Austin Film Festival - Suburban Cowboy
In this gritty story based on real events, a drug dealer on Long Island is forced to take drastic measures when a debt to ruthless Serbian gangsters falls on his head.
Interview with Writer/Director Ryan Colucci
Watch Suburban Cowboy on Vudu and Prime Video
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thanks. I have wanted to be a filmmaker since I was a little kid. I’ve been producing and writing since I got my MFA from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program… but this was my first feature.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It’s a raw, visceral look into a world you probably don’t know exists. It is set on Long Island, NY – but could be any suburban town. What fascinates me about the story (which is based on real events) is this idea that the guy next door is a criminal. It’s not this stereotypical gangster story where the bad guys are obviously criminals. It’s more true to life, at least in the part of the world I come from.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
At the heart of the film is a love story. While all of this awful stuff is happening, the lead realizes that his girlfriend is his rock. And it is with her help that he pulls himself out of the hole.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
The person I was working with on the story was actually arrested as I finished the first draft of the script. I rewrote the ending to reflect what was happening there, as it was better than the original ending. Of course things change based on budget, locations and particularly cast. I was able to rewrite certain things to work for what we had without sacrificing quality by tying the changes to the story.
I also wanted a more personal feel, so we don’t use any establishing shots. We enter and exit every scene with the lead. In doing that, it altered how we would tell the story during production because some locations were not entirely conducive to that approach. For the most part, the script we went into production with was exactly what was shot.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It just premiered on Saturday, October 15th – so it’s hard to gauge. Everything so far has been really positive, but people do not often critique the film to the filmmaker. The response from distributors and on the sales side has been fantastic and ultimately that is most important – because the goal is to get it in front of as many eyeballs as possible. And hopefully the feedback from the viewers will be positive. It’s a very dark film, so it won’t be for everyone and I’m at peace with that.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I’ve gotten some positive about the dialogue or how much they loved how dark it was from a handful of festival goers that were much older and that has been surprisingly.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I’m looking to get the word out about the film.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Right now the focus is on journalists to spread the word about the film.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I’d love for people to watch the film and be unnerved by it, just knowing that this world exists right under your nose… but also enjoy the ride you go on.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
There’s something that happens in the last shot of the film – and I can’t give it away – but I want people to walk out discussing that and its implications. I’ve had a handful of viewers so far tell me that they are still debating it with each other a few days later. That’s great and makes it worthwhile.
Would you like to add anything else?
I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am currently in production on a hand-drawn animated film called ORIENT CITY. It is being done by myself and Zsombor Huszka, who I’ve done a graphic novel with (R.E.M.) and who also animated the opening and end credits of the film – which were nominated for Best Title Design at this year’s SXSW, against films such as Avengers and Spectre.
Interview: October 2016
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Suburban Cowboy
In this gritty story based on real events, a drug dealer on Long Island is forced to take drastic measures when a debt to ruthless Serbian gangsters falls on his head.
Length: 92minutes
Director: Ryan Colucci
Producer: Ryan Colucci, Dragan Roganovic
Writer: Ryan Colucci
About the writer, director and producer:
Ryan Colucci produced the CG-animated Battle for Terra 3D (2009, Lionsgate) and With You, which debuted at #1 on iTunes in the fall of 2014.
Key cast: Frank Raducz Jr, Alandrea Martin, Zoran Radanovich
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Journalists.
Made in association with: Spoke Lane Entertainment
Release date: Has not been announced yet
Where will it screen in the next month?
Just made its World Premiere at the Austin Film Festival on October 15th. It will not be available again until the distributor releases it.