The Screening Room is rolling out the red carpet on Monday, June 26, for the world premiere of “Single Minded,” a feature-length film that answers the question if life truly begins at 70.
The film stars Diano Donato, a Tucson local, who also wrote the screenplay. The title is apropos.
“It is about a woman in her 70s who decides that she is tired of being alone, she went through a couple of divorces and lost her husband,” producer Mark Headley said.
“She’s been single for a while, but she decides to get back into the dating scene in her 70s, so of course, what does she do? She goes on the internet and scrolls up internet dating. She has three very humorous encounters with three individual males that don’t quite work out… It’s about relationships. Why not somebody in their 70s?”
Directed by Tony Eckstatt, the movie is produced by Headley, a Tucson native. Headley, who has produced 75 other feature films in his five-decade career, said this is a Tucson production. The cast also features Elizabeth von Isser, Ramses Gaona and David Updegraff.
It has taken more than a year for “Single Minded” to premiere, as there was a tight budget. The team had to be mindful of continuity, ensuring the cast was wearing the right clothes and everything meshed. Headley had everything under control.
“We had, actually, six full days of shooting over a year and a half period,” he said. “Before we would go in to shoot, I would review with the director all the footage. It’s a bit of a challenge. That’s why we took our time and were very careful. We had a good story, and we just wanted to make sure we did justice when we actually filmed it.”
Headley has been making movies for decades. When he was 14, in 1962, he met a young Black actor on the set of “Lilies of the Field,” which was being filmed in Tucson at the time.
“(Sidney Poitier) took me around the set, introduced me to everybody, and I got friendly with Sidney and kept in touch with him when he went back to Hollywood,” Headley said.
“Then Bob Shelton and I formed the very first (Tucson) Film Commission back in the 1970s.”
The purpose: to tempt Hollywood into making movies here and add to the city’s economy. It must have worked; Poitier made his directorial debut here with “Stir Crazy,” starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor.
These days, Headley is looking forward to Monday.
“Premieres are always a lot of fun, no matter what,” he said.
More importantly, however, is because there is a new tax incentive to make movies in Arizona, moviemaking is returning to Tucson.
“This is a film renaissance for Southern Arizona,” he said. “There are so many great filmmakers that are happening now, and I’m proud to be part of the movement.”
“Single Minded”
WHEN: 6 p.m. Monday, June 26
WHERE: The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress Street, Tucson
COST: $10
INFO: Email Mark Headley for tickets at markheadley12@yahoo.com
