Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
I heard communities. Thank you somuch for listening. I'm Renee Denina,
now joined in studio by Connecticut's ownWell this is pretty exciting. John Cruise,
filmmaker, writer, producer, talentexhortenaire. Welcome to our program.
Thank you for having me absolutely andyou brought your leading lady, the leading
actress of your film project be mine. Now please help me. I hope
(00:23):
I'm gonna say and do your nameJustice Shianni Gazi. Yes, all right,
good, thank you very much.First and foremost, congratulation on your
film. Thank you, Oh mygosh, how exciting and to be made
all here in Connecticut, to befrom Connecticut. First and foremost, John,
let me start with you tell meyour story. So Originally, I'm
(00:44):
a kid from Puerto Rico, bornin Puerto Rico. Came here when I
was young when my mom finished highschool. My mom gave me the opportunity
to you know, be more andreally take advantage of what being in the
US hust to offer, you know. And so I started off as a
football player, you know, andfrom college ball, I just decided to
(01:06):
get into film and storytelling, youknow, because us as artists, we
have this obligation to try and createstories and inspire the youth, especially kids
around the world, and show themthat anything is possible. I love that
for you and from you, andI love that your mom inspired you to
do that. Who, by theway, is the silent partner in this
interview today. Maybe we'll get herto speak before this is over. But
(01:29):
how did you go from sports tofilmmaking and writing? Was that creative bug
always with you? Yeah? Ifeel like I got my creativity from my
mom and from other family members inthe family. I was always a creative
individual. I always wanted to domore with my life, you know,
make an impact. Never really changedthe world, just impact the world in
(01:51):
such a way where I leave amessage that can transcend lifetimes, you know.
Yeah, and that does change.That does change lives, you know,
even if it's one or more,um, it does make a difference.
So that's that's a wonderful way tolead your life. And I love
that, you know. I couldsee how proud your mom is sitting here
in this room of you, andso I think that's wonderful. What was
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the first story that you ever cameup with or how old were you?
I should say, when that firststory happened. Um, it was really
me writing my story, you know, and trying to figure out how to
tell my story in a way whereit's not like, oh, you know,
I want to have sympathy for thiskid. No, it's oh,
this kid went through so much andyet he learned a lot and made something
(02:37):
of himself. So the first storyI really started writing was the day I
was born, and it's my story, you know, and I continue writing
into his day. Now you're stayingin Connecticut, right, you made your
film in Connecticut. Um, tellme about all of that and where this
film be Mine got started? Yeah, so, b Mine was a story
that I started developing back in twentytwenty one. I'm a big horror movie
(03:00):
fan. I love horror films,and I wanted to try and create something
different, you know. I wantedto try and create a villain that could
exist in our society, someone whocan walk among us, you know,
without the demonic stuff or anything likethat. Um, that's scarier, by
the way. Yeah, I thinkthat's right. And she's like that,
you know. Right. So Iwanted to, you know, try and
(03:22):
create you know, something authentic,but something good, something juicy, gory,
and so what I did was,you know, I wrote it,
um, I put it to theside because I had a lot of things
going on personally. And then Ireached out to a couple of guys,
Tom Sash, you know, andand you know, we started to get
in going and we locked in thescript. We you know, locked in
the cast um and then we enteredproduction and you know, from there we
(03:46):
just made the movie. And Ithink we did a pretty good job,
you know, making I feel likethe best short horror film in Connecticut.
And congratulations. Now how can peoplewatch it? So where I actually doing
a premiere. Our premiere is goingto be at Apple Cinemas July ninth,
twenty twenty three. The premiere startsat five, but our Red Carport Walk
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starts at four. And if youwant to purchase tickets, you just have
to visit our film page on Instagrambe mine the movie, and on there
you will see a link tree andyou'll be able to just you know,
purchase your ticket and come and supportlocal. Yeah, and horror fan people,
we know that you are. There'sa lot of you here in Connecticut.
(04:30):
You're gonna want to go and seethis now. Now, enter Shianni.
Now, how did you get involvedand how did you find out about
this project? So funny we're justtalking about this. Somebody came in here.
Um we met on another short.We met on another short, and
um it was I think a comedy, but it's just not working really And
just like you never know that oneperson you meet that leads me to another
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thing. And so I think whenhe finished right in a script, I
think I was probably want the firstfew people he contacts, like, I
want you on this. Oh wow, so you've got you You have to
do a like you didn't even tryout you were in Yeah, it was
so tell me about your character.So my characters leading actress, So she
Emily, She is the town's sweetheart, and she takes in the main the
(05:12):
male actor who is the killer ina film, and because he's very like
um, kind of being bullied andhe's the odd ball of the town and
so she kind of finds liking intohim. She sees something into him that
I guess everyone else is ignoring andbuilds a friendship with him. And then
that kind of turns a sour Andthen now my life has turned upside down,
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because now it's up an ab sectionthat he has with me and now
he wants to kill everyone in myway to get to me. Type of
things like a love story gone verywrong. Not telling me about yourself a
little bit too? Are you fromConnecticut? Yes to telling about yourself?
Born and raised in Connecticut, Hartard, Connecticut, that is. And I
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knew I was an actress. Ithink from like the day I was born.
I mean, and my mom wouldtell you stories that I was like
two three, like standing up watchingLittle Bear and playing the roles on TV
kind of like mimicking each role.So I don't know, I just I
just am Like people say, that'swhat you do, know, It's what
I am. I'm a storyteller.So yeah, and I started that.
(06:15):
I fell in love with film andTV acting in college, but I was
already doing theater acting all through schooluntil I hit film theater. I'm film
and TV and I was like,oh my god, this is the medium
that I love. I love likehaving a moment with the film and with
the camera, and so from thereI just then starting to develop my film
and TV career. Well congratulations tohow can we follow you online? Um?
(06:38):
You can follow me on my Instagramand I am shiannig, I am
si s h I h A nI G. All right, well we'll
put it up at my community accessdot com as well, and back to
you to John and about be mineand the premise and the other actors.
Did you pull strictly from Connecticut orNew England and tell me a little bit
(06:58):
about what we're going to see becauseI know people love to see landmarks right
when they're watching things. Yeah.So what we try to do is we
try to make it a homegrown film. Um. So what I did was
I tried to make the entire castfrom Connecticut. Um, with the exception
of our lead man who plays thekiller. Um, he's from Maine.
But he yeah, shout out together, phenomenal. There's no spoiler alert with
(07:20):
that, Like we know he's thebad guy from the Star. Yeah.
Yeah, you can sell all rightif you watch the Caesar trailer. Um,
Yeah, he's he's uh he wentto Uhar actually, but he's from
Maine. Phenomenal actor. And thecrew itself came from New York actually,
so they're you know, different partsof New York. Um. But we
(07:43):
shot half of the film in Bristoland then we shot some parts in East
Harford. Um, I'm forgetting therestaurant's name, but the owners Romans,
right yea yeah. So we shotat Roma. Shout out to Paul phenomenal
guy, Phenomenal Grinders and pizza.Yea yeah, I ate there before and
(08:05):
they got some really good food ifthey don't um and uh. We shot
in Hartford as well at Sama CafeOkay, owned by my boy Elijah.
Great coffee. It's in downtown.Yeah, it's definitely a vibe. It's
you know, calm after you're amovie. I'm sure it'll be a live
right. But this is great though, because what you're doing is, you
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know, by by default, you'rebringing in business or you're creating business,
or you're creating awareness for your homestate, our capital city and surrounding towns,
which is what we need, whichwhich is what we love. And
I feel like more and more filmmakersare coming to right, connect Get and
there's more opportunity right. I feellike there's just so much talent here.
(08:48):
I just hope that even on theindustry is growing here, that we tap
into the actors, the writers,the directors, the creatives that are in
Connecticut, specifically Hartford, Connecticut.As well. But yeah, yeah,
and then now so this film isdone be Mine, Um, this is
coming out in July. The premiere, it's going to be run down the
(09:09):
information again. Yeah, so thepremiere will be in July. The way
you could buy tickets is visiting ourfilm page. It's be Mine the movie
on Instagram. You can visit thelink tree to purchase your ticket and we'll
have that amazing premiere to red Carperpremiere. A lot of people are gonna
be there, you know, andwe're just gonna have a great time.
And then from there we're gonna youknow, do film festivals and we might
(09:31):
you know, be on some streamingplatforms. Yeah, maybe maybe. So
if you want to find out moreabout that, always check our pages.
Check my personal page Tank seven seventhirty two, so t a n K
seven seven thirty two, or youcan visit the film page for updates on
(09:52):
that. We're trying to get thatgoing. But this is a unique horror
film, even though it's a short, it's a horror film that I think
a lot of people are going tobe impressed by well, and I just
would love for people in our stateto rally around you to get larger streaming
services or anybody to even pay attentionto this. So if anyone's listening right
now, to show your local support, like the film's page, spread the
(10:15):
word tag and spread the word,right. I mean, that's how we
create a little following, a littleyou know, fan club, right,
you know you need you need somefan people here, So let's build that
up for you. And you know, congratulations to you. What's coming next?
So next actually, um, we'regoing to do an exclusive announcement the
premiere. Oh but I'll say somethinghere. Now, I'm producing and co
(10:37):
hosting a TV show, so that'san early development. We're trying to give
a different vibe to the TV show. We're trying to give a cinematic feel
to it, add a little youknow, color diverse today aspect to it,
diversity exactly. And then after that, I'm planning on working on a
comedy film, you know, Sothat and the comedy film. Actually I'm
(11:01):
planning I'm breaking the fourth wall,you know, so we know how that
goes. Yeah, well I'm reallyexcited. So you're going to come back
and share with us all your updatesand good news, right of course?
Yeah? All right, Well wehope so and I wish you nothing but
success. Do you have any plansfor any other projects you're working on?
Yeah, I'm actually writing process ofwriting a film myself that I want to
(11:22):
shoot this summer, and I thinktapping into one of his shows, but
you know, to be announced,and yeah, starting to get my own
film started as well. In Connecticut. I'm really really excited for you.
Now, introduce your mom for me, please. So my mom, the
beautiful woman that's sitting right there isShakira Sveto. She's the owner of Shaky
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Promotions. Her and I are actuallyteaming up for our first ever like you
know, business type of thing thatwe're doing at the heart for Latino Festival
this year. Okay, that's happeningat Duncan Park where we will be showing
our official trade trailer. We'll betalking about the film. They're in front
of five thousand people, and I'llbe alongside my mom, you know,
(12:05):
while she's doing her business, I'mdoing my business. So it's not just
a mom in some relationship. Youknow. We got a work thing going
on entertainment dynasty here in Connecticut.So Mom, SA come up to the
microphone here tell me. I mean, I know your smile says it all.
But Pete, this is you know, radio and podcasting. Get up
(12:26):
to the mike. Tell me abouthow you feel about your son and how
proud you are. Well, theword proud is not enough. Yeah,
I'm very very proud of seeing himlike it was worth it or the struggle,
because like it was, it wasamazing, ace amazing seeing him now
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young men and with a future andall the things that he made or really
and he's going to make. It'slike you're making me tear up because I'm
working at her mother speak speak inSpanish because I want you to tell him
how you feel, and I wantpeople to understand that because I want you
to say it the way you wantto say it. Go ahead. Me
(13:09):
is I don't know what you said, but I felt it. I say
that I'm very very I had threethree boys, ole mother with three kids,
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and I'm very very prouds like it'sno words, like what I feel
is no word. And I bewith him like any time they need me,
I be there to help. Ihelp them with the kind like with
the actors, and I say Icook, I do anything to help me,
(13:50):
guess, and I want to beon set so you know, what
do you need me to do?I'll cook too, or what do you
mean? I'll help whatever you want. But you know, this was a
wonderful interview and I sho all nothingbut success. And I know you're going
to come back and chat with us. I know people are going to start
following you. So I'm gonna justone last time. I know We've said
it a couple of times, buthow can people follow the film specifically?
(14:11):
Yeah? So, um, ifyou want to follow the film and you
want to come to our premiere,just visit our film page at b mine
the movie on Instagram. You canvisit the link try and purchaser tickets.
The premiere will be July ninth,twenty twenty three at Apple Cinemas and down
Town Harford thirty nine in Front Street, and be sure to save this day
two July. First, we'll beat the Harford Latino Festival Center stage taking
(14:35):
over home Play at the Heart atthe Harvard yardgo Stadium at Duncan Park.
Well, I've got my Dunk andyard Goats Jersey ready, I'll be there
myself there I go. All right, guys, Well, thank you so
much for being on my Heart communitythank you, thank you,