Photo Flash: Melissa Errico Attends PATRIMONY Premiere

Cataumet-based writer Donald Marcus will premiere his first short film at the Boston International Film Festival. Shot entirely on Cape Cod, Patrimony will help kick off the festival on Friday, April 15 at 6 pm at the AMC/Loews Theater on 175 Tremont in Boston.

Patrimony stars Oscar®-nominated Robert Vaughn and Tony®-nominated Melissa Errico, with local actress Sarah deLima rounding out the cast. The film focuses on a critical moment in the relationship between an elderly man and his daughter-in-law after the unexpected death of his son/her husband. The film was shot in three days on location in Pocasset, Massachusetts, and manages to weave the beauty and solitude of Cape Cod into the story. Mr. Marcus utilized many Massachusetts-based crew members, edited the film at Grey Matter Entertainment in Watertown, and did the audio mix at Mix One Studios in Boston. "I've had the idea for Patrimony for many years," says Mr. Marcus, "but always saw it as a short story. Then when I moved back to Massachusetts, I realized the story could best be told as a film and that the Cape would be the ideal setting for it."

Shooting the film in Massachusetts allowed Mr. Marcus to take advantage of the state film tax credit to help keep the movie on budget. More importantly, he says that the experience of shooting a film in this locale has been so satisfactory, from both a financial and a creative perspective, that Mr. Marcus plans to shoot a number of future projects in Southeastern Massachusetts.

Mr. Marcus has extensive experience as a writer-producer for American television series., and has written over thirty produced hours of television for series as diverse as Knots Landing and Young Riders, which have appeared on CBS, ABC, Fox, USA Network, and in first-run syndication. While living in London, he was commissioned by several leading UK companies, including Granada and the BBC, to create and develop original drama series. Before working in television, Mr. Marcus founded and ran a leading Off-Broadway theatre, The Ark Theatre Company in New York City. At the Ark he produced over thirty productions and specialized in discovering emerging talent, such as director Julie Taymor (Spiderman, The Lion King).