SYNOPSIS

Paul, Linda, John and Cindy are best friends who meet monthly for dinner parties. Living far from home and unable to get along with their relatives, they’ve become like a family. When Paul’s father dies of a sudden heart attack, his life is turned upside down and he questions the meaning of his existence. The most responsible one in the group, he unexpectedly quits his job as a corporate attorney, soul searches and undergoes a spiritual transformation. Having now found true happiness and meaning in life, Paul tries to convince his friends to embrace his new philosophy, which results in growing conflicts within the group that finally reach a boiling point.

This award-winning feature stars Melinda Bennett, Lisa Brenner, Jeff Clarke and Philipp Karner. Written by Mindy Fortune and Douglas Walker, Produced and Directed by Douglas Walker, and featuring music by “Julie the Band” and a score by Ken Fix. The Price of Happiness is a Sunlight Pictures production.

 

CAST

Melinda Bennett (Linda): Born in Virginia and raised in North Carolina, Melinda graduated from East Carolina University with a BFA in Dance/Theatre. A professional dancer in jazz, hip-hop, ballroom, her love for dance started at the age of 7, followed very shortly by acting. Melinda has played everything from the funny girl, nurse and cold-hearted corporate attorney, to the girl that has lost everything only to truly find herself. She has appeared in such films and TV show as “Knocked Up,” “Pushing Daisies,” “Dexter” and “Will & Grace.”

Lisa Brenner (Cindy): Lisa Brenner, a native New Yorker, has been acting in films and television for almost 30 years. Most known for her role as Heath Ledger’s wife Anne Howard in “The Patriot,” Lisa has starred in films such as “Finding Home,” “Alex in Wonder” and “Blank Slate.” Most recently she’s guest starred in hit TV shows such as “CSI:NY,” “The Mentalist” and “Leverage.”

Jeff Clarke (John): Jeff Clarke is a Gemini nominated actor who regularly appears on popular American TV series such as: “12 Monkeys,” “Monday Mornings,” “Rizzoli & Isles,” “Up All Night,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Without a Trace,” “Criminal Minds,” “Ugly Betty” and more. He recently completed a 5 episode arc as Howard Dawes on “Mad Men.” Jeff has appeared in 16 m.o.w.s for CBS, Lifetime, A&E, Hallmark, and Disney, as well as more than 70 national commercials in Canada and the U.S. combined. Feature films include: “Chicago,” “Clear Blue,” “The Price of Happiness” and the upcoming “Xmas Horror Story” and “Coconut Hero.” He loves Iced Americanos, Hot Yoga and being a Dad. 

Philipp Karner (Paul): Originally from Vienna, Austria, Philipp played the teenage Johann Strauss in the BBC mini series “The Strauss Dynasty” at 16. After moving to New York City, Philipp appeared in several Off-Broadway plays and played supporting roles on “Sex and the City” and “Sopranos.” Now living in Los Angeles, Philipp has guest starred on numerous TV shows (including “Without a Trace,” “Castle,” “CSI: Miami”) and played lead roles in the romantic comedy “Kiss the Bride” and the drama “The Price of Happiness.”

 

THE FILMMAKERS

Douglas Walker (Writer, Producer & Director): Born in Buffalo, NY and raised in Boston, MA, Douglas Walker studied film production at Emerson College in Boston. Upon graduation, he moved to Los Angeles and started his career as an apprentice film editor on “D.O.A.” and “Troop Beverly Hills”. Committed to making his own films, he left the editorial department and went on to write several screenplays and, produce and direct numerous shorts, music videos and industrials, as well as theatre. Douglas has received awards for both his writing and directing.

Gregory Allen Webb (Co-Producer): Greg graduated from the University of North Carolina – Greensboro with a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcasting Cinematography. Over the years, he has amassed a credit list to include over 200 music videos, hundreds of commercials, and over fifty feature films. Greg has worked on a producer level with stars such as Faye Dunaway, Brian Doyle-Murray, Gary Busey, and Stacey Keach. During his tenure as Vice President and Head of Production at Imperia Entertainment, Greg developed scripts, formulated budgets, provided post-production supervision, and assisted in project finance, acquisitions and distribution.

Jefferson Loftfield (Director of Photography): Born and raised in Wilmington, NC, cinematographer, Jefferson Loftfield, studied film at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and received an MFA in Film Production from the University of North Carolina – Greensboro. After working for several years in the North Carolina film industry, Jefferson relocated to Los Angeles. He has lensed numerous projects from features to shorts, commercials to web series. His work has been showcased in film festivals, the web, TV and art museums.

Ken Fix (Composer): Born in La Jolla, CA and raised in Providence, RI, Ken attended Berklee College of Music where he studied guitar, composition and arranging. After hearing the music of John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith, he decided to pursue a career writing music for films. Since moving to Los Angeles, Ken has worked as a copyist on such films as “Independence Day” and “Stargate,” an orchestrator, and he has composed and orchestrated his own music on several feature films. In addition to writing for films, Ken also writes serious concert works, some of which have received a live broadcast on KUSC and were recorded by the Prague Radio Symphony.

 

AWARDS

Best Director and Director of the Year - The International Film Festival of Spirituality, Religion and Vision - Jakarta, Indonesia;

Best Narrative Feature and Best Actor - Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood;

Platinum Reel Award - Nevada International Film Festival;

Award of Excellence - The Indie Fest;

Award of Merit - The Accolade Competition;

Official Entry in the Independent Filmmakers Showcase (IFS Film Festival);

Semi-finalist - American Zoetrope Screenplay Contest (judged by Francis Ford Coppola); and

Semi-finalist - The Screenplay Festival.