Running Mates A new film from the comedy team that brought you GREG & GENTILLON and HANK AND MIKE Thomas Michael and Paolo Mancini Starring Thomas Michael, Paolo Mancini, Jane McLean, Tarah Consoli, Mike Beaver, Linda Kash, Graham Greene, with DJ Qualls, and Henry Winkler RUNNING MATES The duo that brought you Hank and Mike and Greg & Gentillon, Thomas Michael and Paolo Mancini, are back with a comedy that captures the hilarity, drama and hijinks of small‐town politics. Thomas Michael directs from his and Mancini’s script. Sean Buckley of Buck Productions produces along with Michael’s Fella FIlms. Boutique Films distributes in Canada. Running Mates stars Thomas Michael (Hank and Mike, Greg & Gentillon, The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico), Paolo Mancini (Casino Jack, Hank and Mike, Greg & Gentillon), Jane McLean (The Time Traveler’s Wife, 24, Dexter, Shoot ‘Em Up), Mike Beaver (Cooper’s Camera, He’s Just Not That Into You, Billable Hours), Henry Winkler (Happy Days, Arrested Development, Waterboy), and DJ Qualls (All About Steve, Hustle & Flow, Road Trip). Archie Fenton (Michael) couldn’t wait to leave his childhood town of Shoulder. The minute he finished high school, he went out into the world in search of bigger and better things. Seemingly out of nowhere, he returns to town with his ambitious wife Ronnie (McLean) and announces his candidacy for mayor. He runs into his childhood friend Reg (Mancini) who now runs the local tow truck company with his brother “Moose” (Beaver). They barely recognize Archie in his fancy suit and non‐mullet big‐city haircut but friendship is forever. So after a night of catching up, the boys are fished out of the drunk‐tank by their angry wives. Archie is told by Ronnie that if he ever hopes to be mayor, he can’t hang out with his old buddies. When Archie tries to explain this to Reg, his friend is crushed. To get back at him, Reg decides it’s time to get into politics and runs against his old best friend for mayor of Shoulder. Along the way we meet the incumbent Mayor Weatherbee (Winkler), much loved for his increase of the litter fine from $20 to $22.50, and Archie and Reg’s tried and true friend ‘One‐Ball,’ (Qualls) manager of the pride of Shoulder – the curtain rod plant. A balls‐out comedy with a heart of gold, Running Mates reminds us that good friends are hard to find and even harder to lose! Let the campaigning begin!! THE PRODUCTION OF RUNNING MATES You can never predict when a call from out of the blue will result in comedy gold, but that’s exactly what happened in the fall of 2008, when Nicholas Tabarrok called up writer/director Thomas Michael. Having previously worked with Tabarrok on Hank and Mike, Michael was excited to get a call from the producer asking him if he had a script in the works that could be produced for his new distribution company with partner John Kozman, Boutique Films. Michael had an idea kicking around in his mind for a story about two friends who run against each other for Mayor of a small town and he ran with it. “I told Nicholas and John the basic idea for Running Mates and they loved it. I then asked Paolo what he thought of the idea and he said he was on board,” recalls Michael. “Paolo and I started working on the script right away.” Thomas Michael and Paolo Mancini had worked together on two previous comedic feature films so it felt natural for the writing duo to work together on the script for Running Mates. Only this time, they took a different approach. “We usually write every script together, but for this one we beat out the scenes together and then divided it up – Paolo wrote some of the characters and I wrote some of the characters,” says Michael. With Michael in LA and Mancini in Toronto, they faced a small logistical challenge co‐writing the script, but found a very current solution – says Michael, “We did all of this over Skype!” In addition to co‐writing the script, Running Mates would be Michael’s feature film directorial debut. Says Producer Sean Buckley of the first‐time feature film director, “There aren’t a lot of people that you would give the challenge of directing to, who were already wearing so many hats – writer, producer, actor – but in Thomas’s case it was a perfect fit because his confidence is unrivaled, and at the end of the day that’s the kind of director you want. He prepared beautifully, he understood the material, worked gorgeously with his writing partner Paolo, as well as the cast and crew.” What started out as a quirky, low‐budget comedy quickly grew into something that no‐one saw coming, largely based on the strength of the script. The accessible storyline in Running Mates is brought to life by idiosyncratic characters with a lot of heart that people really seemed to respond to. “This is a film that just kept growing,” recalls Michael. “We started wanting to make it for almost nothing and it was going to be moc‐doc style, but suddenly it became a bigger film and that’s when we were able to land the incredible talents of Henry Winkler, DJ Qualls, Graham Greene, and Linda Kash. Everyone really responded to the script. They got it right away and loved the characters.” THE TEAM The blood, sweat and tears on the production came from a core team made up of the deadly duo ‐ Thomas Michael and Paolo Mancini ‐ along with Sean Buckley of Buck Productions. “Everyone is attached to this film for the right reasons – it couldn’t be made otherwise,” says Michael of the team. “Sean really makes you feel cushioned and safe in this crazy world of filmmaking.” “I was an executive producer on Hank and Mike and I really got to know Thomas and Paolo through that,” says Buckley. “These guys inspire me. They have all this raw talent and drive. It’s infectious. When they asked if I would take the helm on the producing side I was thrilled.” As for the writing duo, Michael and Mancini have a long history together – of being friends as well as creative partners. The pair grew up in the same town and have been friends since the age of 12. When Michael convinced Mancini to (reluctantly!) join a sketch comedy group he was in, they found they had the ability to write really great material together. After doing a series for The Comedy Network they decided to pen a script for a feature film. When that proved successful, they kept going, and Running Mates is the duo’s third feature film collaboration. Having been friends as long as they have plays a big part in their working relationship. They have a short hand as a result of this history as well as an ability to be very candid with each other. “Sometimes art can get poisoned by ego, and both Thomas and I know that,” says Mancini. “Because we are such good friends and have worked together on various projects, we don’t take things personally. We can really be straight with each other.” Michael agrees; “We are colleagues and best friends. Paolo is a wonderful talent. He’s all heart and all passion. What makes our professional relationship work is that we’re not afraid to tell each other the truth all the time. This relationship keeps us grounded and at our best.” The duo’s offbeat comedy style tends to draw from the charming quirkiness in humankind as represented by the characters they write. “The comedy of Thomas and Paolo is unique in the sense that it pushes a lot of boundaries, but also introduces a lot of familiar story components – friendship, love, and loyalty,” says Buckley. “They get a lot of laughs and have a lot of great comedic moments while doing that.” Ultimately, their friendship is also at the thematic core of their writing as well. “The recurring themes in our movies seem to be friendship, brotherhood and loyalty as well as figuring out your place in the world,” says Michael. “But this is also just a really fun platform for comedy ‐ two friends tearing each other apart running for mayor.” IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR Michael and Mancini’s own friendship is very much at the heart of this story. They also play the two central characters ‐ Archie and Reg ‐ who are best friends in RUNNING MATES. Michael takes the part of Archie Fenton ‐ a man trying to find himself. He left the small town of Shoulder to see the world, only to find himself back years later, running for Mayor – his first step in an ambitious political career. “Archie has created this idea of who he wants to become and he’s running away from who he is, or used to be,” says Michael of his character. “He’s created this outward shell of the perfect guy – fancy suit, nice car, slick hair ‐ but really, there is very little behind it. It takes a clash with his former best friend Reg and the memories of his old town to make him realize who he truly is. At the end he understands that it’s okay to grow and change, but to always stay true to who you really are.” Mancini plays Archie’s long‐time friend Reg Rossi, who still lives in Shoulder and runs the local tow truck company.