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New films ‘Shea,’ ‘Dream House,’ both shot in Hartford, available on Amazon Prime

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Two timely new films shot in Hartford are available for viewing on Amazon Prime now, one a short drama about a gay man, the other a pilot for a supernatural series about race relations.

‘Shea’

The 16-minute pilot, “Shea,” is about a subject that is both timeless and of-the-moment. It tells the story of a white teenage girl who begins dating an African American man who has recently had a frightening encounter with the police. When she mysteriously turns black, she faces bigotry and discrimination for the first time in her life.

“I want to show what it’s like to live in another person’s shoes,” said Anthony Valentine of Bloomfield, who wrote and directed “Shea.” “I want to spread love and compassion.”

Valentine, 26, said he created the plot from his own and other people’s experiences. “I can’t speak for all, but I can speak my all,” he said.

“Shea,” partially funded by Arts Council of Greater New Haven, was filmed at Capitol Ice Cream in Hartford, Town Line Diner in Rocky Hill and Ocean Beach in New London, but the name of the town has been fictionalized to “Grandview.” Two actors, Unique Davey, as a waitress, and Jefferson Arelus, as the boyfriend, are from Hartford.

Valentine is working on ways to develop the concept into a 10-episode, hourlong series.

Valentine – who publishes a magazine, Kulture Mag, and works as an EMT and a motivational speaker – compared racism to COVID. “COVID is an invisible enemy. Racism is an invisible enemy,” he said. “Here we are in 2020 dealing with invisible enemies on two fronts.”

Ryan Farley, left, and Lance Williams in “Dream House,” which was filmed in Suffield, Farmington and Hartford.

‘Dream House’

“Dream House” was written by David Lally, who grew up in Suffield and now lives in Avon. The semi-autobiographical film tells the story of a troubled gay man living with his aging mother in his childhood home, struggling with her hovering and his attraction to her handyman.

“I think of it as an homage and indictment … but it’s really about emotional enmeshment. Dysfunctional relationships develop between mothers and gay sons,” said Lally, 64. “They kind of get stuck in a particular phase of development.”

The half-hour movie was shot at a private in Suffield. “Our house had been sold and renovated by then. We needed a house that was a little bit run down,” Lally said. “We found one. The owners were so nice. We came and went over a two-year period.”

The film, directed by Jeff Bemiss, also has scenes at Piccolo Arancio restaurant in Farmington, at Chez Est gay bar in Hartford and in the office space on the top floor of the residential building Hartford 21.

The script had a staged reading at Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford and Playhouse on Park in West Hartford in 2003. Among the cast are Ryan Farley, who starred in Hartford Stage’s 2012 production of “Boeing-Boeing,” and Lance Williams, formerly of Enfield.

Besides being a screenwriter, Lally has worked in marketing and communications at various corporations, and for a few years as a therapist.

Lally financed the film through an Indiegogo campaign and a gift of money from his brother, but most of the $60,000 budget he paid for himself. Before its release on Amazon, he showed the film in several festivals. It won a prize at the Burbank (Calif.) Film Festival for best LGBT film. He is now working on possibly turning “Dream House” into a feature film or a TV series.

Emily Morse and Gary Ploski in “Rising Star,” which was filmed in Hartford.

Other Hartford films

“Shea” and “Dream House” join other films shot in Hartford that are available for viewing on Amazon Prime.

“All In: The Family” is a 2020 story of a young man whose brother was murdered, who tries to solve the crime. It was directed by Joe Young and stars Young’s son, well-known Hartford rapper Tang Sauce.

“Diamond Ruff,” Alec Asten’s 2015 gangster drama about a man falsely imprisoned, stars rapper Fredro Starr and Felicia Pearson of “The Wire” has a small role.

“Rising Star,” Marty Lang’s 2013 love story, is about a workaholic actuary and a free-spirited woman. Durham native Michael Barra, who later starred on Broadway in “A Bronx Tale,” has a funny supporting role.

“Rediscovering Christmas,” a 2019 Lifetime Network romance directed by Colin Theys of Rocky Hill-based Synthetic Cinema, was filmed in Old Wethersfield and on Pratt Street in Hartford.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.