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Luke Shirock Talks about His Michigan Movie Tommy Battles The Silver Sea Dragon

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Luke Shirock Talks about His Michigan Movie Tommy Battles The Silver Sea Dragon
Luke Shirock Talks about His Michigan Movie Tommy Battles The Silver Sea Dragon

Marquette, Michigan – Luke Shirock discusses the trials and tribulations of directing his first movie, the efforts of the cast, the Michigan connection, and the bumpy history of the creation of this Michigan-Made Musical Fantasy.

Tommy Battles the Silver Sea Dragon is an independent musical fantasy film, scheduled to premiere on March 2nd at the 2018 CINEQUEST Film + VR Festival.  Tommy Battles the Silver Sea Dragon Tommy Battles the Silver Sea Dragon is the musical drama of a man’s struggle to overcome the guilt of his mother’s death. On a quest for absolution, Tommy finds himself on trial in a courtroom crowded by his inner demons.

Listen:

[Interview First Broadcast February 2, 2019]

Luke Shirock (Writer / Director / Composer)
Luke studied music composition at the Chicago College of Performing Arts and received an M.A. with honors in film sound studies from the Universiteit van Amsterdam on a full ride scholarship. Among his many varied projects, Luke has collaborated with the Dutch Royal Ballet, presented audiovisual work at the EYE Film Museum, performed live at MOMA Ps1 Sunday Sessions, and created a feature musical film which will premiere at Cinequest 2018. www.lukeshirock.com

Almost five years after it began filming in Detroit, the dark musical drama Tommy Battles the Silver Sea Dragon comes back full circle to Michigan for its upcoming theatrical run. Both a festival darling and oddball, the Tommy tells the story of a man on trial in a courtroom haunted by his own demons, forced to reckon with his past before it destroys his relationship with the woman he loves.

Directed, written by, and starring Michigan native Luke Shirock, the film has garnered awards from festivals across the country. Only Shirock’s first film, it’s been praised by critics as “intense, original” and “ambitious as hell”. When asked about the homecoming for his film, Shirock said, “It’s been 8 years since I dreamt up the first fragments of what became Tommy Battles the Silver Sea Dragon. I was staying with my parents in Novi where I grew up. Three years later, when it came time to shoot the film, I knew it had to be shot in Michigan.”

“This was always the goal,” said producer Michael Angelo Zervos (Mind Your Business), “Tommy is a homegrown film, through and through. I’d always get emails about bringing the film back to Michigan to show it to the many people who have played a part in its success. We knew it was going to happen but never that it would have taken quite this long.”
Tommy was one of the final Michigan projects to be awarded the state film tax rebates, which ended in 2015. Over the course of shooting, the film employed dozens of local actors, actresses, and filmmakers from all over the state. “Those familiar with Michigan will certainly recognize some of the locations where the film was shot such as the Masonic Temple, historic downtown Northville, and Luna Pier,” said Zervos. “It helped personalize the film for all involved.”

“The locations were a core part of the story and I had so many personal ties to the place,” said Shirock. “I couldn’t have imagined it anywhere else. Now, after a long post production and successful festival run, the film finally comes home. It just feels right.”

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