UP ON THE GLASS, an arthouse thriller shot in Michigan and distributed in North America through Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, is now available to pre-order on iTunes. Additionally, the blu-ray and DVD can be pre-ordered on Amazon, providing entertainment to movie lovers during the COVID pandemic.
“Kevin creates a palpable sense of dread that permeates throughout this film. We look forward to unveiling it to North American audiences this fall,” said Tony Piantedosi, Vice President of Acquisitions at Gravitas Ventures.
UP ON THE GLASS offers a timely discussion of class dynamics in America against the backdrop of Oceana County, MI and a dangerous love triangle.
According to a recent survey, 70% of people would prefer to watch a new film release at home, even as COVID restrictions ease in some states. In the midst of this new entertainment environment, arthouse films could see a resurgence, especially as Hollywood film releases are delayed. If there is a silver lining for independent cinema, blockbuster scarcity could compel movie fans to explore more films by indie creators.
Film festivals, distributors, and filmmakers are all demonstrating resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic by deploying creative strategies to support artists, build community, and continue creating great content. UP ON THE GLASS is now scheduled to have its festival premiere at Buffalo International Film Festival (October 8th-12th, 2020), which is exploring social distanced theater viewings, drive-ins, and virtual screenings as potential venues. UP ON THE GLASS has also been selected to screen at the Capital City Film Festival in Lansing, MI (dates TBD).
Reminiscent of the thriller THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, UP ON THE GLASS is about a wanderer named Jack DiMercurio who secretly desires the life and wife of his more affluent friend, Andy Shelton. Past tensions surface between the two men during an informal reunion at Andy’s cottage on Lake Michigan. One heinous act allows Jack to draw close to Andy’s wife Liz, but Jack finds living Andy’s life is a dangerous lie.
The UP ON THE GLASS filmmakers hope their thriller-feature can provide much-needed entertainment during this time and provoke conversations about class in America. The wealth gap has been widening over the past forty years, and now with more than 30 million Americans receiving unemployment benefits due to the coronavirus pandemic, class remains an important issue that is not discussed enough in film.
Director, co-writer, and producer Kevin Del Principe expressed, “Growing up in a blue-collar family, the idea that pursuit of higher education would lead to a better life was imbued in me. For so many of my generation, this has not been the case due to a variety of economic and social factors. The main character in UP ON THE GLASS, Jack, has tried to rise in America but it has not worked out as he’s hoped. Subsequently, he feels lost, distanced from his peers and from the elite institutions that allowed him entry but have not enabled him to climb in them accordingly. Characters like Jack deserve a voice because he embodies so many who have strived but been left behind. For Jack, the pressure he feels due to his class situation and the lack of trust he has in institutions leads to devastating consequences.”
Producer, co-writer, and actor Nikki Brown added, “The Midwest is all too often portrayed as flyover territory. The reality is that the region is vibrant both in urban and rural areas. Having been raised in Grand Rapids and spent summers on the shores of Lake Michigan in Oceana County, I have a deep appreciation for this area and its people. I’m excited to share the beauty of this place and community in UP ON THE GLASS.”
The husband and wife creative team behind UP ON THE GLASS, Kevin Del Principe and Nikki Brown, now Nikki Del Principe, first met as students at University of Southern California’s MFA Writing for Screen and Television program. One of their points of connection was that they both hail from the Midwest—Kevin from outside Buffalo, New York and Nikki from Grand Rapids, Michigan. After producing two short films together, the creative duo founded their production company, Save Them Wild Dogs, to tell stories overlooked by mainstream media, particularly in the Midwest, and made the leap into their first feature with UP ON THE GLASS.
UP ON THE GLASS was shot in and around the lakeshore town of Shelby, Michigan where Nikki spent summers as a child. A year after shooting the film, Kevin and Nikki married in this same town. They recently relocated from Los Angeles to Memphis, Tennessee in order to participate in the growing indie filmmaking community there with the intention of expanding Save Them Wild Dogs in the Midsouth.
UP ON THE GLASS stars Chase Fein (On the Rocks, Hard Surfaces) and co-stars Chelsea Kurtz (The Flash, Scandal, Longmire, Variant) and Hunter Cross (Love Finds You in Valentine, Suburban Swingers Club).
Tony Piantedosi negotiated the deal with Jeff Cooper of Cut Entertainment Group.
About Save Them Wild Dogs As a film production company with roots in Michigan, Memphis, Los Angeles, and New York, Save Them Wild Dogs aims to build cinematic bridges between the Midwest/Midsouth and the coasts. The production company’s mission is to create great content by telling stories that might be otherwise overlooked. Characters on the margins, big city dreams, and small town intrigue are all areas of interest for Save Them Wild Dogs. Up on the Glass is an indie thriller produced by Save Them Wild Dogs. The founders of Save Them Wild Dogs are Kevin and Nikki Del Principe. Kevin is a director and writer, and is the author of the literary fiction novel I Animal, published by Tumbleweed Books. Nikki is a writer and producer, and is the founder of communications strategy company, Word Bird, LLC.
For more information about UP ON THE GLASS please visit http://upontheglass.com/, and follow @upontheglass on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
For more information about Save Them Wild Dogs please visit http://savethemwilddogs.com/, and follow @STWDFilms_Press on Twitter and @SaveThemWildDogs on Facebook.
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