PORTLAND, Maine — You think filmmaking is glamorous? It probably didn’t feel that way for the cast and crew of the short film "Father Figures" when they were shooting outdoor scenes in Saco on a bitterly cold January day.
"It’s really hard to do everything at seven degrees," Director Alessandro Chille said. "You’ve got people operating cameras with metal buttons and gears that are going to freeze their fingers … It was rough. We kept hopping in the car, turning the heat up between takes just so we could keep going."
At least two of the people involved in "Father Figures" didn’t expect Hollywood palm trees and golden sunshine during the shoot. Chille lives in Auburn and actor Matt Delamater—seen recently in "The Tender Bar" directed by George Clooney—lives in Bridgton.
"You learn early on, especially when you’re just happy to be there, you don’t complain about anything," Delamater said. "You pretend like it’s Tahiti and you just go, 'This is great!'"
"Father Figures," which is about a man who provides counsel to young men who’ve lost their dads, makes its world premiere at the Dances With Films festival in Los Angeles in late June.
"I’m thrilled. I’m so thrilled," Chille said. "It’s going to be at the Chinese Theater, which is historic. They’ve had the Oscars there. 'Mary Poppins' premiered there. So many major films go there, and it’s just an honor to be able to bring a piece of Maine to Hollywood."