Private Project

Strange Friends

Mobster Ross Blakely (Michael Ochotorena) is about to get into a difficult spot when his devout sister Samantha (Sonia Aleman) comes to him with an unusual request: rescue her daughter Jennifer (Kyleigh Bakker) from the life of drugs and the influence of her drug-dealing boyfriend.

Shocked that his once religious niece had gone so astray, he agrees to his sister’s request.

But when rescuing Jennifer doesn’t go as smoothly as planned, Ross finds himself amongst the company of some strange friends, including an odd traveler named Matt (Gary Lee Vincent), who hopes to help him rescue his niece and possibly save him along the way.

  • Gary Lee Vincent
    Director
    A Promise to Astrid, Dispatched, Godsend
  • Gary Lee Vincent
    Writer
    (novel)
  • Rich Bottles Jr.
    Writer
    (screenplay) Godsend
  • Gary Lee Vincent
    Producer
  • Greg Mason
    Producer
  • John W. Iwonankiw
    Producer
  • Michael Ochotorena
    Producer
  • Rich Bottles Jr.
    Producer
  • Michael Ochotorena
    Key Cast
    "Ross Blakely"
    John Light, Dispatched, Godsend
  • Gary Lee Vincent
    Key Cast
    "Matt"
    Midnight, My Uncle John is a Zombie, Stranger Things, The Walking Dead
  • Kyleigh Bakker
    Key Cast
    "Jennifer Wallace"
    Stronger By This
  • Derek Solorsano
    Key Cast
    "Broadway"
    2 Guns
  • Joseph Carpenter
    Key Cast
    "Joey Crockett"
    An American Weightlifting Story
  • Greg Mason
    Key Cast
    "Denny Richards"
    Godsend, Wild Faith, Dispatched
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 37 minutes 56 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 29, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    100,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital`
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Burning Bulb Publishing
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Gary Lee Vincent

Gary Lee Vincent (b. 1974) was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia, and is an accomplished actor, producer, director, author, musician, and entrepreneur.

Gary has appeared in multiple plays and concerts throughout his life but got his motion picture acting debut at the age of 40 in the horror movie "Belly Timber" starring in the role of George Pogue, one of the founders of Indianapolis. He is most known for directing the 2020 motion picture remake of John Russo's "Midnight," where he played Bert Johnson (a role originally played by Lawrence Tierney in the 1982 original feature). He also received acclaim with his supporting lead role in "My Uncle John Is A Zombie," where he played Oscar, the crass bodyguard and nephew of Uncle John.

His first directorial debut was in the faith-based film, "A Promise to Astrid," starring Dean Cain. He went on to direct "Desk Clerk," "Dispatched," and co-directed "John Light," "Jack Jonah," "A Child of the King," "Coronavirus: Patient Zero," and "Coronavirus: Perfect Storm."

As an actor, he has starred in over fifty feature films, including "My Friend Dahmer," "S.K.B.," "Wrestlemassacre," "Killer Campout," "The Kingsbury Run," "Above Suspicion," "Solver," "Nightblade," "The Final Interview," "Her Name Was Christa" and many others.

In television, he has starred or worked on "Mindhunter" (Season 1), "House of Cards" (Season 5), "The Walking Dead" (Season 8), and "Stranger Things" (Seasons 2 and 3).

In 2010, his horror novel "Darkened Hills" was selected as 2010 Book of the Year winner by Foreword Reviews Magazine and became the pilot novel for a six-book series of vampire books called "Darkened," which includes the novels "Darkened Hills," "Darkened Hollows," "Darkened Waters," "Darkened Souls," "Darkened Minds," and "Darkened Destinies." He also co-authored the novel adaptation of "Belly Timber" with best-selling author John Russo, Solon Tsangaras, Dustin Kay, and Ken Wallace, and "Attack of the Melonheads" with screenwriter Bob Gray and Solon Tsangaras.

As a musician, Gary has produced three CDs: "100 Percent," "Passion, Pleasure, & Pain," and "Somewhere Down the Road."

Gary is the founder of Burning Bulb Publishing, a media company focused on independent story development, feature film production, and distribution.

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Director Statement

"Strange Things takes the message of faith to the urban person on the streets. It's gritty and relevant. Not your typical faith-based movie, but one that hits several buttons."
--Gary Lee Vincent