What's the film about?

When Caitlyn Doyle, the de facto matriarch of the Doyle family, is sent home from college for the semester after revealing she's considered suicide, she's forced to settle in for a long New England winter in isolation from her friends.

After a tragic accident unfolds at a party Caitlyn throws for her two younger brothers, Connell Doyle disappears.  With the help of Connell's friends, Caitlyn embarks on a harrowing journey to find Connell and bring him home.  

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The aim/goal of Magnolia Flowers is three-fold:

1.) To explore the most taboo aspects of the current conversation surrounding mental health through a young woman's perspective.  Many explorations of mental health in cinema and television have limited that exploration to a male perspective.  Magnolia Flowers aims to go against that tradition.

2.) To provide an intense, cathartic film experience.  Melodramas with ensemble casts are rare in film today.  The days of films like Boogie Nights or Nashville seem to be behind us, and such films rarely depict the lives of teenagers.  Magnolia Flowers seeks to operate in the ensemble melodrama vein and tell a fresh, relevant story in the process.

3.) To tell a unique story about Massachusetts.  Almost every Massachusetts film to date has revolved around the city of Boston and its various neighborhoods. Magnolia Flowers removes itself from the city and represents Boston's historic South Shore: a seemingly idyllic string of towns which possess their own unique, dark, and entirely unexplored underbelly.  

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If any of these goals are interesting to you, please consider donating.  Every contribution counts.

The main roles of the film have been filled with talented, up and coming actors and actresses, all of whom were my first choices for each respective role.

The talent is in place to bring this story to life.  All we need is your support.

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Colin's past work:

Colin has written and directed nine narrative short films, excluding projects he's created for his classes at USC's film school.

In 2018, Colin wrote, directed, and produced the short film "Not Even a Gravestone".  The film was an official selection in the 2019 Boston International Film Festival.

The trailer for the film can be viewed at this link.

The full film can be viewed at this link.

Colin was recently featured on the Script Shop Podcast, where he discussed the script for "Not Even a Gravestone".  Listen to the podcast here.

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The Team:

Colin Charles Dale, Writer/Director/Producer

Colin is 22 years old and is a rising senior at USC's School of Cinematic Arts.

Colin has been making films since he was a little kid.  As a child, he would run around with a VHS camcorder and make masterpieces starring the kids in his neighborhood.  In high school, he was finally introduced to the concept of editing and, with the help of his film teacher, was shown that film could be more than just entertainment.  He's been chipping away at his craft ever since. 

Jack Donius, Associate Producer

Jack has been reading and giving feedback on all of Colin's scripts/films since high school.  He's the first set of eyeballs on every project, and consistently provides clarity in the midst of muddy creative waters.

Nick Boozang, Associate Producer

Nick and Colin have collaborated on several film projects.  His website can be found here.

Kal Maier, Marketing Manager

Kal manages the Strange Place Productions official Facebook page, which can be found here.

The Cast:

Emma Waters: Caitlyn Doyle

After graduating from Fairfield University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, Emma decided to change career paths. She took her first acting class in the summer of 2018 and has been working with an acting coach ever since. In September, she was cast in her first student film. Emma has been a part of multiple short films and independent projects this year and continues to audition for upcoming roles. In her free time, she likes to hang out with dogs and edit youtube videos. She is also in the process of becoming a certified Irish dance instructor.

Sam Vita: Connell Doyle

Samuel Vita was born in Boston, Massachusetts and is a graduate of Boston College High School where he was part of the acting group, the Devers Players and the Boston Teen Acting Troupe. 

Samuel attended NYU/ Tisch and graduated May 2019 with a BFA in Drama and a minor in Business of Media Entertainment and Technology. He was trained at the Lee  Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and Stonestreet Studios.

​Alec Carstoiu: Adam Doyle

Alec Carstoiu will be a freshman at Cal Arts this coming fall to study acting, and is a graduate of Boston College High School.  

Matt Havey: Jeffrey Daly

Matt Havey is an actor who strives for realism within every role he plays. He cares about the characters he becomes, and therefore portrays a raw sense of significance that makes an audience want to relate. Matt has been in a number of student and local films in the Boston area, and has experience on the stage as well. Priding himself on his introspection, and ability to work with others, Matt Havey is a talent who is ready to add great value to this film.

Detroit Hammell: Max Martin

Detroit Hamell is a 17-year old actor with a minimalistic approach to his acting ability. He delivers lines either short or slowly, oftentimes improvising based on the scene’s attitude. His passion lies in filmmaking, specifically the acting aspect. He wishes to pursue a career in acting after college and is hopeful to make a lot of friends along the way. His goal is to make at least three different people in the world laugh, cry, and be angry at least once due to his acting.

Gabriel Armentano: Peter Duffy

Gabriel Armentano graduated from Pace School of Performing Arts in 2016 with a BFA in Acting. Since graduation, he has continued to refine his skills at The Barrow Group, UCB, and The Freeman Studio. Most recently, he has acted in feature length and short films with students from NYU, NYFA, and The New School. Today, he is excited and honored to join the cast of Magnolia Flowers with visionary USC Writer and Directer, Colin Dale!

Spencer Gilbard: Chuckie

Spencer Gilbard is a classically trained American actor.  A graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts and Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre Training Center, his theatre credits include The Black Hole (Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre Group), The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever (Defiance Theatre Company), MacBeth (No Name Collective), and The Freaks Come Out At Night (Manhattan Repertory Theatre).  Spencer has also appeared in short films, web series, commercials, major music videos, and BELLO Magazine's Young Hollywood Issue.

Sarah Sandback: Mrs. Doyle

Sarah Sandback is a mother to three daughters, a feminist, and an artist. She graduated from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago with major in photography. Her interest in capturing images and telling stories has expanded to film and writing. She is based out of Boston. Go Cubs. 

Codey Gillum: Brad

Codey began acting at an early age.  He grew up with 2 brothers, one being his twin, which was the foundation of building his creativity and imagination.  His family frequently had him act out scenes from movies for the family humor and entertainment.  He re-enacted the entire Ace Ventura movie when he was 9 years old in front of his family while on vacation, which gave him the idea to pursue his passion more seriously.  He is currently a Physician Assistant and uses his time off to continue acting and developing film projects, with a dream of becoming a professional actor full time.

Mary C. Ferrara: Caitlyn's Therapist

Boston-based award-winning Actress, Writer, Director, and Producer Mary C. Ferrara got the acting bug back in 1999 when she took an improv class on a whim. She has acted in over 100+ independent films and over 20+ plays. Some of her favorite roles include Barbara in "August: Osage County," Helena in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Larissa in the web series "Family Problems," Katie in the web series "World's Worst Director," as the woman in the short sci-fi film "The House," Candy in the web series "Magicland," Debra in the short film "Cold," and Danielle in the short film she wrote and directed, "Schmoopie." Check out her website at http://www.marycferrara.com

Paul Kandarian: Connell's Therapist

Paul E. Kandarian is an actor from the Boston area who started acting in 2007, starting on stage and doing many plays throughout Southern New England. For the last several years he has focused on film work, appearing in a wide range of award-winning films such as Gutterbug, Sundown, Imposter and Hell’s Company as well as a myriad of TV commercials, promotional videos, educational films and more. He’s also a principal with Creating Outreach About Addiction Support Together (www.coaast.org), where he does the acting he loves the most with a nonprofit that uses drama therapy to lift the stigma from the disease of addiction.

Spending Breakdown

Where will your money be going?  I can tell you exactly:

Camera equipment rentals (including lenses, tripod, memory cards) -- $4,794

Lighting/grip equipment -- $1,500

Sound equipment rentals -- $250

Hair/makeup -- $800

Crafty and meals -- $1,500

Props/wardrobe -- $1,000

Travel/lodging for cast/crew -- $2,500

Location costs -- $1,000

Total: $13,344*

*This figure doesn't account for the cost of additional rental fees imposed by rental companies, nor does it account for potential overages.