Monty Comes Back

{{Infobox film

| name = Monty Comes Back

| image =

| caption =

| director = Thomas John Nudi

| producer = {{Plain list|

Vincent Dale
Thomas John Nudi
Trishul Thejasvi

}}

| writer = Thomas John Nudi

| starring = {{Plain list|

Brandon Tyler Jones
Deborah Childs
Brad Clark
Stephen Birge
Jessica Cohen
Johnny Hobbs
David E. McMahon
Paul Saulo

}}

| music = Dylan Glatthorn

| cinematography = Trishul Thejasvi

| editing = Billy Durden

| production_companies = NuFamCo Films

| released = {{Film date|2016|04|02|United States}} (Sarasota Film Festival){{Cite web |url=http://sarasotafilmfestival.com/images/2016/2016-SFF-Film-Guide.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-03-19 |archive-date=2016-04-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430210757/http://sarasotafilmfestival.com/images/2016/2016-SFF-Film-Guide.pdf |url-status=dead }}

| runtime = 88 minutes{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4700574/|title=Monty Comes Back (2016)|date=2 April 2016|work=IMDb}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $15,000

}}

Monty Comes Back is a 2016 American drama/comedy film written and directed by Thomas John Nudi and starring Brandon Tyler Jones. The film is set almost entirely in Anna Maria Island, Florida and filmed on location, as well as in Bradenton and Sarasota. It was shot in 16 days during the summer of 2015 on a production budget of only $15,000{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/MontyComesBack/posts/451760148357081|title=NOW PRESENTING: The first official ... - Monty Comes Back - Facebook|website=Facebook |publisher=}} collected from a successful Kickstarter campaign,{{cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2061014149/monty-comes-back|title=Monty Comes Back|work=Kickstarter}} as well as private investors.

Synopsis

Monty (Brandon Tyler Jones) is a semi-successful thespian working in Detroit, Michigan. A former Genius Grant recipient, he has squandered his funds and remains in stasis at a local community theater. After losing his job due to an over-inflated ego, he returns home to Anna Maria Island, Florida to stay with his parents, Ed (Brad Clark) and Marie (Deborah Childs), under the false pretense of being on a "creative hiatus". During his time home, he continues to let his ego destroy his relationships with family and friends while trying to renovate his grandfather's old Chevrolet 210.

Cast

Brandon Tyler Jones as Monty
Deborah Childs as Marie
Brad Clark as Ed
Stephen Birge as Joel
Jessica Cohen as Lula
Johnny Hobbs as Bob the Fisherman
Paul Saulo as Jim
David McMahon as Tucker the Trucker

Background

{{Quote box|width=25%|align=right|quote=[An unlikeable character] was kind of a point of contention for me in film school. We would go back and forth, and people would tell me, "You can't have a main character that you don't like!" I always thought, "Well, why not?"|source=Thomas John Nudi, 2015{{cite news | last=Friedman | first=Nick | url=http://www.yourobserver.com/article/monty-comes-back-%E2%80%94-second-coming-age-story | title=Monty Comes Back — A second coming-of-age story' | work=Your Observer | date=July 15, 2015 | accessdate=February 23, 2016 }}

}}

Thomas John Nudi initially wrote the screenplay for the film during his time as a film production graduate at Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, while studying under Barry W. Blaustein (Saturday Night Live, Coming to America). Semi-autobiographical in nature, the film is based on his feelings returning to his hometown after reaching moderate levels of academic success.{{cite journal | last=Moschella | first=Kathryn | url=http://www.bradenton.com/news/local/article34901790.html | title=Sarasota Film Festival writer/director shooting feature film in Bradenton area | journal=The Bradenton Herald | date=June 12, 2015 | accessdate=February 23, 2016 }}

The script was acquired by NuFamCo Films in May 2014, and pre-production began in fall of that year.

Production

Monty Comes Back is directed by Thomas John Nudi and produced by Nudi, Vincent Dale, and Trishul Thejasvi (who also doubled as the film's cinematographer). Production was funded by donations through Kickstarter and investors from around Florida's Gulf Coast. Nearly the entire cast and crew volunteered for their respective roles, with much of the crew coming from Ringling College of Art and Design and Suncoast Technical College.{{cite web|last=Haggerty|first=Ken|title=Filmmakers Bring a Delusional Artist to Life on the Gulf Coast|url=http://www.sarasotaday.com/blog_view.cfm?BlogID=1647|work=Sarasota Today|accessdate=February 23, 2016|date=May 29, 2015}} Other than Brandon Tyler Jones, a resident of New York City at time of production, and Deborah Childs, of Atlanta, Georgia, the cast was made up entirely of Florida actors.

Filmed over the course of sixteen days between May and June 2015, locations, props, and numerous other resources were donated by businesses and the communities of Manatee County and Sarasota County.

Music

=Soundtrack=

The soundtrack to the film is made up entirely of songs by independent musicians, the majority of whom are Florida-based, of which Nudi collected over a decade. The rights for use in the film were donated by all the artists featured.{{cite web|url=https://srqbacklot.com/2016/04/02/monty-comes-back-world-premiere-word-with-the-star-soundtrack-released/#more-7246|title=Monty Comes Back: World Premiere, Word With The Star, Soundtrack Released|work=SRQ Backlot}}

==Track listing==

"Shhh/Peaceful" - The Craters
"The Hell and Back" - Archangel
"Chiefin' & Rollin' (BFMO Remix)" - S.B.E.
"In the Mood" - The Bob Dewart Group
"People Say" - The Hobies
"ZZzzz" - The Craters
"Cold Light, Cold Air" - The Roseline
"Horseshoes and Hand Grenades" - The Prospect
"Brighter Light" - The Hobies
"All by Myself" - Gainstaville
"Keep Running and You'll Never Escape" - Reggie Williams
"Let's Chill" - S.B.E.
"Soul" - The Smokin' Bones
"Leaving the Console" - Colin Pepper
"Prolly" - Shelby Baldock{{cite web|url=https://nufamco.bandcamp.com/|title=NuFamCo Records|date=22 March 2016}}

=Score=

The film's score is composed by Dylan Glatthorn, and will be released as a digital download in Summer 2016.

Reception

Monty Comes Back is an official selection of the 18th annual Sarasota Film Festival,{{cite journal | last=Castillo | first=Amaris | url=http://www.bradenton.com/entertainment/article66533632.html | title=18th annual Sarasota Film Festival announces lineup | journal=The Bradenton Herald | date=March 16, 2016 | accessdate=March 19, 2016}} and premiered April 2, 2016.

=Awards=

==Wins==

Sarasota Film Festival{{cite web|url=http://ticket.heraldtribune.com/2016/04/09/and-the-envelope-please/|title=And the envelope please ...|author=Carrie Seidman|publisher=}}
Audience Award - Best Florida Feature