Paul A. Hart discusses indie films and his latest directorial gig, “Fathers of the Bride: A Yuletide Wedding Comedy.” He has worked behind the scenes on some of the biggest film projects in show business, including “Spiderman 1-3,” “The Gift,” “Hocus Pocus 2,” and “The First Omen,” just to name a few. He also holds directing credits for two indie films, “Homewrecker” and “Breaking the Rules,” both of which are doing well on streaming platforms. We caught up with Paul to discuss the new film he co-wrote, directed, and co-produced, “Fathers of the Bride: A Yuletide Wedding Comedy,” and to hear his thoughts on the indie industry.

Question: It looks like you wear many hats in this business. Is there one you enjoy over the other?

Answer: Actually, by trade, I’m an editor. But lately, I’ve been branching out, assisting with visual effects editing, working in screenwriting, and even directing a few indie films. I don’t think I can put one job ahead of the others. I enjoy them all. I consider it a privilege to be able to work in this industry. For this new film, “Fathers,” I directed, and I’m also the editor. And I do feel like my experience as an editor has enabled me to direct more efficiently. In the indie business, to use an old cliché, time is money. So, it’s important to know exactly what you need to capture for each scene and ensure that what you’ve filmed is going to make for a cohesive editing experience. So, I have to say I enjoy everything I’ve been doing from editing to directing. Every job is a learning experience, and I try to acquire new techniques with every job.

Question: Tell us about “Fathers of the Bride”; it sounds like a fun holiday film. Is there anything unique about the story?

Answer: During the pandemic when we all were sheltering in place, my brother (actor Bruce L. Hart) and I decided to use the time productively, and we started writing screenplays. In fact, we ended up writing three of them. One of these was “Fathers.” It’s the story of a young woman, Michelle, with two dads. She’s planning to get married to the love of her life, Marc, but they don’t want a wedding ceremony. They’re both hardworking young people and practical. So they plan to fly to Las Vegas for a quick wedding and a fun weekend. However, her dads have other plans. They never had the wedding they wanted because they got married when marriage equality passed, so they want their daughter to have a big wedding. Factor in an overbearing sister and her own agenda to plan the wedding, and you have some drama. Add in the fact that it’s almost Christmas and the dads are also planning their annual holiday bash, and you have the potential for chaos—and fun. It’s really a fun film, and I don’t think I’m biased! It’s a great story of love, comedic moments, and the understanding of what really makes a family.

Question: Who is in the cast?

Answer: For the young bride and groom (Michelle and Marc), we were lucky to cast Brooke Riley St. Johns and Darren Deng. They have terrific chemistry on the screen. For Michelle’s dads (Leo and Rich), my brother Bruce L. Hart and Peter Szeliga are teaming up again after appearing in “Homewrecker” and “Breaking the Rules.” They have a good fan following, and it’s fun to see them working together again. Raphaella Dreyer is playing the sister of Peter’s character (Angela). It’s a fun role because she is the antagonist to Rich in terms of the turf war over the wedding planning! Raphaella is very good with the tone and comedy of the scenes. And we have a very special guest appearance by Bob Pranga, who is also known as Dr. Christmas, the holiday decorator to the stars! He’s playing a fictionalized version of himself, and he also did all of the Christmas décor for the film, so the Christmas scenes look incredible. We have a really great cast; in fact in every role we have terrific talented actors.

Question: “Fathers” sounds fun! Do you have a favorite film or TV project that you’ve worked on?

Answer: Thank you. It is a fun film. Your question is tough because, in general, whatever project I’m currently associated with is my favorite! To answer your question, I’m going to focus on directing since that was my more recent assignment. I’ve directed three films, and I have to honestly say they’ve all been fun. The first one was “Homewrecker,” which was based on a successful stage show that my brother produced and appeared in. We got very lucky with that one! Someone stepped up and gave us the money to make it into a feature film. How often does that happen? I hope to direct more films, and then maybe I can give you a better answer!

Question: So you write and produce films with your brother (Bruce L. Hart)?

Answer: Yes! It’s fun, and we work well together. Bruce owns a production company called VanderHart Productions, which in the past produced stage shows and the occasional film. Since we are working together more these days, we decided to start a second company called Hart Bros. Films. As I mentioned, we wrote several scripts during the pandemic. “Fathers” is the first one that we decided to produce. We hope to follow with more. We have a really great script about murder and comedians that we hope to tackle soon!

Question: Where can we see “Fathers of the Bride”?

Answer: We are in the final phase of post-production, so very soon! We hope to have it finalized by mid-May. And then, we’re going to see where it debuts. It’s an ever-changing business in terms of distribution. When my brother and I produced “Homewrecker,” we already had an interested distributor on board. So, with their assistance, it did the usual type of release typical for that time, which included DVDs, film festivals, and finally streaming, which was then referred to as Video on Demand. In fact, it was one of Netflix’s first indie films for VOD and DVD home delivery. Today, there are many options. Our film “Breaking the Rules” was done by self-distribution and has played on so many different platforms. It’s now doing quite well on TubiTV and Prime. For “Fathers of the Bride,” we are hoping for a distributor, and our target is platforms like the Lifetime Channel.

You can get more updates on this film on the official website Fathersofthebride.com and also the Instagram page and Facebook page of the same name! And Lifetime Channel, if you’re listening, check this film out!

Al Geiner

Not the Usual LICK Publicist! 27 yrs in the biz ~Worldwide! Actual Peer of the Realm~Unitarian Universalist Pragmatic Buddhist~ PROUD GAY Liberal