Red Bull World Champion Athlete And Hollywood Stuntman Cory DeMeyers to premiere directorial debut, DANNY BOY, at Hollyshorts

Photo credit: © Create and Destroy Inc

(Los Angeles, CA) The Academy qualifying film festival Hollyshorts has selected Cory DeMeyers’ directorial debut Danny Boy. The poignant and thought-provoking award-winning short film is directed and produced by DeMeyers, a former Red Bull world champion athlete turned stuntman and the recipient of the 2020 Taurus World Stunt Award for his work on Quentin Tarantino’s Academy Award-nominated film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The script was written by Sammy Horowitz and the film stars Jett Jansen Fernandez and Sammy Horowitz.

Visit www.Hollyshorts.com to book tickets for the in-person screenings at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and the virtual presentations happening from September 23rd to October 1st.

The 12-minute L.A. noir explores challenges the perceptions of friendship, loyalty, masculinity, and homophobia. Set against the backdrop of a heist in progress, Danny Boy delves on these topics through a very intimate lens.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/554860824

The film tells the story of two low-rent criminals en route to a robbery and they don’t seem to be on the same page when it comes to life, love and loyalty. Lacking the presence of their mutual friend Stevie B, their plan may be in jeopardy along with their safety if these two acquaintances can’t find common ground. Stevie B said they would make a killing, but never mentioned they’d get along.

“At its simplest form ‘Danny Boy’ is about not judging a book by its cover and not projecting your ideals, standards and aspirations unfairly on others. Everything is not as it seems, especially in Francis mind, inside his ideal construct of masculinity,” explains director Cory DeMeyers. “Francis and Danny seemingly are both on the same level until Danny becomes a champion of the people and defends the lifestyle of non-heterosexual males” he adds.

As a former criminal, gang member and drug addict, screenwriter Sammy Horowitz adds: “All of my stories come from lived experience and I wanted to bring something to the table so to speak which is raw and uncut and shows the type of nuances that exist in the criminal world. Danny is gay, Francis is old school. Both of these characters reflect shades of people I have known and had interactions with throughout my life. Their truths were important to me.”

The film that The UK Film Review rated Five Stars and is calling “a must-see” has
recently begun its festival circuit, already winning Best Low Budget Short Film and Best Supporting Actor at the Cult Movies Film Festival. The Indie Shorts magazine gave it a score of 4.5 Stars and said: “It’s both remarkable and unusual for a story on crime, gang wars and heists to tread upon sensitive subjects such as homosexuality and by defying the conventional, what DeMeyers essentially does is both challenge and amuse his audience into a unique experience.”

Danny Boy is an opportunity for creative duo Cory DeMeyers (director, producer) and Sammy Horowitz (actor, writer) to show that the skills they have acquired over the years working as stuntmen reach far beyond mindless action.

“I want to prove that although both Sammy & I are Stuntmen, we are at our core Storytellers. Working as a stuntman with some of the great directors and producers of the time has been my film school, and when given the opportunity, I can contribute much more to this art form than is expected of me,” concludes director Cory DeMeyers.

Associate Producer Sari Sanchez stated, “With a gifted group of artists involved, a tight timeframe, and access to some key film equipment, I couldn’t think of a more exciting endeavor. ‘Danny Boy’ was a collaborative process from its inception which enriched an already thrilling premise. The authenticity of Sammy’s dialogue and the clarity of Cory’s vision made it easy to come on board with these guys behind the wheel.”

Starring Jett Jansen Fernandez (Stranger Things & Street Shadows), Sammy Horowitz(Notorious Nick, L.A’s Finest & Chicago PD). Directed/Produced by Cory DeMeyers(Taurus World Stunt Award Winner for Once Upon A Time in Hollywood). The film was produced in association with Crash Site Films (producer of Street Shadows) and Create and Destroy inc (DeMeyers Production Stable). Associate Producer: Sari Sanchez (Actress; Signature Move, Lucifer & Empire). Edited by Jeff McEvoy (Project Power, The Lincoln Lawyer). Original soundtrack contributions by KT Bonez.