"Father John" feature film casting now

I am preparing for directing the feature film, FATHER JOHN. A unique an spellbinding spy thriller much more in the Hitchcock style than a Bond 007 or a "Jason Bourne" action story. This is an independent film but we have great equipment, are attracting expert crew and are assembling a great list of credited professional actors.

Director: Richard@trombly.com

casting director: "Lola" Le Guan casting@meiwentiproductions.com

line producer: Juan Vargas juan@meiwentiproductions.com

to learn how you can get involved in this unique feature film project....

SYNOPSIS -- "Father John"

He is the nicest spy you could ever meet in London… He has just been re-assigned to Shanghai. His whole world is about to be turned upside down! 

"Father" John is aptly named for his gentle ways and reputation for always getting critical intelligence and "confessions" from even the hardest of sources. His style is uniquely suited to London, from polite society to the mean streets. He has it all - the respect of his office, a covert love affair and prospects for promotion after successfully unveiling a terrorist plot. That is, until one of his sources ends up dead, his cover is blown and a contract is issued on his life so John is reassigned – to Shanghai.

 

Shanghai is modern and international with a bright and shiny skyline, but there is a dark underbelly beneath it all. John finds a complex web of relationships and intrigue that takes him deep into the dark “long tang” lanes and the labyrinthine Xikumens of the real Shanghai. He must learn in this new environment to recognize his enemies from allies in this unfamiliar environment.

 

He starts out on the wrong foot with all the Shanghai office and gets beaten by a gang on the Shanghai streets. It seems his only friend is a dubious Russian named Yuri who claims to be in the shipping industry. Things turn around when he befriends  the office assistant everyone calls Susie and he cares enough to learn her native Chinese name, Fei Yuying. John enlists her aid to help him learn the ropes in Shanghai. She helps him make connections and unravel the levels of international deceit and deception. She also shows him some of the real China and its culture that the other foreigners miss as they travel only in the restrictive expatriate circles. 

 

John begins to master the situation is Shanghai, but he finds he is up against the Russian mafia, Korean crime lords and the same terrorist organization that he faced in London. Will he be able to navigate these turbulent waters, bring down the terrorists and save London before they can carry out their contact on his life?

Visiting my kids, birthday party

I am about to wrap on the filming of Distance Runners, so after a quick trip to Hong Kong I will drop my stuff in Shanghai, pay my rent and pet my dogs, and desert them yet again. (a friend and a maid care for my dogs during my frequent travels)

One of my dogs, Xingxing ("star") 

The reason I am running to America without taking a break from running non-stop since preproduciton for Distance Runners is that I have not seen my kids in 4 months!!!!!!!! 

I visited my kids and my dad in the fall of 2008

But I get to go home and see them for 3 weeks while i work on the initial preproduction on the film Father John that I will be directing in May and June.

My daughter is having a birthday party for her 14th birthday. She is an amazing young lady. She is a programmer with Linux installed on her computer and is programming in PHP, Wordpress and a few other programming languages and she has some business clients. She is a lovely and beautiful young girl.... AND a self-professed "nerd" (like her dad), a devoted reader of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimon, and a devoted Dr. Who fan.

Anastasia has her own unique style.

 Oh yeah, she now plays electric violin in a garage band too. :-) 

Anastasia Trombly plays her (non-electric) violin last Christmas when i was in USA at Christmas

My son Basil is a creative young artist. He is an engineer at heart I think. He is always designing things like space stations and vehicles and when he was younger made amazing worlds in a wondrous land of Lego blocks. He is now 11 1/2 and eagerly awaiting the chance to spend Spring holidays hiking and boating with his dad. He is also quite a swimmer and a member of the "stingray" swim team at his school. 

Basil's 11th Birthday party

While I am excited to get on to my next film project in China, nothing is better than some time with the family, the kids that I love.

Distance Runners films in Kunming College

March 26, 2009, Kunming -- Distance Runners spent 3 days filming in various locations within the Kunming College of Science and Technology, Oxbridge College Campus. This served as hospital, therapist offices, training grounds and more.  

Andrew Edelson plays Dr. Alistair Crane the doctor and mentor that helps Li Shan overcome his injuries after a crippling accident. 

"Alistair"  shares his wisdom with "Li Shan" 

The charming "Xu Mei" (singer Li-Tong Hsu) played the role of a traditional Chinese medicine doctor skilled in accupuncture and Eastern philosophy. This doctor team brings about the physical and spiritual recovery of Li Shan. 

Of course there is always some fun on the movie set.

"What is the diagnosis, Doctor?"

"Dude, you are like sooooooo crippled - ha, ha, ha..."

After wrapping the Oxbridge Campus location, we started looking at filming the ultramarathon scenes. We had a day off while director Robert Vicencio visited key locations for filming the ultramarathon race featured in this film. 

Camer a operator He Yun uses the RED ONE camera on a Steadicam unit

Filming running scenes is difficult and a marathon is not about speed and fast-paced competition, so the challenge for the director is to keep up the excitement with great cinematography, fast-paced editing, and a gripping story. Obviously we needed to use vehicle shots, steadicam and lots and lots of extras to film a race.

Nearly finished shooting Distance Runners film in Kunming, China

April 3, 2009, Kunming -- 

The race phase of the Distance Runners film shooting schedule is finished after a long week of shooting. Even though this is not generally the rainy season in Yunnan, the weather was not always on our side. This is largely due to the week of rain induced by Kunming government "cloud seeding" to make it rain. 

While the scenes in the rain helped to give the feeling of a grueling and arduous race, it is no fun filming in the rain. And even in Yunnan, where the weather is temperate, the wind and rain can get pretty bone-chillingly cold. 

"Josh" and "Katsuro"  battle for the lead

The actors and the crew were relieved to have some sunny days to shoot in as well. There are some beautiful locations in Yunnan. We are fortunate to get a chance to shoot out in such a beautiful region of China.

"Josh" is an arrogant British runner who seeks victory at any cost

Director Robert Vicencio has combined his unique dramaturgical mastery and the amazing RED ONE camera to make the most of his vision with a dramatic road race traversing the rugged countryside of Yunnan while lead character "Li Shan" has flashbacks of insight into his troubled past.

Lead actor Shao Wen puts on the speed and passes another competitor

"This film is intented to portray a spiritual journey," says scriptwriter and associate producer Richard Trombly.  "As Li Shan travels through the 188 km endurance course, we see flashes of the past that led him to undertake such an extreme challenge."

Producer Steve Long Finalizes Script for "Father John"

28 March 2009 Shanghai -- Steve Long of Golden Quill Productions penned the script for his latest production "Father John" to be shot in Shanghai in late May/ early June 2009. Long says the script is currently undergoing final revisions. 

Long tapped Richard Trombly as director for this film noir-style intrigue and espionage thriller. The feature-length film is expected to premier in Shanghai this summer and then enjoy an international video release. Trombly is currently in Kunming, China as Associate Producer on the feature film Distance Runners.

"I immediately realized the potential of this script when Steve Long first discussed this project with me," says Trombly. "It draws from his background of experience within the American Consulate and other departments of the foreign service."

Trombly expects the film to have wide appeal because it will feature some off-the-beaten-path views of Shanghai and will draw and Long and Trombly's familairity with China's most international city.  

"Shanghai offers a unique mix of the traditional Chinese culture alongside a thriving and modern metropolis," says Trombly. "Shanghai is also ideally suited to a spy film. The mere name 'Shanghai' evokes the mystery and allure of the East."  

The film will offer some cloak and dagger action with a host of international villians, says Trombly. He also hopes to show some of the charm of the city and its people that has drawn him and thousands of other expats to enjoy living in this swarming metroplolis.

For production support, Long looks to Meiwenti Productions. This will be a micro-funded production. Long, currently head of the IT department at the US Consulate in Shanghai, is a devoted  tech-lover and will be using much of his own equipment accumulated over the years. Much of the crew and cast talent, however, will come through the Meiwenti network. Meiwenti will help locate active members in the independent film community that will bring this project together at a rapid pace and micro-budget. 

Distance Runners meets the press

March 18, 2009 Kunming, China - As Distance Runners kicked off filming in Kunming, China, several reporters turned out to see the stars. Huang Lu and Shao Wen expressed their eagerness to be in this film by first-time director, Robert Vicencio. (Vicencio is known for his role in Miss Saigon and as a performer.)  Local reporters and press from Chengdu (Huang Lu's hometown) came to interview the actors and crew of this feature film about running an ultramarathon in the remote countryside of Yunnan. 

Huang Lu 黃璐 said she was happy to return to Western China for this feature.  Since her starring role in Mang Shan (Blind Mountain) 2007, Huang has starred in several internaitonal features, including the acclaimed (The Red Awn 2007)  and director Xiaolu Guo's (She, a Chinese 2009) which was filmed in London.

Huang Lu joins the cast of Distance Runners

Shao Wen is the male lead in this sports/drama film being shot in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. He plays a runner that recovered from a crippling accident and must face his past. 

Scriptwriter Richard Trombly poses with the lovely Huang Lu and co-star Shao Wen

For helping to make this film possible, Vicencio said he appreciated the support of shoe maker, New Balance.  Expect a product placement or two. 

Filming "Distance Runners"

March 17, 2009 Kunming, China -- "Distance Runners" has opened filming. Director Robert Vicencio says his vision is to make an inspirational movie about making dreams come true. 

For lead character Li Shan (Shao Wen "In Love with an Angel" and "Unnamed Heroes") finding

 his dreams does not come easy. A popular and athletic youth, he suffers a crippling accident, falls into depression and drives away the love of his life, Wen Yi (Huang Lu "Blind Mountain") [on IMDB as the Chinese title Mang Shan 2007] 

Star Shao Wen, center, with singer/actress Li-tong Hsu and Kyle Rothstein )

The road to recovery begins when he meets a foreign doctor, Alistair Crane, that heals his body and becomes his mentor. Alistair introduces him to running as a physical therapy. But Shan has big dreams and undertakes a 188km (112 mile) run through the hills of Yunnan. He has a spiritual journey that leads to the restoration of his soul as he struggles through this torturous race course and faces his past.

Shanghai Fest tries to ride Slumdog's fame

http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=43805&Category=

 

Boyle to chair Shanghai film festival jury Sen-lun Yu in Beijing 27 Mar 2009 10:22

The Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) has announced that Danny Boyle will chair the international jury at the upcoming 12th edition of the festival (June 13-21). Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire had its China premiere in Beijing yesterday (March 26) and the film is opening on more than 1,000 screens this weekend. At a press conference in Beijing this week, Boyle said he would give full support to SIFF and expressed interest in working with China. "When you have a city that is full of people and stories like Mumbai, Beijing or Shanghai, it's just so much excitement and potential for a filmmaker. It's like a dream come true," he told Chinese media during the Slumdog premiere. SIFF director Tang Lijune had tried in previous years to invite Boyle to chair the festival's international competition, also known as the Jinjue Competition. "The great success of Slumdog made us more determined to have him at SIFF," she said. "One of the goals of SIFF is to further enhance its market function through co-production events. Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire is generally considered as a good example of cultural exchange between the East and West." This year SIFF will again hold its two co-production markets – CFPC (China Film Pitch and Catch) and CoFPC (Co-Production Film Pitch and Catch).

Beijing Film festival/ Kunming Filming "Distance Runners"

Films at Beijing New International Movie Week. 

Since the Meiwenti Swat Chick party on Feb 26, I went to Beijing Feb 28-March 2 for the Beijing New International Movie Week, where I presented my Chinese language short films Dengdai (The Waiting) and Gua Shuo Shidian (Melon Harvest) to audiences in Beijing. http://www.beijingfilmfest.org My short films can be viewed at: www.vimeo.com/richardtrombly  

The director (me) got a chance to have a question and answer session after the film. It seems the films were both well-received by the Beijing audience. The event was covered by local news media and I was interviewed by several reporters but I was unable to stick around to see the next night's news report.

I basically got off the plane from Beijing and was right off to Kunming out in Yunnan Province, China. We did a whilrwind 2 week period of preproduction and opened filming on "Distance Runners" on March 17.

Swat Chick party a grand success

Swat Chicks Rock Shanghai

I regret to say that I have not posted a blog since before the February 26 Swat Chick GALA fundraiser in Shanghai's Latitude Lounge for the short science fiction/action film Shanghai 2020.

Juan vargas and the Meiwenti International Swat Chick Squad

The Swat Chick party drew around 200 people to come out on a rainy Thrusday night to support Meiwenti, the heroic badboys of independent film, led by Juan Vargas.  I was part of the scriptwriting crew, mostly as the futurist and technology consultant.

Severin of Shang Hai productions is a co-director is SH 2020

Shanghai 2020 is deep into filming with a crew of 40+ and more than 200 actors and extras. All these people are donating their talents and time to make this film happen. It is all people who are employed in other fulltime work... though some are film professionals. SH 2020 is being filmed over 4 weekends and some evenings and will soon be wrapped and going into an intensive postproduciton.    The meiwenti crew wants to premier this film in MAY 2009 in Shanghai, so the schedule is tight..... but Meiwenti means "no problem" in Chinese, so  --  Meiwenti!!!!

Learn more at www.meiwentiproductions.com