Johnny B. Dunn's FREE RANGE: FACING THE BULL – OR THE BULLY to Screen as Part of Fresh Fruit Fest

All Out Arts in conjunction with The Wild Project presents An LGBT Film Event as part of the Fresh Fruit Festival.

FREE RANGE (WINNER: One-in-Ten International Competition) will be shown as a staged presentation of the screenplay by Johnny B. Dunn; presentation directed by A.J. Ciccotelli, assisted by Payton Crispe, and produced by Frank Calo on SUNDAY, AUGUST 26 @ 2:00 p.m. at The Wild Project, 195 E 3rd St, New York, NY 10009. Admission is $10 and refreshments will be served at a reception with talk-back immediately following the presentation. This is one of three special film-related presentations: http://www.freshfruitfestival.com/film-fest-2018/

FACING THE BULL - OR THE BULLY: A heterosexual rodeo champion - plagued by memories of past actions - seeks redemption by coaching a group of bullied LGBTQ high school students in his state's rodeo competition.

In a small Western town, national rodeo champion and local hero, Chad Raines, returns home to his father's ranch after a bull-riding accident to contemplate the end of his career. Father & son are tormented by the loss of Chad's mother and his brother, whose cries for help went unanswered ... until it was too late. Unable to reconcile with his guilt, Chad turns to drugs and liquor.

Reluctantly, Chad agrees to coach the local high school Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) to prepare them for a rodeo. Meanwhile, this rodeo would be pitting another brother against brother. Toby, president of the local GSA will compete against Mark, the president of the Rodeo club. They, like Chad and his deceased brother, don't see eye-to-eye ... to say the least, with Toby battling for respect and Mark, emerging as one of the harassers of the GSA.

With the seminal event (the Rodeo) impending and haunted by the memory of his brother, who - because of bullying - committed suicide, Chad must decide - like his father and the entire town - what side he's on.

The cast includes Matthew McCarthy, Chris London, Christine Nagy, Andrew Russel, Jeff Maschi, Victor Colasurdo, Claudia Ramirez, Dominik Faruolo, Katie DeBari, Rubin Smyers, Mark Cooper, W. Allen Wrede, David Dotterer, Jere Williams, Gian Carlo Durland, Jeffrey Turboff, Austin Anthony, Glenn Ghirardi, Alain Laforest, Susan McMahon, Eric Hackler.

Johnny B. Dunn (screenwriter) is an award-winning screenwriter known for his unique stories, characterization and dialogue, has several projects currently considered for development. Johnny (possessing a Master's in Screenwriting from Chapman University), has completed writing assignments for Polymorphic Pictures (First look deal: Warner Brothers) and for a feature and television pilot with Roserock Films (Hunt Lowry - First look deal: Warner Brothers). He also developed a one-hour drama pilot for Legendary.

"Johnny is the most collaborative screenwriter I have worked with in the last twenty years who really listens and works to make the script great." Jacqueline Adler, Producer Cobblestone Films. Awards include: FREE RANGE. Winner, One in Ten International Competition; SOULS IN A VOID. Winner-First Place, Gemini International Playwriting Competition; FINDING ROOM. Finalist, 2011 BlueCat Screenplay Competition; LOVE RESTORED. Finalist in the Buffalo/Niagara Film Festival screenwriting competition

Director, A.J. Ciccotelli is currently an M.F.A. candidate from the David Lynch Graduate School of Cinematic Arts and Maharishi University. Director, co-writer, and producer of the soon to be released feature, Ripples of Water. Ciccotelli is a multi-award winning, highly acclaimed stage director as well.

Established in 1991, All Out Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit devoted to bringing together the diverse artistic, organizational, political and financial resources of the LGBTQ community in order to fight intolerance. All Out Arts fulfills its mission by supporting arts organizations within the community through fiscal sponsorship, events, contests, collaborations, networking events for emerging artists, and by sponsoring productions, concerts and exhibitions of visual arts. We confront homophobia through the humanizing influence of the arts, and the Fresh Fruit Festival is the primary expression of the All Out Arts mission. The Fresh Fruit Festival is presented by All Out Arts to celebrate the LGBTQ community's unique perspective, creativity & diversity, and to build links between the LGBTQ artistic communities, be they local or international. It encompasses theater, performance, poetry, comedy, spoken word, music, dance, visual arts and some talents that defy categorization.