Draft:O, Brawling Love!


O, Brawling Love!
Directed byMaggie Mahrt
Written byIsabella Lake
Christopher Riley
Produced byGeorge Simon
Eleazar Palma
StarringJohn Howard
Yelena Friedman
CinematographyJavier Ruiz
Music byMatthew Abraham
Production
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Release date
  • August 24, 2023 (2023-08-24)
Running time
65 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

O, Brawling Love! is a 2023 American independent drama film starring John Howard, Yelena Friedman, Guadalupe Pineda and Maria Gajdosik. The film revolves around two rival acting students who are forced to reconcile their differences and play lovers in their final school play. Both are vying for a life-changing prize.[1]The film uses Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” as source material for the film's plot and title.[2]

O, Brawling Love! is most known for being a production made entirely by the staff and students of John Paul the Great Catholic University, a small local college in Escondido, California.[3]

Cast

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  • John Howard as June
  • Yelena Friedman as Saf
  • Guadalupe Pineda as Luna Lee
  • Maria Gajdosik as Hannah
  • Erika Nadir as Margaret D'Angelo
  • Katelyn Slater as Mrs. Jameson
  • Ayanda Dube as Nandi
  • Jason Masekas as Eugene Lee
  • Adam Buffini as Micah

Pre-Production

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Prof. George Simon, Chair of Communications Media for John Paul the Great, spearheaded JPCatholic's Feature Film Program. He announced the initiative in 2022 as a way to integrate feature film productions into the curriculum, providing students the opportunity to collaborate with alumni and professors each year in bringing a new film to life.[3]

As previously announced, JPCatholic's faculty selected O, Brawling Love! from a pool of nearly 50 student and alumni pitches. The original story was made by senior screenwriting student Isabella Lake. [3]

Production

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The film was directed by alumna Maggie Mahrt (‘10).[4] Production took place over the course of four weeks in the summer of 2022, in Escondido and its surrounding area.[5] Over 50 JPCatholic students were involved in the production both on and off set, with each stage of the process built into the curriculum.[6]

Release

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The film premiered at the Ritz Theater in Escondido on August 24, 2023, and will be available for streaming in Summer 2024.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Cross, The Southern (August 4, 2022). "Catholic university shoots feature film".
  2. ^ "For subscribers: Tiny Catholic university in Escondido trying to make big impact in Hollywood". Los Angeles Times. 2 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "University in Escondido Finishes Production on Feature Film | FinancialContent Business Page". markets.financialcontent.com. 30 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Tiny Catholic university in Escondido trying to make big impact in Hollywood". www.sandiegouniontribune.com. 31 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Let's Make a Movie! JPCatholic's Feature Film Program". www.setonmagazine.com. 8 November 2022.
  6. ^ "University in Escondido Finishes Production on Feature Film". www.newswire.com (Press release). 30 June 2022.
  7. ^ University, John Paul the Great Catholic (25 August 2023). ""O, Brawling Love!" Premieres at the Ritz Theater". www.jpcatholic.edu.