CAST
VIVIENNE POWELL
Bridget
Australian born actress and singer VIVIENNE POWELL has a diverse performing arts background, including opera singer (Opera Australia, Pacific Opera), concert artist, cabaret and musical theatre.
Vivienne played Bridget in the highly acclaimed Bridget and Iain for the international short play festival, Short + Sweet Hollywood. She received a Broadway World nomination for her role of Susan in Ruben Guthrie for the Australian Theatre Company in Los Angeles.
Film credits include Ugly Benny, Beautiful Destroyer, Khali the Killer, Song From A Blackbird, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival. TV credits include Bertie’s Mom in Judd Apatow’s Love (Netflix), Shameless (Showtime), All Saints, Home & Away, Deadly Women. Instagram: @viviannamarguerite; www.viviennepowell.com. IMDB: www.IMDb.com/name/nm4275107
DAMIAN SOMMERLAD
Iain
DAMIAN SOMMERLAD won Best Actor at Diversity In Cannes for his role in BRIDGET AND IAIN. He is a Los Angeles based actor having recently returned stateside from playing the lead in Australian independent feature film Life of the Party alongside Georgia Chara, Michael Budd, and Holly Brisley. Other film credits include The Half Dead alongside John Rhys-Davies and Tasma Walton and Dead Sunrise directed by Michal Imielski.
Damian originated the role Iain in Norelle Scott’s play Bridget and Iain, which premiered at the Stella Adler Theatre, Hollywood, CA in the Short + Sweet Hollywood Festival. Prior theatre work includes the role of Ruben in the critically acclaimed production of Brendan Cowell's Ruben Guthrie for Los Angeles based Australian Theatre Company. Instagram: @damian_sommerlad
SALA BAKER
Counselor
SALA BAKER is an actor and stuntman from Wellington, New Zealand. He was originally hired as one of several stunt performers for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, he ended up landing the part of Sauron, the trilogy’s title role. Baker has performed in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Captain America and opposite Robert Downey Jr in Sherlock Holmes. You can see him perform with Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar in their music video Loyalty. Recent work includes Bright for Netflix.
Instagram: @salabaker
Website: https://demoreel.com/salabaker/
JAMIE IRVINE
Crossword John
On Screen, JAMIE IRVINE played Narrator, Ben Charlton in Underbelly Land of the Long Green Cloud. He has also appeared in numerous productions including Crushed, Hummingbird, Weekend Getaway, Anzac Girls, Out of the Blue, Home and Away, Shortland St, The Strip, The Tribe, Atlantis High, Blue Bird, The Shed, Nightstorm, All Blacks Don’t Cry, Vinyl and Winners and Losers. Jamie’s theatre credits include Speaking in Tongues with the Australian Theatre Company in Los Angeles, Missing Marissa, Zip Ties, Dog’s Barking, Sydney Ghost Stories, Colder, Soldier and the Thief, Class Enemy, Kikia the Poa, 7 Blowjobs and various NIDA productions. He also toured New Zealand as part of the cast of Blood Brothers. www.jamieirvineactor.com
GEORGE PAKOLA
Sooky Bubba
GEORGE PAKOLA makes his film debut in Bridget and Iain as Sooky Bubba. In addition to acting, George is a model and was cast in the national campaign for American Eagle in 2013. Born in East Palo Alto, CA., he is Tongan-American and resides in Los Angeles.
Instagram: @gpakola
BERT ROTUNDO
Locksmith
BERT ROTUNDO is a graduate of the New York acting conservatory The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. A versatile character actor, most recently he can be seen on HBO’s Silicon Valley and Marvel’s Agent Carter.
Bert co-produced the feature film It's Gawd! starring Tommy Chong, Luke Perry, Rebecca Mader, Boo Boo Stewart and of course Bert Rotundo, it opened in select theaters across the country in 2017 and is available on Amazon Prime. He's an executive producer of the ever-popular web sensation Generation Awesome. Their viral sensation web series "The Bartender Hates You" has over 20 million views. Instagram: @brotundo, Twitter: @bertrotundo, Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/bertrotundo
ALEX DORCEAN
Addict
ALEX DORCEAN, in his cinematic debut, plays the role of the somnambulist Addict—following his performance in the 2017 Hollywood Fringe Festival’s, “Khant Hotel.” Alex is a student of the Meisner Technique at the Wayne Dvorak Acting Studio, and works diligently to refine his respective practices of Vipassana Meditation and Astanga Yoga, in order to develop the mental clarity and physical stamina necessary to surmount the Cliffs of Id.
CATHERINE WALLER
Telephone Voice
CATHERINE WALLER was born in New Zealand to American parents. An actor and chameleon she has won awards for her Off-Broadway one-woman show "The Creeps". She trained at Toi Whakaari: NZ National Drama School. Most recent credits include LOVE on Netflix (Judd Apatow), "The Luring", "Creep" (Best Actress AIFF) and "Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk" directed by Eric Stoltz. Her Untitled Comedy Pilot is currently being pitched to Networks.
Catherine is a passionate storyteller and loves having her hand in every aspect of the creative process. A dual citizen of the US and New Zealand she is committed to creating work that moves touches and inspires people locally and internationally. Instagram: @catherinewallerofficial
LUCY RICE
Young Bridget
LUCY RICE is an actor and producer born in Sydney, Australia, where she studied the performing arts intensively from a young age. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Theater and Film, at the University of New South Wales, where Geoffrey Rush and Cate Blanchet are Alum. Further acting studies were completed at The Australian Theater for Young People and The Actors Center. Following travels in Europe working as a model, Lucy settled in Los Angeles and continued her acting studies at Ivana Chubbuck Studios, and with Laura Fine and Michele Shay, studying The Energy System of Acting. Lucy is currently developing “The Divine Mistake”, a feature film based on the autobiography by Australian-born, New York-based artist Theresa Byrnes.
AMALA GRACE
Baby Iain
AMALA GRACE made a dramatic entrance into the world just before the break of dawn during a recent Los Angeles summer. She currently spends much of her day searching out new and improved beats to groove to, learning how to jump, practicing her twirls, reading picture books, and chowing down on milk. She is currently learning new words in English and Spanish.
CREW
Director
LEAH PATTERSON has been named a 2019 Top 10 Women In Film To Watch by Diversity In Cannes and has also been selected for the Half Initiative (Ryan Murphy TV) in-house director program. On this film, she is proud to be a part of changing industry standards by bringing on a team of diverse female filmmakers.
The film was developed from and is based on Norelle Scott's original play. Leah directed the play for the Short+Sweet Festival Hollywood, a 60+ play festival and won Best Director of the festival. The play won Best Play and the City of Los Angeles People’s Choice Award.
Leah is the Literary Manager for Los Angeles based Australian Theatre Company. She curates the popular Summer Reading Series. She has developed projects for Notice of Filming and worked in production on Ellen and late-night talk shows.
Australian-born, Leah is a graduate of the University of NSW (BA Theatre/Film & Philosophy) and New York acting conservatory William Esper Studio. She had a previous career in finance on Wall Street. Alliance of Women Directors member.
Writer
NORELLE SCOTT is a New Zealand born playwright, screenwriter, and script consultant. Norelle adapted the screenplay Bridget and Iain from her play ‘Bridget and Iain’, which won the People’s Choice Award at Short+Sweet, Hollywood 2016. Norelle was commissioned by Lethal Set to write ‘mother/whaea/tama/son’ for the AK07 Festival. ‘Would I Lie To You?’ was an Adam Playwright Awards finalist and represented New Zealand at the British Council New Playwriting Awards. Her theatrical adaptation of Stevan Eldred-Grigg’s novel ‘Oracles and Miracles’ toured New Zealand to packed houses and enthusiastic reviews. Her play 'Promise Not To Tell' received critical acclaim for its productions in Auckland, Wellington, and London and was selected for the 4th Women Playwrights International Conference in Galway, Ireland.
Film credits include ‘Rud’s Wife’ (short film) with Alison MacLean and ‘User Friendly’ (feature film) with Frank Stark and Gregor Nicholas. Her screenplay ‘Uncle’s Story’ (adapted from the novel by Witi Ihimaera) won the Antipodean Screenplay Award at the Cinema des Antipodes Festival in St. Tropez.
Norelle has written for a number of television series including ‘True Life Stories’ ‘Shortland Street’, ‘Homeward Bound’, ‘Marlin Bay’, ‘Gloss’ and ‘Shark in the Park’. She also script edited the award-winning television drama series ‘Aroha’ and was the story executive and script editor for the ‘Tala Pasifika’ Drama Series.
SENDA BONNET
Director of Photography
Born and raised in France, SENDA BONNET graduated from the prestigious La FEMIS Cinema School of Paris with a concentration in cinematography. Senda was classically trained to shoot on film but quickly adopted digital technology. She is a third generation filmmaker and has been passionate about the medium of motion pictures and the possibility of telling stories through images since she was a little girl—filmmaking is in her blood.
Her documentary work and feature films have taken her around the globe and her work has won awards and been shown at major film festivals. One of her more recent projects’ “La Robe Bleu (The Blue Dress)” premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. Senda is a dreamer, strong leader and problem solver with a passion for bringing stories to life and helping directors and producers capture their vision.
KATE BERGH
Production Designer & Costume Designer
KATE BERGH has worked as a production and costume designer in all mediums – film, television, theater, opera, dance, commercials and personal styling. Storytelling is her passion and she believes that good costuming is good storytelling, supporting the tales and the characters’ journeys at every step.
Based in Los Angeles, Kate started her career in Chicago. Her work has been seen in animated movies – Hercules, Pocahontas – live-action films – Cash for Gold, In Confidence – television – Great Performances – and theaters – The Geffen Playhouse, The Pasadena Playhouse, The Industry. Her work has won a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Achievement “Casa Valentina” at the Pasadena Playhouse for which she was also nominated for an Ovation Award.
CATHERINE GREALISH
Composer
With a passion for music and collaboration, CATHERINE GREALISH is a composer for film, media and live performance. She recently won Best Documentary Score for the uplifting feature documentary Gold Balls, and in 2014 won the Independent Music Vox Pop Award for her soundtrack for the film All Things Hidden. She also contributed music for the upcoming Joseph Fiennes theatrical release On Wings of Eagles. Catherine is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Women Film Composers. She plays many instruments including violin, piano, and guitar.
DAVID COULSON
Editor
DAVID COULSON has edited many award-winning short films, feature films and countless commercials in his native New Zealand. Three of his short films, Kitchen Sink, The Beach and Night Shift have been selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
David is best known for editing the feature films Whale Rider, North Country, McFarland, USA and most recently, The Zookeeper’s Wife.
Since 2013 David has lived and worked in the United States.
ADRIANE SCOTT-KEMP
Executive Producer
ADRIANE SCOTT-KEMP is a commercials producer with 10 years of experience across live action, animation and VFX. Adriane has worked at a number of award
winning production companies, such as Psyop (LA), The Mill (London and LA), Agile Films (London) and Curious Film (NZ). She has produced for world class directors such as Bryan Buckley and Rupert Sanders, and her credits include commercials for Samsung, Dior, Wells Fargo, Nike, Google and Apple.
Adriane has a Masters degree in Television Journalism from Goldsmiths College, University of London, and a Bachelor degree in English Literature and Film, TV & Media Studies from the University of Auckland. Adriane is a New Zealand / British producer currently residing in Los Angeles.
DEBBIE VON AHRENS
Producer
DEBBIE VON AHRENS is a New York and Los Angeles-based producer. She produced Virgin Territory, an award-winning short film by Emily Robinson which opened at the LA Film Festival in 2016. Debbie previously worked with Fat Chance Productions, LLC, to produce a 29-hour Equity Reading in NYC of Brindlebeast, a modern musical by Anita Riggio and Sila Shaman that blends spoken language and American Sign Language. Prior credits include. V.P. Director of Sales, FOX5 & MY9 NY, where she oversaw production of Hooray for Broadway, Christmas in New York and Autumn Adventures. She also served as Local Sales Manager at WNYW-TV and WCBS-TV and was on the Board for the International Radio and Television Society (IRTS) and the New York Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
DIANA C. ZOLLICOFFER
Producer
DIANA C. ZOLLICOFFER is an independent filmmaker. She is a writer, director and producer. Diana has produced plays in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington DC. Currently, she is focused on producing films/television projects that promote diversity, dynamic characters and original, emotional stories in a variety of genres. She also partners with other independent filmmakers/production companies on various projects. Her current producing partners are: Feeding the Monkey Productions, Endless Media, Sleeping Tiger Films, Spate Films and Stripe Films. She's been a member of Film INDEPENDENT for over ten years.
SHANDREA EVANS
Associate Producer
SHANDREA EVANS is an LA-based filmmaker with roots firmly planted in Augusta, GA. After graduating from The University of Georgia with degrees in Marketing and Advertising, she journeyed to Los Angeles where she began interning with companies such as Creative Artists Agency and Issa Rae Productions. There she honed her skills in development, production, distribution and communications strategy. Soon after, she joined NBCUniversal’s International Television department producing content for international markets. As a producer, Shandrea is committed to telling the stories of marginalized people through their own lenses and unique voices. She enjoys the process of curating a team of unique, talented creatives and transforming a story from script to screen.
JOY DABBS
1st Assistant Director
JOY DABBS has been named a 2019 Top 10 Women In Film To Watch by Diversity in Cannes.
Joy has worked in media production for 15 years. From Legal Affairs Management Consultant for tech and entertainment companies to director and producer, Joy enjoys making inspiring content that promotes self-introspection and growth. She has worked as Assistant Director and Stage Manager in Los Angeles theater, and Assistant Director and Producer for film, television, and live immersive events. Her projects have received numerous awards, including “Best Direction” and “LA City Award for Best Play” for Bridget & Iain during the 2016 Short & Sweet Festival. During “off” hours, she serves as an empowerment coach through The Oracle Inside Healing Center.
BRIEANA JOHNSON
1st Assistant Camera
BRIEANA JOHNSON (Brie) grew up in a small town in Western Kentucky where she completed her Bachelor's Degree in TV Production at Murray State University. She always had an interest in story-telling and fell in love with filmmaking in her first Videography class. Her professor saw her potential and creative "eye" encouraging her to go further than what her hometown could offer and recommended her for a Hallmark TV Movie job in Los Angeles, CA. Thus began her career in Hollywood. She had previously worked as a sports videographer and news photog. She jumped right into camera department and by the end of her first year in LA, she was offered a job as a 2nd AC on a feature film and after a year began 1st AC'ing. She now has numerous credits on various projects including features, shorts, music videos, tv shows, docs. Her goal is to become a Director of Photography.
LONGWEI DENG
Sound
LONGWEI DENG graduated from the University of Southern California.