Gay lives matters.
Filmmaker Dan Steadman wants to make it happen with his new film Million Dollar Razzle Dazzle. A poignant tale that will be shot all across Missouri.
He is looking for St Louisans to appear in it, and they do not have to have extensive acting background.
Million Dollar Razzle Dazzle is an anthology film about friendship that takes place in St Louis, Missouri. In the late 80s, during the surge of the AIDS crisis.
The story follows a man who has just discovered that one of his friends is HIV positive. HIV was considered a death sentence back then, with hundreds of gay men dying all the way to San Francisco.
The main character, a young man, then appears on a game show in order to raise money. He gets the money for a car, they go to Mexico to try an antiviral drug treatment. But unfortunately, the drugs had proven ineffective against the virus.
Steadman has already shot a scene in Grafton, Illinois. He had around 15 to 20 people there from the gay community as a support system for the lead character, being gay himself.
Steadman is open to actors of all types, age, gender and race for the roles, and he is known to have worked with African-Americans in many of his film. Steadman stresses the importance of this film being focused on gays.
“Because they are family, and sometimes that is all you have as friends once you come out” he quoted.
Steadman is a new breed to St Louis, he wants his film to be a progressive movie in the Midwest. He had created 9 movies around Missouri and Illinois, including films about underrepresented people in the LGBTQ community.
These are men and women who do not present themselves as movie stars.
Moreover, Steadman says Million Dollar Razzle dazzle aims to compare time periods and tell a story of friendship-one that reflects genuine relationships he has had over the years.
I did reach out to Dan to get an up and close interview, but no response as of today. Yet, you can email him directly, if you are interested in an acting opportunity.
circa87films@gmail.com