Former LBCC student Jackson Wilfong will host a premiere for his upcoming film “Blazers Stained in Burgundy” on May 29 at the Long Beach Art Theatre from 7 to 9:30 p.m.
Guests can begin purchasing tickets at will call at 7 p.m., with doors to the theater opening at 7:30 p.m. The film is set to begin screening at 8:15 p.m.
“The film is a reflection on power, loyalty, and unraveling under weight you thought you could carry,” Wilfong said.
Wilfong took his inspiration for the film from 1980s and 1990s crime films, drawn specifically from “The Sopranos,” Martin Scorsese and the Safdie brothers.
“The title, ‘Blazers Stained in Burgundy,’ is a dark-styled short film centered on Madam K, a powerful mob-boss whose grip on her power begins to slip after a tense encounter with an FBI agent…as the pressure melts so does her control on her world and mind,” Wilfong said.
Using his inspiration from “The Sopranos,” Wilfong chose to shoot the film in locations he thought would be interesting or unexpected, using local locations like the Long Beach Marina, Skylinks Golf Course, a high School in Torrance as well as other locations provided to him by his friends and family. Some other locations included his grandfather’s house, his fathers warehouse and his friends boat.
Wilfong wrote “Blazers Stained in Burgundy” in the winter of 2022 and began filming in the summer of 2023, with final edits made in the fall of 2024.
Director Jackson Wilfong poses while he sits in a director’s chair with the official poster for his short film, “Blazers Stained in Burgundy,” May 20. (Kay Pham-Nguyen)
When finding his cast and crew for this film, Wilfong turned to his friends and family, recruiting people he thought would be good fits for the roles.
Most of the cast was also found online via ads for more technological positions such as sound design, editors and colorists.
Madeline Popovich, who plays Tonic, one of Madam K’s employees, connected with Wilfong through a previous acting job she had done.
In the past, Popovich had been involved in various small films and passion projects, which helped prepare her for her role in this film.
Popopvich believes she and this film collided at the perfect time and said, “I began this at a time in my life when I was just stepping into pursuing acting and this confirmed it for me.”
Jerffrey Gaynor, who plays Tommy Spoons, stepped into his role naturally. His character has an inherent nervous energy about him, a feeling Gaynor is no stranger to.
“I was finding my own natural mix of my own personal anxieties, and felt like I was playing a version of myself,” Gaynor said.
Gaynor had previously been involved in other short films, but the shooting of this film was different for him.
“You can tell a lot of planning and passion went into this one, this is the first shoot that felt well prepared,” Gaynor said.
Opposite from Gaynors familiarity with his role, Anthony J. Reyes, who plays Jimmy Blonde, had to work to understand his character.
“I had to take myself out of my own person and step into someone who is made fun of and dumb,” Reyes said.
Originally brought in as wardrobe assistant, Reyes was presented by Wilfong the opportunity to be featured as an actor in the film.
Though it was his first time in front of the camera, Reyes used it as a chance to test his acting capabilities.
Wilfong’s push to make “Blazers Stained in Burgundy” was to see what his film potential was before going back to school.
After taking a few classes at LBCC, Wilfong decided to take an academic leave to focus on his passion of film-making.
This decision drove him to gather the community around him and get his film into motion.
After finishing the film, Wilfong transferred to CSULB where he is now pursuing a degree in film.
The official premiere for “Blazers Stained in Burgundy” will take place at the Long Beach Art Theater on Thursday May 29, at 7 p.m.
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