HARDBALL

All Balls Don't Bounce

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Synopsis

Crew

Cast

trailer & graphix

Cilton Beard (Hardball – Lead Actor)

Cilton Beard is an actor, singer, and composer. He is renowned for his performance art pieces and remarkable physical agility. Mr. Beard studied acting and mime at the University of Miami. He has also extensively studied Muy Thai kickboxing and the Israeli fighting system Krav Maga. Mr. Beard recently toured the United States with the Austin-based music group Attack Formation. In his spare time he performs original works under the name Horse Rappaport.


Anthony Watson (Tony, Screenplay co-author)

Anthony Watson studied screenwriting at the University of Texas at Austin, where he received numerous accolades in the Creative Writing Program. He has written several feature-length screenplays, both independently and as a collaborator. Mr. Watson is a regular performer in Austin independent films, and is a founding member of the nationally recognized comedy troupe, The Day Job.


Danny Kamin (Nicolai Ulyonich)

Danny Kamin has had a distinguished career both in acting and law. As Assistant U.S. Attorney he pioneered the federal criminal prosecutions of film piracy (criminal copyright infringement) in the United States Fifth Circuit, and is responsible for initiating the now well known anti-piracy warning appearing at the beginning of all commercial videotapes and DVDs. Mr. Kamin's acting credits include a co-starring role in NBC's 'The Return of Desperado' (1988), as well as numerous character roles in such films and shows as 'The Pelican Brief', 'The X Files', 'Ms. Congeniality', 'The Rookie', and 'Mr.Hell', another fully independent film recently produced in Houston.


Caleb Curtis (Dmitri)

Caleb Curtis attended the University of Texas school of theatre and dance and has stage acting experience in both Austin and New York. Mr. Curtis was awarded the role of Dmitri in Hardball: All Balls Don't Bounce after nailing the character in the very first cold read of his audition.


Terry Wong (Fat Tiger)

Terry Wong's eclectic career has included being a fire-arms instructor, a tutor for schoolchildren, and a well-known party promoter in the Houston club scene since 1993. Despite being a first time actor and one of the nicest people on the planet, he makes a mean villain as the Fat Tiger in his acting debut in Hardball: All Balls Don't Bounce.


Venda D'Abato (Karina)

Venda got her start in filmplaying featured extra roles in acclaimed films such as "Juwanna Mann" and "The Judas Kiss". After a year of working behind the camera Venda decided to pursue an acting career, and in a short time has landed numerous principal roles in independent films. Her recent feature film credits include "The Magnificent Dead", being released on dvd by Silver Nitrate, and "Over Due" slated for the Spindletop Film Festival. Venda aspires to showcase her diverse talent in indie films in hopes of taking the film world by storm!


Jill Brumer (Svetlana)

Jill Brumer received her BA in drama from Queens College, a small liberal arts school in Charlotte, NC. She continued her education and recently completed her Master's degree in Performing Arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. She has done various independent film work, included a piece that was a National Film Challenge finalist in 2004, and a short shown at the Tulsa Film Festival in 2005.


Michael Roy (Police Chief Charles)

Michael Roy has been a model for various covers and ad campaigns, and played the umpire in the 2005 production of Friday Night Lights. Prior to being bitten by the acting bug, Michael was a security agent for various companies, and claims there isn't much difference between Police Chief Charles and corrupt people he's met in the real world.


David Blomquist (Russian Boss #1)

David H. Blomquist has been involved in acting in one form or another since the age of 8 years. While performing mostly on stage, he was also actively employed doing industrial narration, voice overs, and educational projects. He has worked on films with Beau Bridges and Dolph Lundgren, among others. HB:ABDB will be his fourth film project of the 2006 year. He is also the loving and devoted husband of actress Marcelle Wong and father of two beautiful children.


Greg Harbar (Russian Boss #2)

Greg Harbar grew up speaking Polish, Russian and Ukrainian in a close-knit community of Eastern European immigrants in New Jersey. Immersed in the culture, lifestyle, traditions, cuisine, and music. He learned many Gypsy songs from his aunt who sang and played balalaika and 7 string gypsy guitar, and began his musical career playing accordion at age 15, performing ethnic music with his brothers. The brothers played many weddings, picnics and polka dances, and appeared on the Steel Pier in Atlantic City.

In 1974 Greg got together with like minded musicians and formed The Gypsies, a European-style strolling and ethnic dance band. The Gypsies were 5 time Houston Press award winners in the category of Best Ethnic and Traditional Band. Through the years he has been associated with outstanding ethnic, jazz and classical musicians from America and abroad, and has played for 5 presidents, royalty, world leaders, toured with the Ukrainian Cossack group Bulava, performed on cruise lines, in engagements throughout the states, festivals in Europe, and at Houston cultural and social events. In addition he has collaborated on books about gypsy and eastern European music.

In addition to accordion, Greg also plays guitar, bass balalaika and bass mandolin. Continuous research, practice and jam sessions with world musicians keep him at the forefront of his unique profession and committed to keeping the music of other cultures alive.


Anelle Luna (Crazed She-Bitch)

Anelle Luna was born in 1979 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and graduated from Kazakh State National University in 2000 with a BA degree in Economics. She has worked for an oil and gas company since moving to the United States in 2002. While HB:ABDB is Anelle's first acting role, she has an eclectic set of skills to rival any action star, including horseback riding and classical guitar ability, and a black belt in Taekwon-Do.


Inessa Wright (Svetlana's Mother)

Inessa Wright was born in Kazakhstan, and lived most of her life in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she graduated from the St. Petersburg State University with a BA in Modern Languages. She immigrated to the United States in 1999, and has been helping nurture her daughter's acting ability, which obviously runs in the family.


Alex Pominov (Svetlana's Father)

Alex Pominov was born in Russia, and graduated from the Moscow State Technical University as an optical engineer. After moving to Houston, Alex participated in the Houston Russian Theater, an amateur theatre group that specializes in performing the works of Russian playwrights' in the Russian language.


Viktoria Cheung (Russian Girl on the Boat A)

Viktoria Cheung was born and raised in Ukraine, and lived for several years in Eastern and Western Europe. She immigrated with her mother to Boston in 1990, before moving first to Miami and then to Houston. A native speaker of the Russian and Ukrainian languages, Viktoria is fascinated by different cultures, languages, and customs all over the world, and enjoys yoga, painting, swimming, running, dancing, traveling, outdoor activities, and modeling. Viktoria had worked in the oil and gas industry and never acted in more than school plays before auditioning for HB:ABDB. She is currently loving every minute of being a full time mother to her 2 1/2 year old daughter.

Jelena Susloparova (Russian Girl on the Boat B)

Jelena Susloparova came from Estonia to Houston with her parents in 1995, and is fluent in both Russian and English. Currently an IT student at American Intercontinental University (AIU) due to graduate in December, Jelena works part time as a student tutor at AIU, is a member of the AIU Ambassadors club, is a self-employed Mary Kay agent, and owns her own small business, IND (Innovative Networks and Designs). In her spare time, Jelena enjoys dancing and since the age of 4 has practiced many forms and styles, including ballroom. She also does some part-time modeling and is looking to get more into acting.


Kimberly Ensey (Trafficked Woman)

Kimberly Ensey's first love was sports, and before deciding to act, she was a Professional Inline Speed Skater. In her skating career, Kimberly has won over 80 medal, plaques, trophies and cups, highlighted by a National Championship and a National Record. She is now a full-time actress, print model, and television host. Highlights of her career so far include: TV Host for Bikini-USA Live, movies include: Hardball, Eternal, Friday Night Lights, "Z" A Zombie Musical, No Pain No Gain, Paradise Texas, Jessica and No Pain.


Keri Lewison (Trafficked Woman)

Keri Lewison has been involved in the entertainment & film industry since the wee age of 5. She was with the Ford Children's division in NYC and Wilhelmina in L.A., CA. Keri can currently be seen in the NBC movie "Escape from Terror", The Teresa Stamper Story, in the role of Teresa Stamper's daughter. She is also featured in several current national commercials for such entities as 'Academy' and 'Citgo'.


Binh Nguyen (Venom)

Binh Nguyen enjoys building and selling restaurants for a living, and claims racing motorcycles at 150+ mph as an addiction. Binh hopes that HB:ABDB will be the first of many acting roles for him. He also wishes to be Master of the Universe, to never again pay taxes, and to win the lottery multiple times, but contractually, the producers of HB:ABDB can only help him with the acting thing.


Chung Lee (Dynamite Thug)

Chung Y. Lee was born and raised in Dallas, TX. He earned a B.A. in economics from the University of Texas. Currently in his 3rd year at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, he works at the Law Office of Attorney Kevin M. Hall, and claims HB:ABDB as his first acting credit, unless "Mock trial is considered acting".


Timur Tsend (Dynamite Thug)

Timur Tsend was born in Mongolia, and came to America in 1996 to pursue a degree in business. After earning his degree in 2001, he decided he'd rather do nursing, and has worked as a nurse since finishing nursing school in 2002. In addition to helping the ill, Timur has studied martial arts for many years, and knows how to convert a wristwatch or egg-timer into an onscreen detonator for dynamite.


Jayming Fang (Slave Guard Thug)

Jayming Fang, currently completing his senior year at Texas A & M, has found time away from his busy student schedule to give 100% to various acting endeavors. He has appeared on CBS's 'Moochers', ABC's 'I Wanna Be A Soapstar', and in plays such as 'All in the Timing', as well as musicals such as Aida.


Van Skam (Fat Tiger Guard)

Van Skam does not write complete sentences for biographies. He does not sit still long enough. This is what we've managed to glean from the wreckage left in his wake: "Business Profesional by day, badass Bartender at night at Dallas's hottest club EPISODES! A jack of all trades and master of none...Currently studying for Muay Thai - yeah, I SO WANT TO DO SUPER FLIPS...Being bitten by the acting bug, currently trying to get my feet wet... well drown myself in any future projects as much as possible..." His car is also the cornucopia of anything needed on set that the producer forgot to pick up.


Mikhail Sebastian (Russian Crew Member)

Mikhail Sebastian was born on February 26, 1973 to Armenian parents in Baku, Azerbaijan, USSR. In 1988, the war conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia caused him to flee Azerbaijan for Armenia to continue his high school education. In 1989 the intensification of the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan forced local Armenians to abandon everything they had and move to other part of the ex-USSR, and Mikhail moved with his parent to the Central Asian Republic of Turkmenistan where he attended the Turkmen State University and majored in English. Fluent in Russian, Mikhail lived in Moldova, Russia before moving to the USA. He has had a passion for acting since childhood and just recently was able to turn his dream into reality, and says "Acting is the air I cannot live without. Acting gives unique way of transforming from one character to another." His credits include: "Bleep Love", "House of Demon", "The Big Bend", "The Bong Connection".


Cast & Crew
Full Cast

Hardball         Cilton Beard
Fat Tiger         Terry Wong
Karina         Venda D'Abato
Svetlana         Jill Brumer
Dmitri         Caleb Curtis
"Crazy Tony"         Anthony Watson
Nicolai         Danny Kamin
Police Chief Charles         Micheal Roy
Tanisha         Ariana Allen
Russian Gangster #1         David Blomquist
Russian Gangster #2         Greg Harbar
Russian Gangster #3         Valentin Ageev
Svetlana's Mother         Inessa Wright
Svetlana's Father         Alex Pominov
Boris         Lubos Janoska
Ship Captain         Mikhael Sebastian
Shipman         Lies Baghdadi
Don Julio         Eduardo Vasquez
Don Julio's Guard         Frank Romero
Russian Swimmer         Elena Tatarinova
Crazed She-Bitch         Anel Luna
Mr. Chu         Nai Kuan Lee
Hotel Clerk J        erry D. Ochoa
Bike Officer Murphy         Sam Alexander
Bike Officer O'Malley         Patrick Mitchell
Morgue Cop         Charles Portz
TV Newscaster         Blake McMahon
Maitre'D         Zachary Schulte
Ms. Cool Cup         Sarah Barefoot
Concerned Neighbor         Michael Wayne Thomas
Axed Gangster         Hieu Tieu
Muy Thai Fighter         Van Skam


Asian Gangsters

Binh Nguyen         Edwin Meng
Apollo Landingin         Jayming Fang
Thomas Nguyen         Timur Tsend
Chung Lee         Jake Duong
Richie Ngoc         Gresham Sestoso
Stevie Vu


Trafficked Russian Women

Viktoria Cheung         Irina Voronina
Jelena Susloparova         Anna Fields
Keri Lewison         Kimberly Ensey
Kristen Crysel         Kamilla Yagudina
Lauren Pray         Lena Levtsenko
Polina Vasilyeva         Yve Golan


Latina Women

Victoria Laboy Yesenia Cervantes
Gladys Cervantes Jessica Cortez

Latino Guard Z Perez


Neighborhood Kids

Morgan Landers
Paul Love II
Treon Simmons


Neighbors

Norris Thompson         Glen Phillips
Tasandra Allen         Michael Allen
Dominique Brooks         Jalen Brooks
Daniella Landers         Nicole Love
Shamekka Pratt         Albert Fox
Stephanie Rieth         Robert Bakke
Adam Ceasar         Jenn Wagner
Brittni Colvin


Restaraunt Staff & Patrons

Cody Jarmon         Sarah Irving
Alicia Saunders         Allen Smith
Adrian Allen         Kerri Grounds
Rashaan Kennamore         Rasheedah Kennamore
Christine Lutz         Ashley Bankhead
Anassis Vassilakidis         Patricia Vassilakidis
Jaime Suniga


Lucky Burger Employees

Angela Atlas         Mark Henson
Sophia Vassilakidis

Directed, Photographed & Edited by Jerry D. Ochoa

Screenplay by
Anthony Watson & Jerry D. Ochoa

Produced by
Jerry D. Ochoa & Sophia Vassilakidis

Associate Producers
Sonya Bernhardt
David Loewy
Jerry T. Ochoa
Robert Ochoa
Mary & Dolph Rowan
John Schiffmayer
Robin Watson

Casting Director
Sophia Vassilakidis

Additional Production Management
Liz Supley

Production Audio Engineer
John Schiffmayer

Post Production Audio Engineer
Matt Crawford

Additional Foley Recording
Matt Crawford
Che Crawford

Assistant Editor
Sophia Vassilakidis

Russian Dialect Coach
Ekaterina Semenova

Fight Choreography
Lascelles McCarthy III & Millenial Stunts

Krav Maga Trainer
Allen Johnson & Just Results

Pyrotechnician/ Weapons Master
Allen Hutton

Acid Gun Construction
Matt Schlabach

Key Grip Jeff Howison
Grip Maria Elizondo
Grip Mark Henson

Additional Lighting
Bill Parris

Prop Master
Angela Atlas

Production Assistants
Andrew Sinclair Rafael Cortines
Patricia Vassilakidis Jenn Parris

Hair & Makeup
Deah Fisher
James Cordero
Staci Benoit

Original Music Performed by:

Cilton Beard III         Jon Duboise
Derek Dunivan         Greg Harbar
Margaret Lejeune         Jeff Miller
Geoffrey Muller         Charlie Naked
Jerry D. Ochoa         Kirk Suddreath
Mike Sweitzer         Scott Szabo
Tim Thomson         Showtyme
Leah Zeger


Legal Services provided by
Portz & Portz Law Firm


Special Thanks:

Houston Film Commission
Houston Production Studios
M Bar
Bootleg Gallery
Village Massage
Alexander the Great Restaurant
Visual Interactive Dynamics
Pepper & Industrial Audio/Video
The Lighting Zone, Inc.
Flux Line
Plus 8 Digital
Post Rice Lofts
Hotel Montague
Lucky Burger
Houston Fire Marshall & Department
Marilyn Winters & Jeff Hughes
Eddie & AIM Limousine Service
MVP Aero Academy & Weiser Airpark
Sanjay Patel & Heather Jackson
Photographic Design Lab
Marianna Lemesoff & AvantGarden
Charlie Portz & Kerri Grounds
Luther S. Kim & the Port of Corpus Christi Police Department
Copy.com
Agora Cafe
Casey Michelle Kilpatrick
The entire Ochoa Family
The entire Vassilakidis Family

Filmed on location in Houston, Austin, Galveston, & Corpus Christi, Texas

In memory of Belgacem "Lies" Baghdadi