An award-winning film shot entirely in the Bay Area now looks to impress at the Sunscreen Film Festival.

  • "Waiting on Mary" stars local actors Brian Shea and Emilee Dupre
  • Film picked up an audience choice award at the Gasparilla International Film Festival in Tampa
  • Film utilized locations all over the Tampa Bay area

The Sunscreen Festival brings a little bit of Hollywood to the Tampa Bay area.

But it also shines its light on home-grown talent and home.

The independent film "Waiting on Mary," playing April 30 at 12:15 p.m. at Sundial’s Muvico Theater, is a prime example.

Earlier this year, "Waiting on Mary" picked up an audience choice award at the Gasparilla International Film Festival in Tampa, and thus comes to Sunscreen with a little buzz around it.

Brian Shea and Emilee Dupre, the aforementioned home-grown talent in the film, are the leads in "Mary," which was filmed entirely on location in the Bay Area.

Shea explains that his character, Nathaniel, is an actor working in period dress at a failing amusement park.

"All within the same hour, he gets fired on stage in character and discovers his wife is cheating on him," said Shea.

With a crushing heart break and a possible psychic break, the only thing Nathaniel doesn't break is character.

"The only way he can deal with this series of traumatic events is to take on the personality of the colonial character he plays," explained Shea.

Dupre plays the role of Allison, a photographer who leaves behind the bustling city life of LA and New York City and uses St. Petersburg as a sort of haven.

"She becomes Nathaniel's best friend, helps him through the most difficult time in his life,” said Dupre, “and he helps her through a pretty hard time in her life too, and becomes the subject of her art."

Naturally, "Waiting on Mary" plays out in places St. Petersburg audiences should recognize.

The film features shots of Nathanial wading further into denial at Indian Shores Beach, urging on his "horse" (a bicycle) through the streets of St. Pete's Old Northeast, and undergoing therapy via an improv class at The Studio @620

The locations were all deliberate choices by the film's producer, writer, and director, Corey Horton.

"I wanted to show that even with a small budget and with all local talent, you can make it a quality feature film," Horton explained.

With a $30,000 budget for principal photography and six crew members, Horton shot the film in two weeks. He commended Bob Devin Jones, The Studio @620’s Artistic Director, for his help and support.

"There's a lot of creativity in the community and our philosophy, and not only our motto, is 'yes,'" said Jones, who also appears in a supporting role in "Waiting on Mary."

Horton says they are hoping to fill the theater for their movie.

"I want people to enjoy it," said Horton. "It would be nice to win an award too, but the experience is a joy in itself too."

Next, Horton will take the film on the road, submitting it to film festivals across the country in hopes of securing a distribution deal.