An Angel Named Dan Harkins

"Feeling is the enemy of the elite." -Nicholi Seroff

From director/writer George Gallo:
"I've done many big commercial Hollywood films. I am always surprised by distributors who tell me that audiences don't want to see uplifting films, that we live in too cynical a time for people to digest such entertainment. I think this is insane. I have yet to meet a ticket buyer who says, 'I can't wait to get depressed this weekend.' I am also personally tired of watching people kill each other on screen. I'm not saying that this isn't legitimate entertainment for some people, but I believe there is a whole audience out there who are being ignored.

I believe there is a place in cinema for stories that have some sense of hope. Film really is the most powerful medium we have. It combines theatre, imagery, storytelling and music. I think it's tragic to not use it for good.

When the film closed the Sedona Film Festival, my wife Julie and I were saying these very words to the audience that was in complete agreement after having seen the film. Many audience members couldn't believe that this film was not playing nationally, because they had been so moved by it. Dan Harkins got up and announced to the entire audience that he not only agreed with their assessment of the film, but that he was going to get behind it the same way he got behind WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE KNOW? and make LOCAL COLOR a hit.

In general, Hollywood is still skeptical of upbeat films. If LOCAL COLOR performs well in the Scottsdale area, it would clearly send a message that there's a real audience for the film and it would be expanded nationally. Dan Harkins is the reason LOCAL COLOR has this chance and I, along with everyone involved in the film, will forever be indebted to him.