Long Island filmmakers raise funds to complete independent film “Offsides” | Herald Community Newspapers | www.liherald.com
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Long Island filmmakers raise funds to complete independent film “Offsides”
Posted
Friday,August 21, 20267:58 am
Independent filmmakers brought their Long Island-made feature film one step closer to completion, when supporters gathered at South Shore Craft Brewery in Oceanside for a fundraiser supporting “Offsides.”
Courtesy CK Productions Co.
Independent filmmakers brought their Long Island-made feature film one step closer to completion, when supporters gathered at South Shore Craft Brewery in Oceanside for a fundraiser supporting “Offsides.”
The Aug. 8 event gave community members an opportunity to enjoy live music and local brews while helping the filmmakers behind the independent production raise money for post-production and the film’s future distribution and festival plans.
“Offsides” follows Maddy, a former soccer prodigy whose athletic career is cut short by an injury. Now in her late 20s and back home on Long Island, Maddy struggles with depression, family pressure and the realization that the future she spent her life preparing for may no longer be possible.
Writer, director and producer Ethan Felizzari-Castillo, along with producers Adam Del Valle and Anabella Barrios, are part of CK Films, a CK Productions Co, which is based in Brooklyn.
The filmmakers said the story was inspired by a question many people eventually face: What happens when a dream does not come true?
“We were drawn to how universal Maddy’s experience is,” Felizzari-Castillo said. “You don’t have to be an athlete to understand what it feels like to lose your sense of direction or feel as though everyone around you is moving forward while you remain stuck.”
The film also explores depression in a way the filmmakers hope feels recognizable rather than sensationalized. Maddy’s struggles appear in her relationships, routines and interactions with the community where she grew up.
The production was filmed entirely across Long Island, with locations in Northport, Huntington, Oyster Bay, Sayville and Bay Shore. Filming took place over six months, allowing the production to capture the Island through different seasons.
“Long Island is essential to the identity of ‘Offsides,’” Barrios said. “This is not simply a project filmed here; the Island is integral to the story.”
For South Shore Craft Brewery owner Nick Cimorelli, hosting the fundraiser was another way to support local talent while bringing people into the Oceanside business.
The filmmakers reached out to the brewery about hosting the event, and Cimorelli said he saw an opportunity to support an independent production while introducing the brewery to new customers.
“I think it’s a great way to support up and coming local talent,” Cimorelli said. “When we were starting South Shore Craft Brewery, we had a lot of people support and encourage us, so it feels good to be able to do the same for another local project.”
The money raised will go directly toward completing post-production and preparing for distribution, festivals and future screenings.
“We hope audiences leave the film feeling less alone,” Del Valle said. “Dreams can change and starting over does not mean that you have failed.”
For the team behind “Offsides,” the fundraiser represented more than a step toward completing a movie — it was a continuation of the community support that has been central to the project from the beginning.
“Independent filmmaking only exists because people decide to show up,” Felizzari-Castillo said. “Having the community embrace a story created in its own backyard reminds us why we made it this way in the first place.”
