Mayor hosts fundraiser to support daughter’s film

Mayor Holly Brinda hopes the community will come out to a fundraiser in support of her daughter’s big screen film dream.

Brinda and her daughter Marielle, 29, will host A Night at Monteith Hall Film Fundraiser on Dec. 27 to raise money for Marielle’s short film, “The Last Course.”

The fundraiser will be held from 7-10 p.m. at the Elyria Women’s Club, housed in the city’s historic Monteith Hall on 218 East Ave.

The 12-minute short film is a dark family drama with a new take on a classic ghost story, said Marielle Brinda.

“The short film surrounds the main character, Maggie, and her family as they meet one night to celebrate her father’s 60th birthday,” she said excitedly.

“The film takes an unexpected turn though when Maggie attempts to fulfill her late brother’s last wish and the plot weaves between each family member’s individual experiences with fear and loss.”

As the writer, director and producer of the short film, Marielle Brinda said she wanted to host the fundraiser at the Elyria Women’s Club location because the organization supports the aspirations of local women.

“I thought it would be a good idea to host the event at the Elyria Women’s Club because it’s an organization supporting women and I’m currently looking to establish myself as a female director in an industry that is predominately male,” she said.

“Writing and directing is something I’ve always had an interest in and even though I currently live in L.A., my roots and passion for film started in Elyria. I knew this is where I needed to return as I look to really get my big break in film.”

With a goal of raising $8,000, she said the money collected in the event will go directly towards purchasing film equipment and hiring essential crew members.

“My ultimate goal is to submit this piece to a short film festival for consideration, so everything has to be professional,” Marielle Brinda said.

“Producing a quality piece is time consuming and can get expensive, so it would really mean a lot to me if people would come out in support of it. I have a lot of good people behind me working on this film already, so I’m excited and have a lot of faith that this will be the big break I need to launch my career in film,” she said

More than happy to support her daughter’s Hollywood dream, Holly Brinda said the fundraiser will allow county residents to be a small part in her daughter’s budding career.

“I’m very proud of her because it’s a real endeavor for a woman to break into the movie industry,” the mayor said.

“I’m very happy to sup- port her and believe this will be a nice opportunity for Lorain County residents to engage in what we hope is a successful Hollywood production.”

The one-night fundraiser will feature games, music and a video presentation in addition to desserts, hors d’oeuvres, champagne and refreshments being served.

Fundraiser tickets are $35 each or $50 for a pair.

Special incentives will be given to those who pledge $10 or more to the film’s Kickstarter project, such as a digital download of the film, autographed photo of the film’s cast or special “thank you” credit acknowledgment at the end of the film.

Tickets can be ordered online or picked up at the door.

Those who can’t attend the fundraiser event but still wish to donate can do so by visiting the film’s Kickstarter campaign page .

Apart from “The Last Course,” Marielle Brinda is working on a few other projects which include writing a full-length, coming-of-age screenplay and a documentary called: “The Dean: The Voice of the Cleveland Sports Fan” which follows her father, sportscaster Greg Brinda, Cleveland fans and the city as it set its sights on a potential championship.