Anything for Love

Martin Donavan and Kelly Lynch pursue romance in Anything for Love, a film by Tom and Sandi Anton.
Martin Donavan and Kelly Lynch pursue romance in Anything for Love, a film by Tom and Sandi Anton.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Anything for Love will screen Tuesday, February 10, 2015.

The Anton’s will also introduce their renamed film society, WNC Film Society and their new venue to the Asheville, Hendersonville, Brevard, Arden and Mills River areas.

Former New Orleans resident, Tom Anton, now resident of Brevard, wanted to make sure that the unique beauty, history and romance of his beloved city was fully captured in his film, Anything for Love, based on Tom and his wife and writer, Sandi Russell’s, true love story.

Anything for Love will be screened on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 7 p.m. at Grace Centre in Asheville. The Anton’s are presenting Anything for Love to kick off the WNC Film Society, the result of combining the Brevard Film Society and the Asheville Cinema Society. For information on how to join go to www.wncfilmsociety.com

Anything for Love, previously entitled At Last, was filmed entirely on location in New Orleans. Anton wanted New Orleans, particularly the French Quarter and Garden District, to be its own unique “character” in the film. “As a past resident of the French Quarter in New Orleans, I wanted to make sure that the romance of the most European city in the US with its gas lanterns and amazing architecture was fully captured in my film.” Anton boasts, “And you can’t beat filming in the cemeteries.”

For his first feature film, Anton was able to attract director of photography, Roberto Schaefer, who has worked with several directors on their first movies. Says Schaefer, “I enjoy giving input on how to arrange, choreograph, and illustrate the shoot. I’m used to that: I worked with Mark Forster (Monsters Ball, Finding Neverland, Kiterunner, Quantum of Solace) on his first movie project. Tom Anton and I went over how the production image-wise would be laid out, and I’ve tried to keep it natural feeling because this is a real story.”

Shooting in and around New Orleans was both a delight and a challenge. Says Schaefer, “It’s a fun place to shoot because when you wrap you have fun. But it’s not the easiest place to shoot because it’s a noisy place. There are trains, planes, boats with horns, tourists, cars and calliopes on the river… it’s a challenge.”

The sound track for the film is authentic New Orleans. “New Orleans music beats to a rhythm unique to the history of the city. Jazz, Blues and Cajun music are at home in New Orleans,” Anton notes.

“I hope that audiences will see this movie as someone going after his dreams against all odds. The story uncovers family dysfunction, but at its core it’s about two people who should be together. In relationships, people need to have things in common… pursue the same dreams, have the same values and have the same faith in God.”

Russell puts it in her words, “My dream for the film is that it feels real… real family life with all its problems. If it touches people and they can see themselves in other people who face the same kinds of challenges and problems… that we’re all connected in this way and that there’s hope for a happy ending… then I’m happy.”

View the trailer at www.atlastthemovie.com