, and according to Licari, they “are a typical Italian family, very close and very opinionated. They love each other and when one family member hurts, they all hurt.”
The project had a quick turnover time, beginning back in June, with a concept and then a completed film submitted by October 13. Filming took place in Palm Coast, Florida. Gregory Mohn conveyed they engaged in “a very ambitious script, to be filmed in essentially one day, with a cast of 13 characters.”
“I was also editor and sound design, and the work print was over 12 minutes long, for a 10 minute limit,” Mohn told CM, which presented a challenge. “Finding what could be cut and shaving scenes here and there was heartbreaking. Seri is a much bigger story that deserves far more time to develop, but we just didn't have that flexibility.”
Actor Dean Phillippi said “filming was very well planned, organized, and discussed along the way for different angles, lines, and etc.”
“I enjoyed doing this film, since we all prayed at the beginning of each scene, throughout the day, and prayed over the film,” Phillippi told CM. “Any film that is faith-based I love, and love working on. Violetta is awesome to work with, and very inspirational with the scripts that she writes. Everyone was such a pleasure to work with, and I look forward to working with each and everyone on this film again!”
For actress Vesta Millard, it’s her third movie working for Raven Reels Films.
“Violetta’s incredibly insightful as a director, because she's an actress herself,” Millard told CM. “So she comes at it from an actor's standpoint, and is wonderful at drawing out a meaningful performance from her cast.”
Millard explained that initially Seri reminded her of some of the old Rod Serling Twilight Zone episodes.
“They always made me think a lot about what it meant to BE human, and of human frailties,” Millard said. “What makes us tick, and persevere. And there's always a twist ending that you might not see coming. Art is at it's best when it's cathartic.”
Actress Sherron Jackson, whose uncle was a pastor and mother a Sunday school teacher, has a special role in the film, playing Serifina’s best friend.
“It was an honor to work with all of the cast,” Jackson said. “Violetta did an incredible job directing us, and all of the actors were great.”
Actor Craig Raymond harnessed a personal experience to add real-life for the fictional piece.
“I told Violetta that I had recently lost both of my parents, so I had a lot of real emotions to draw from,” Raymond told CM. “It was a wonderful set with many talented local actors, and Violetta cooked a wonderful Italian dinner for us! I had a wonderful time and made some new friends.”
Actress Brenda Turner Ingraham also enjoyed a special experience as part of the team. She said Licari’s “passion and drive to create meaningful content that touches the soul” is on display in Seri.
“What appears to possibly be a horror thriller shows how death is not the end, but just the beginning of our transition from this life,” Turner told CM. “Our grief can turn to joy messages when we realize that death is just a passing. Yes, we will miss our loved ones, but we have hope, because we will be with them one day! That is the hope we have in the price Jesus Christ paid. We do not grieve as the world!”
Actress Kimm Marie enjoyed playing the role of Sophia Roma, as she was “able to be over the top.”
“Coming from an Italian family myself, I felt some nostalgia doing my scene,” Marie told CM. “I took a few risks with that and it played out nicely. A lot of the characters were close to home.”
Actor Joe Ray conveyed it was more like hanging out with family than being on assignment.
“It was exciting to work with Violetta and the entire cast in Seri,” Ray told CM. “This was the best family atmosphere I've encountered on set thus far. I portray Uncle Jimmy, and I'm excited to see how it all comes together.”
For actress Stephanie Kirves, it was her first time “working with visionary director Violetta Licari.”
“It was a great experience to be able to work on Seri,” Kirves told CM. “It was definitely a long day, and of course a few issues sprang up in its course, but we ended up getting all of the family's scenes done in just one day--all while maintaining a high level of quality.”
As the youngest member of the cast, Krives said, “It was great to be able to work and network with some of the local veterans in the industry.”
“I learned a lot on how to move my career forward, and would love to be able to work with many of these talented individuals again in the future,” she shared. “Not only were the actors fantastic, but the crew was also top-notch and kept everything running smoothly, and on schedule. Honestly, this is one of the most professional, independent short film sets I have had the pleasure to work on.”
Although patrons will see only the small troupe of actors who occupy the screen, there were many talented individuals behind the scenes who make the film look polished, well done, and interesting.
And what is it that Seri creator Violetta Anna Licari wants most for audiences to learn from the motion picture?
“Life is temporal, let go of all that keeps you bound!”
