Cayman Went coming

(CNS): Cayman Went, an independent movie set on Cayman Brac and largely shot on location on that island, will be seen for the first time by members of the public this week at test screenings on the Brac and Grand Cayman, hosted by the Ministry of Tourism. The first showing on Cayman Brac on Thursday, 18 September, is open to all and there will be no entry charge. See the trailer

Since there is no cinema on that island, the production crew will be shipping down a high-end HD projector and screen for the showing at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre, which will be about 90 minutes long. Anyone wishing to attend is asked to arrive between 6:30 and 6:45 pm. Doors will be closed at 7:00 pm sharp for the show. On Friday 19 September, Cayman Went will be shown at an invitation-only screening at Hollywood Cinema at Camana Bay.

The movie was shot almost entirely on location on Cayman Brac over a two-week period in February, with a final scene shot on Grand Cayman using turtles from the Turtle Farm. Other scenes were shot in Los Angeles and New York.

The plot follows the development of fading Hollywood actor Josh Anders as he learns through the people he meets on Cayman Brac what is really important in life. Josh is played by Michael Lombardi, star of the TV hit movie Rescue Me. The girl he falls for on the Brac is “Darby”, a dive-shop owner and environmentalist played by actor/dancer Susan Misner. Hollywood veteran Jeffrey DeMunn plays the part of “Rodgers Bowman”, an eccentric Cayman Bracker.

According to Jim Ritterhoff, who wrote the first draft of the script and is one of the executive producers of the movie, some of the cast and crew will be attending the test screenings, including himself and the director, Bobby Sheehan, who also rewrote the script with Ritterhoff.

“The film looks gorgeous,” said Ritterhoff. The post-production colour correction was done by Nice Shoes of New York using color grading technology from FilmLight. The Baselight systems, which they recently purchased and used for the first time on Cayman Went, is the same technology used by Warner Bros to colour-correct the blockbuster movie Dark Knight.

According to Ritterhoff, this makes the Brac look beautiful, which is especially important since it is both the backdrop for the movie and a part of the story. “The water is just an amazing blue,” he said, noting that Cayman Went was made for less than $1 million but looks as though it cost $20 million.

After the two showings in the Cayman Islands, Ritterhoff said they will be taking it to New York and Los Angeles for industry screenings at the end of September and the beginning of October, where they are hoping to interest movie distributors.

“All of us on the Brac are delighted that this movie, which seemed impossible in the beginning, has become a reality, and everyone is looking forward to seeing it,” said Sister Islands MLA Moses Kirkconnell. “We wish the producers luck with its distribution. Knowing everyone involved and the huge amount of talent and hard work that has gone into this movie, I have every confidence that it will be a great success,” he added.

Tourism Minister Charles Clifford said, “It is fitting that the first public screening of Cayman Went is taking place on the Brac, and the Ministry of Tourism is proud to host this momentous event. The movie captures the unique personality, terrain, flora and fauna of Cayman Brac in a way that transcends traditional advertising and I am sure that the movie will prove to be big draw for the island.”