Wine Dog Pictures at Women in Film and Media Colorado.

Wine Dog Pictures’ Scott Takeda and Lori Kay Allred with WIFMCO’s Darla Rae. (January 2020)

This week, Lori Kay Allred and Scott Takeda of Wine Dog Pictures were guest speakers at Women in Film and Media Colorado.  The evening focused on the relationship between director and editor as they master their final cut. WIFMCO board member Darla Rae moderated an entertaining and educational discussion.

“What a fabulous presentation,” said Trai Cartwright, WIFMCO President. “Our organization and I can't thank Lori and Scott enough for being so game, so gregarious, and so very good at conveying why they are so very good at what they do. I learned a ton.”

Last year, Allred and Takeda traveled to New Mexico to do a similar presentation to New Mexico Women In Film.

Wine Dog Directors Attend Cindependent Film Festival

Filmmakers Scott Takeda and Lori Kay Allred answer questions at the Cindependent Film Festival filmmaker Q&A. (September 2019)

We’re popping the champagne again because two of our Wine Dog Pictures projects are official selections at the Cindependent Film Festival. “The Outsider” will compete in the short film competition and “Learn As You Go” will compete in the screenplay competition.

“We are very excited to return to Cincinnati,” said producer Lori Kay Allred. “I first got to know the festival organizers two years ago when they featured my screenplay in their Script Shop podcast. So last year, they brought me in for the Cindependent Film Festival. And I’m so excited to be back. It’s one of my favorite festivals.”

Now in its second year, the Cindependent Film Festival is a three day festival focused on independent film-making and script writing. It’s a Top-100 festival on Film Freeway, and screens films in the historic 1920’s Woodward Theater which was originally built to be a silent movie house.

Professional actors read Lori Kay Allred’s screenplay “Learn As You Go” (September 2019)

Allred’s screenplay was read by professional actors at Cincinnati’s Know Theater. This is it’s third festival selection this year.

Sensi Magazine - "Remembering Us"

This month, Sensi Magazine featured our latest Wine Dog Pictures film “Remembering Us” in their summer health and wellness issue. Reporter Leland Rucker spent a day with directors Lori Kay Allred and Scott Takeda, screening the film and interviewing them about why the created the film.

Besides the personal angle of the film, Rucker delved deeply into the studies of traumatic brain-injuries and how medical cannabis may be effective in treating the symptoms and protecting the brain from trauma.

Here is a LINK to read the article. It starts on page 128.

Sensi Magazine is a city lifestyle publication based in Colorado. It publishes regional magazines in Las Vegas, LA, San Diego, and Boston.

Allred Shoots 1-Minute Film

Writer-director Lori Kay Allred goes over her shot with cinematographer Jeff Pointer in the short film “Something In Common.”

This week, Wine Dog writer-director Lori Kay Allred mobilized a small but mighty crew to shoot her latest film “Something In Common.” This film is designed to be a micro-short film — one minute in length.

“After attending dozens of festivals, I’ve grown fascinated with this category of one-minute films,” said Allred. “The good ones are able to tell a complete story in 60-seconds, including titles. And the really good ones take you on an emotional ride, and even make you think.”

Like all of her previous films, Allred wrote “Something In Common” from her own life experiences. The film is loosely based on an interaction she had while walking her youngest corgi Pinot around the neighborhood. Pinot stars in this film.

“Yeah, we shot with Pinot’s older sister Merlot in “Remembering Us,” so we figured we’d shoot with our other dog,” said producer Scott Takeda. “I know the rule is to never shoot with animals, but we’re jumping in with both feet again.”

Besides writing and directing, Allred will also edit. Jeff Pointer is the cinematographer; Slade Williamson handles sound mixing, and Takeda handles assistant directing, assistant camera, and PA duties to go along with producing.

The film will likely debut in the Spring of 2020 at a festival that specializes in one-minute short films.

Full House For Private Cast-And-Crew Screening

KOA NewsRadio’s Ed Greene leads a filmmaker Q&A following the private screening of “Remembering Us” at Denver Film Society’s Sie Film Center. (Photo by Glenn Asawaka)

More than 180 people packed the Sie Film Center this weekend for a private cast-and-crew screening of the 35-minute short film “Remembering Us.” The entire lead cast flew in from Los Angeles and New Mexico for the screening to join their other cast members, crew, media, film dignitaries, agents, representatives from SAG-AFTRA, producers, and family and friends.

“Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow,” said Donna Baldwin Agency’s Rhonda Barnheisel. “I’m blown away by this film. I am so proud of the story that Lori and Scott were able to tell. It’s very brave of them to open up their lives about a painful time, so audiences can learn and grow. Very powerful storytelling.”

“This is just spectacular filmmaking,” said Rocky Mountain PBS’s Jennifer Ross-Castor. “I can’t wait to do a feature segment that highlights these directors and this film on our show.”

The cast and directors laugh after lead actor Nev Scharrel tells a story about her time filming “Remembering Us.” (photo by Glenn Asakawa)

KOA NewsRadio’s Ed Greene moderated an emotional filmmaker Q&A following the screening. The panel included both Wine Dog directors and the lead cast: Mike Ostroski, Dani Payne and Nev Scharrel. Highlights from the Q&A included:

• Scharrel saying that she was more excited about this premiere than when she walked the red carpet with Steve Carrell and Kristen Wiig for “Despicable Me 3.”

• Payne talking about how she shot the Summer scenes with a freshly broken ankle and was still hobbling months later when they shot Autumn. To hide her cast and limping, the filmmakers shot her scenes from the waist-up and let her sit in a bar chair during her standing scenes.

• Allred explaining how she and Takeda are still raising funds for the festival and marketing phase of the film.

• And Takeda explaining how traumatic brain injuries are far more common than cancer. The film’s goal is to start the conversation about TBI’s so hopefully one day, people won’t be afraid to talk about them.

(L to R) Lead actor Nev Scharrel, co-director Lori Kay Allred, lead actor Mike Ostroski, lead actor Dani Payne, and co-director Scott Takeda in the Henderson-Withey Lounge of Denver Film Society’s Sie Film Center. (photo by Glenn Asakawa)

“Such an exciting evening. And we are so grateful that everyone turned out,” said producer Annie Schlax. “We are very thankful for our partnership with Denver Film Society They allowed us to hold our private screening in their signature theater at the Sie Film Center, which made our event feel special.”

After 22 months of production, Allred and Takeda now turn their focus onto the film’s festival run. They are aiming to have a festival premiere of the film sometime in the late summer or fall of 2019.