About the Film
Harrison is a man stuck between two worlds: the one he was raised to know and the reality that he is actually living. Harrison and Vanessa appear to have the perfect relationship, but Harrison is struggling with insecurities regarding his role as a man in his relationship. These insecurities lead him to wonder what does it mean to be an Alpha? At one time men were instinctively thought to be the leaders in everything and women were expected to be submissive. While this archaic way of thinking is no longer the norm in today’s society, Harrison is struggling with the shift in roles and identity in relationships. How is one supposed to juggle years of upbringing versus the expectations of today? What does it mean to be a man in today’s society? What are the gender roles? What’s acceptable and not acceptable for men and women? Harrison struggles to find himself and he struggles with the perception of society versus how he feels internally. On their anniversary Harrison and Vanessa will have to deal with secrets that will change the foundation of their relationship forever. Will they be able to find a common ground or will the conflicting realities of expectations versus idealistic notions prove too much for their relationship?
Cast
Vanessa
Female Late 20’s Afro-American 5’5ft. Tall. Pretty with a charismatic smile, long black hair. Hard-working, career driven and intelligent, counsel at a top global law firm on track to make partner soon and loves Harrison dearly.
Harrison
Male Late 20’s – Early 30’s Brown skin, handsome and athletic. A personal trainer at a gym, failing at everything in life except for the love he has for Vanessa. A man who believes the perception of happiness is more important than actual happiness.
Richie
Male Late 20’s – Early 30’s Athletic, charming, best friends with Harrison and his moral compass, college friends of both Vanessa and Harrison.
Joe
Male Late 20’s – Early 30’s Athletic in every sense of the word, always the manliest man in the room or pretends to be. Very direct, abrasive and comedic with a condescending tone.
Nick
Male Late 20’s – Early 30’s the laid back friend, the glue that holds everyone together, Harrison’s biggest cheerleader.
Crew
Reggie Lochard is a New York based screenwriter, actor and producer. As a producer, Reggie produced his first project in 2014, a short film titled “This House” that was well received by both critics and his peers. In 2018 Lochard produced his first full-length feature film titled “When The Well Runs Dry” that premiered and was nominated for Best Feature at BronzeLens Film Festival, and was then selected to Spotlight Screen at New York’s Latino Film Festival.
As an actor, Reggie co-starred on several prime-time television series including “Law and Order: SVU” and “Celebrity Ghost Stories” and featured roles on several indie films. With much creative fluency, Reggie took his writing skills to work and co-wrote his first short film “This House.” Subsequently he also wrote “When The Well Runs Dry”, and his third script “The Krew” which was posted onto the Blacklist in 2018.
Reggie is a proud graduate of North Carolina Central University where he was a member of the Track and Field team and obtained two degrees: a B.A. in Political Science, and a B.S. in English Literature. After graduating he enrolled in the summer certificate program from the Rita and Burton Goldberg department of dramatic writing at NYU Tisch to help hone his screenwriting skills.
Greg Cally is an African-American Director/Writer whose recent film production credits include Dwyane Wade’s upcoming ESPN feature-film documentary “Wade: Life Unexpected,” his Tidal exclusive mini-series, “After Hours,” his award winning mid-length feature film “Anime,” and HBO Vice’s Emmy Award winning documentary “Raised In The System.” Greg Cally is also the CEO of Redhouse Visuals, which is a production company offering creative solutions for all visual needs.
From 2018-2020, Cally served as a producer on Dwyane Wade’s “Wade: Life Unexpected,” documentary distributed by ESPN and produced by Ron Howard’s Imagine Productions. Cally came on board alongside director Bob Metelus in pre-production and helped build a narrative from over ten years of catalogued footage.
In 2019, Cally hit the film festival circuit with his mid-length feature film “Anime,” as well as his short film “Fifteen,” which starred Mack Wilds. “Fifteen,” and “Anime,” each won an award over the summer and “Fifteen,” screened in Miami at the prestigious American Black Film Festival as part of Jack Daniel’s Real to Reel competition.
Cally served as the Director of Photography of Tribeca Film Festival’s 2019 Spotlight Documentary, “Charlie’s Records,” which told the story of legendary calypso music producer Rawlston Charles and his improbable success after immigrating to America.
In 2018, HBO Vice’s critically acclaimed documentary “Raised in the System,” won an Emmy Award, after premiering earlier that same year. Award winning actor Michael K. Williams handpicked Cally to join the production team deeming his creative writing background and unique perspective as a storyteller invaluable to the project. Cally traveled alongside the crew to multiple inner cities with high crime rates throughout America to dissect the flaws of our criminal justice system, with emphasis on juvenile detention.
In 2017, Cally directed, wrote, produced, and edited “After Hours,” which premiered on Tidal in April 2017 to great acclaim. NBC News dubbed the work “an experience that becomes a tableaux of New York’s current culture,” and “a piece of work that is timeless.”
Now in 2020 and beyond, Cally is dedicated to continuing to tell dynamic and authentic stories through the film and television mediums, while creatively pushing boundaries.
Since graduating with her Master’s Degree from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, Kelley has co-directed a James Franco produced feature film, The Adventures of Thomasina Sawyer and has written and directed a short film, Lalo’s House, inspired by true events of child trafficking in Haiti. Lalo’s House is executive produced by Garcelle Beauvais and Lisa L. Wilson and was filmed on location in Haiti and Los Angeles. Kelley has produced and directed award-winning films in Belize, Haiti, China, and locally in the USA. She was fortunate to have her film, Lalo’s House, win the Programmers’ Award at the Oscar-qualifying Pan African Film Festival, the Best Short Film prize at the Bahamas International Film Festival, CineOdyssey Film Festival, Black Harvest Film Festival, Haiti International Film Festival, JCC Carthage Film Festival, and the Best Director award at the African World Film Festival. Lalo’s House was featured at the American Black Film Festival in the Emerging Directors category, the Oscar-qualifying Hollyshorts Film Festival and an official selection of the Telluride Film Festival. Kelley has won a Student Academy Award at the 45th Student Academy Awards and the Directors Guild of America Student Filmmaker Award.
Eric K. Thomas, is highly experienced in content creation and content distribution strategy as a marketing professional. Eric has produced digital commercials and radio commercials for top radio stations such as; Hot 105 Miami, 99 Jamz Miami & Streetz 94.5 Atlanta. Eric also has worked in the professional services industry and entertainment industry. With a background in digital marketing, Eric enjoys distributing content to various channels inspiring and engaging the target audience. As a producer for “A” FOR ALPHA, Eric brings management, creative and solution skills to compliment the production requirements for the upcoming film “A” FOR ALPHA.
Kendrick Sampson is an Actor, Producer & Writer from Houston Texas, he got his big break in 2005, in the TV movie “Resurrection: The J.R. Richard Story”. Since then he has gone on to star in several notable TV shows. Currently starring in the hit HBO show “Insecure” going into it’s 4th season. He’s also known for ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder” (2015-2016), “The Vampire Diaries” (2013), “Gracepoint” (2014) and “Electric Slide” (2014).
Mattison Stanton is a graduate from the School of Visual arts (sva) with a degree in cinematography. After graduting he quickly went on to doing grip and electric work on feature films and commercials. Here is where he learned from some of the best DPs on lighting techniques, styles and all the equipment. About a year ago Mattison stopped doing G&E to focus manly of becoming a Cinematographer where he hopes to grow, learn and continue to master his skills.
Finding his genesis through the ‘Made in NY’ PA training program, Eldar Iskandarov has worked his way up the ranks, and is now an independent Production Designer with more than 7 years of experience in the film and television industry. His journey has led him to work for a myriad of networks including Netflix, HBO, Hulu, and most recently Amazon, to name a few. As an avid traveler, his current mission is to experience design and architecture from around the world with the aim of expanding his ever-evolving palate for creativity.
Jatin Chhugani has been working as a professional video editor since 2015. He has edited a wide variety of projects that include short films, TV pilots, music videos and commercials. In 2017, he won 1st Runner Up at a 3-day film festival for his film "The Perfect Donor," which he directed and edited. In addition to editing, Jatin is also a writer and performer in a New York based sketch comedy team called Overstep.
Ian Neisser is a Brooklyn, NY based producer and color correction artist. While attending Drexel’s film school he’s written and directed shorts such as “The Offensive” and “The Reliving” which have screened at IndieFEST, Best Shorts, and NYSF.
After graduating, he produced music videos for the DIY pop-punk scene in Philadelphia. He has also trained with Dado Valentic and the International Colorist Academy, and has color graded for indie shorts, Complex, and Amazon.
Currently, he makes promotional videos for Private Suite Magazine, an online and print magazine specializing in the vaporwave genre, where he develops his own spin on the aesthetic with motion graphics. His most recent script, a sci-fi tv pilot, placed semi-finals at ScreenCraft.
Christine grew up in Bushwick, Brooklyn and co-owned and operated “Ridgewood Dance” at the age of 19. Relocated to Los Angeles in 1990 and began Casting Background for Central Casting, assisting 14 Casting Directors. Hired Background for shows such as “Seinfeld”,“Friends”, “Cheers”, “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and lots of incredible Feature Films.
Returned to NY in the year 2000 and worked for Sylvia Fay Casting, hired Background for Film and TV… “Oz”, “Zoolander”, “Maid In Manhattan”, “Law & Order”…
Christine is presently Freelance Casting and really enjoys every aspect of Casting.
It was an honor to work with all of you on “A For Alpha”.
Scott Kalberer is a Film and Video Producer in New York City and an alumni of the School of Visual Arts. He is the owner of Creative Capsule, a boutique video production company, and has directed a slew of short films featured in festivals and across the web.
Born with Jamaican origin, Shaneek Steele is a Bronx native hairstylist, community leader, and CEO of WIDIN Healing Haircare. She got her big break working alongside a few well-known celebrities and has worked on several daytime and tv shows including, Good Morning America, Project Runway Start-Upand independent films such as When The Wells Run Dry.
Shaneek is a proud graduate of Penn State University where she obtained a BA in Business Management and she received her cosmetology license at Empire Beauty School. Both educational institutes have helped master her skills within the beauty industry.
Regi Booker is a fashion professional who has been perfecting his craft in the industry for seven years, creating intriguing and inventive fashion stories and editorials for Bleu Magazine. His creativity caught the eye of an up and coming independent artist, Rico Davis, who he recently worked with on his music video "Do U Wanna." He most recently worked on the RAL Productions film When The Well Runs Dry. With a flare for fashion, Regi Booker Beautifully combines pallets of colors with mood and style which is why his clients continue to come to him for personal and production Wardrobe advice.
Chay-Anna is a passionate producer inspired to write and create narrative content that represents diversity in cinematic film and television. Having recently earned a Master’s degree in Film & Television Production from Sacred Heart University located in Fairfield Connecticut. Chay-Anna is the Owner and founder of CharChay Productions. Her most recent project Tragedy Of Chance is an award winning film and was selected by the FTMA Film Festival for Best Picture. As a writer and a producer she continues to embrace her ability to tell stories through independent film and commercial content. Embarking on an unknown journey with each new project, as she collaborates with other talented filmmakers to execute a distinct vision.
Lee McIntosh is the Head of Branding Services at Buffalo 8 with a love and passion for creative work. He's the producer, engineer and drummer of the alternative rock band, Oddepoxy. Lee is the Owner of Potent Studios and Co-founder of Dyad Games who has produced successful mobile game titles such as Cookie Swirl World.
Ari Blinder wears many artistic hats with pride: actor, producer, writer and director. He has had the opportunity to work in TV, film and theater with some of the most innovative artists out there. He is incredibly honored to continue that journey with "A" for Alpha.
Elizabeth Bendelac is a Creative Producer and Location Manager. Born and Raised in NYC, Elizabeth developed a passion for film at the age of 11. She began making short films up until High school where she pivoted her sights towards producing and locations. She attended Columbia College Chicago where she received a degree in Arts, Entertainment and Media Management. While there she produced a TV pilot and a few short films. After Chicago, Elizabeth returned to NYC and began working in NYC's Diamond Business as the Chief Operating Officer of an Online Jewelry Business. While she took a step back from her passion her time in the diamond business only solidified her love for film and television even more and led her to Los Angeles, California where she lived and worked in the freelance production world in the location’s department, upon returning to New York City, she took her extensive knowledge of her home town, and pivoted her sights towards location management, she served as the Location Manager on an independent feature that shot in and around Brooklyn, NY. She was responsible for locking various interior and exterior locations around New York City, thru this process she began to combining location management and producing thru advertising and independent film. In September 2018, she became a member of the Local 817 Theatrical Teamsters Union and worked extensively on major productions for networks such as Netflix and Syfy to assist and manage locations within the 5 boroughs. Since January is 2019 she has served as the Location’s Coordinator on NBC’s New Amsterdam and Hulu’s High Fidelity where she is responsible for all of the administrative and daily operations of the location’s departments on levels that include contracts, location budgets, insurance and relationships to city agencies such as the Mayor’s Office of The City Of New York, DOT, FDNY and NYPD.
Rich’s career began in Florida. Since moving to New York City in 1985, Rich has produced sound for: Thousands of Television and Radio spots like Surround Sound projects for Toshiba, Coke with David Letterman, Brain lab of Germany, and Golden Books, with Advertising Agencies like BBDO, McCann Erickson, DDB WW, Brouillard, Ogilvy & Mather.
Feature Films with Francis Ford Coppola and Stephen King, Hundreds of Documentaries, TV shows, and thousands of on-air promos for Cable networks like Discovery, TLC, Lifetime, Nickelodeon, Bravo. Large scale projects like: The first 52 Episodes and launch of Pokémon, a 76 spot campaign for Calvin Klein “Eternity”, a 176 promo, four-month campaign for USA’s Cartoon Express, sound designed 700 sound design elements for all audio exhibits for the Sony Wonder Technology Lab in NYC. And post produced many tv series of 5-32 shows for many networks.
Rich resides in New Jersey with his wife, 2 daughters, and 2 jack Russel Terriers.
Swiss-French composer Sandrine Rudaz creates music for film, video games, and theatre. Recent career honors include a Jerry Goldsmith Award nomination and a Hollywood Music in Media Award.
Zania Imani also known as Zimani, is a New York City based freelance make-up artist and former Sephora make-up advisor.
In 2017, she found her passion for makeup after receiving her certification from the Makeup Academy NYC by Nina MUA. As she continued to develop her skills through education and her client base, she has had the opportunity to work on photoshoots, fashion shows, advertisements, sweet sixteens, and now, short films.
In the near future, Zania Imani hopes to become a prominent entrepreneur and use her extensive background in Human Resources to develop her brand.
Producer’s Statement / Vision
Kelley Kali
I grew up watching a strong example of a woman in my household, my mom. I also grew up watching a strong example of a man in my household, my dad. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I realized how much work they had to put into their relationship to find the balance and to block out social expectations. My father chose to serve the community as a Pastor and so my mother was the breadwinner as an aerospace engineer. Looking back at it now, I’m certain that my dad had to overcome some insecurities and block out all of the buzz in his ears about how the man should be the bread winner. I’m also certain that my mom had to block out the buzz in her ears from society about not being a “real mom” because she has a career and society believes that you can’t have both. Thankfully, my parents did a great job of hiding any anxieties from societal expectations that they may have been dealing with from us and I believe that they were able to do this because their love for each other out weighed all the noise.
This is why our story, “A for Alpha”, is real and applicable to so many relationships across the world. Now that I’m married and I am balancing a career, I personally have experienced the push and pull of what I’m expected to be and where I’m expected to go as a woman. I have also felt the awkwardness of sharing a similar career path as my husband and people comparing our successes through “lighthearted” jokes such as, “you’re wife is doing well, you should just ride her coattails..” and then feeling the pain that statements like that cause my husband. I’ve felt the anger of when I’m out at my husband’s events and people who know him but don’t know me only refer to me as a, “pretty supporting wife” and never take the time to even ask my name or what I do. I feel that exploring the concept of gender roles and how they impact us today, especially as women are gaining more footing in their career paths and having children later, is just as important for positive growth in our lives and may also help with other issues such as mental illness that societal pressures can make worse.
Thanks to our sponsors and donors
