The private screening for The Cold of Night kicked off March 8 for a one-night-only showing, which filled the Sayville Theater with a supportive audience. The full cast and crew lined up a full auditorium row surrounded by over 100 family members and friends eager to watch the film on the big screen.
Joe Welischar and Jon Coscia started the evening with an interlude in why they created the film and what they were most proud of working as co-directors with their production company J squared Productions. Noting this was one of the first theaters Joe found his love for movies and cinema arts with his grandmother, and that he would be carrying out a wish his grandmother had for him to succeed in the business. Jon noted he couldn’t have done it without his family and wife’s support. The film played without a hitch as the audience felt immersed into the crime drama spilling off the screen. We all laughed, gasped, and moved through emotions together in the riveting tale of a child missing and a detective who had come out of retirement just to heal the wounds of his own past and finish one last case.
James Zanfardino starred as Holiday, the lead detective, portraying him with a gritty, hard-boiled, cynical, and fatalistic persona. With a catch phrase “yeahhh” that belongs to all who watched, becoming the classic line of the film. Kirsten Olsen-Calhoun played Helen, a desperate mother looking for her daughter who was played by New talent Aria Belle Calhoun her real-life daughter. Kirsten brought a delicate ferocity to the layered role that was expertly peeled back over the course of the film.
Brian Tannenbaum carried the role of Pauly, a friend, a lover, and a key witness to the whole case. Not only did he have to balance between multiple emotions in a single sentence, but he also had the largest monologues to remember and delivered a scene-stealing performance. Frank Giaramida plays Marco, one of the prime suspects for the lead detective to investigate. Frank taps into his ancestral lineage to deliver a charismatic but evil performance as one of the film’s foils.
Jennifer Feldman has a small but powerful role as the lead character’s deceased wife. She may have small screen time, but her presence looms over the entire film as the motivation behind Holiday’s relentless pursuit in the truth.
Writer and Director Joe Welischar adds himself to the cast as well as Co-director Jon Coscia in smaller cameo roles. Rounding out the rest of the cast are performances from friends and family looking to help bring this movie to life.
It’s a noir through and through; rain-slicked streets, compromised heroes, and a truth that comes at a cost. And like the best entries in the genre, it reminds us that sometimes the real mystery isn’t what happened, it’s how far people will go once hope starts to fade.
Look forward to more of In The Cold of Night, as it’s just entered its festival run by being submitted to multiple festivals across the state. On top of that, look forward to Blu-ray deals and merchandise like hoodies and T-shirts down the line once the festival run is complete!
