Event Horizon Films (EHF), screenwriting competition partner for the Dallas International Film Festival, announced today the details for the production company’s latest short film. Fighting Chance, a psychological drama, wrapped filming on April 14 in Abilene, Texas, bringing in cast and crew from areas around Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin.
News of the production was teased at the Dallas International Film Festival on May 4 with the revealing of the official movie poster. The film’s writer-director, Zack Frizzell, best known for (*)hit Squad and The Banishing, was also in attendance at the film festival.
“It’s great to be back at DIFF, and among so many talented actors and filmmakers,” Frizzell said. “The DFW pool was our first choice and the right choice for the team behind Fighting Chance.”
EHF also worked alongside Dallas-based MSD Productions, The Blaze Brothers Production Company and Cisco College to develop the film. The cast included Noah Archibald, Casey Barnes, Richard Caldwell and Kayla Coulthurst.
Noah Archibald is a Texas native and a lifelong performer. His recent credits included the national tour of Grace for President and several short and feature-length films. He holds a Bachelor of Art in theatre and music from Pepperdine University, where he performed in several musicals, operas, and plays, including the world premiere of Davey Anderson’s The Abode at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Casey Barnes is best known for his role as Ice Cream the Drug Dealer in Chad Hamilton’s recent film release of Bad Romance. He has also played the theatre roles of Danny Zuko in Grease and Sganarelle by Molière. Barnes was theatrically trained at Wayne State College.
Richard Caldwell is best known for his first unit credit working on Spy Kids: Armageddon. Trained in musical theater, Caldwell has played the roles of Pippin, Sky Masterson and Jesus in Godspell. He has also worked on several movies and commercials as a grip.
Kayla Coulthurst is an actress and model, known for her appearances with the Ruvarake clothing line and the Track Girls TV series. For 10 years, she has worked in the acting world, both film and stage alike. Theatrical credits included 12th Night and White Christmas, among many others.
The Fighting Chance update, which has been in the works since 2022, was revealed days after news of the WGA strike. Supporting writers, EHF also announced a pause on the company’s Script to Screen screenwriting competition, which offers screenwriters the opportunity to have a winning short script made into a film.
According to EHF, “the competition will reman open for writers to continue to submit and get their scripts in front of top representation companies, however, no production deals will be allowed until after the strike has been lifted.”
The film is expected to premiere in spring 2024. For more information about EHF, visit eventhorizonfilms.com. Information can also be found on: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Event Horizon Films
Event Horizon Films (www.eventhorizonfilms.com) is an award-wining film production company and screenwriting service in Dallas, Los Angeles and New York. Founded in 2019, EHF’s network of film professionals include Academy Award-, Golden Globe- and Emmy Award-winning talent and partners at top talent agencies and literary management companies. EHF is also the official host of the nationally-recognized screenwriting competition for the Dallas International Film Festival. EHF is committed to supporting screenwriters, building networks and producing stories.
