HOGTOWN is set in 1919 Chicago against the backdrop of the race riots of that year. The story follows an investigation into the disappearance of a millionaire theatre owner during a snowstorm. HOGTOWN is a murder mystery that celebrates the most American of American cities while exploring the intimate lives of many of its people. This period piece is much more a period-less piece, shot in black and white in the often undisguised contemporary city. The film involves a multi-racial, ensemble cast of more than 70 characters, a full symphony orchestra score, and evolves directly from the ensemble process of the making our previous feature, Chicago Heights (now The Last Soul on a Summer Night).



 

Thanks



 Roger Ebert

1942-2013

"the most American of critics
in the most American of cities."
- Rahm Emanuel

 

 

IN MEMORIAM

 

Timothy L. Rozycki

1948-2015



Producers

Daniel Nearing, Sanghoon Lee, Rachel Rozycki 



Written and Directed by Daniel Nearing

Costume Designer: Melanie Parks



Editor: Philip Larkin



Cinematography: Sanghoon Lee

​

Communication & Marketing:  Lisa Klein 

 

1st Assistant Director: Rachel Rozycki

 

Effects Editor: Kat Quintian

 

Co-Producers:

Lisa Klein

Jason Knade

Herman Wilkins

Associate Producer: Keisha Dyson

​

CAST

DeAndre Son Carter - Herman Wilkins
Nia Coleman - Diandra Lyle
Theresa Greenaway - Dianne Bischoff
Aaliyah - McKenzie Chinn
Ernest Hemingway - Alexander Sharon
Kakisamanetowayo - Nahum Zarco
Marquis Coleman - Herman Wilkins
Dan Callahan - Pete Giovagnoli
John Doughty - Joe Mack
Sherwood Anderson - Marco Garcia

Chiu Yuen Wong - Gene Mui
James Cowan - Sean Walton
Ambrose Greenaway - Jay Disney
Aparicio Reyes - Jose Ma Mendiola
Chicago Defender Reporter - Etta Oben
Jack Dempsey - Patrick Cunningham
Gloria Swanson - Teresa Cesario

William Hale Thompson - Walt Sloan

News on the March Narrator - Darren Stephens

Asylum Worker - Jules Reid

Steve Pavlik - Charlie Churchill

Coroner - Alex Kazhinsky

Reporter - Mike Latone

Juror 1 - Mel Muchnik

Juror II - Ben Nicholson

Gallery Woman - Joyce Porter

Gallery Woman II - Dianne Shaw 

Gallery Woman III - Suzanne Patterson

Doughty’s Cellmate - Kaelen Strouse
Thomas Flynn - Michael Wexler
Eugene Williams - Brandon Byrd
Madam - Keisha Dyson
Emma Goldman - Mary Mikva

Sing Wing Racist - Sam Raysby
The Historian - Larry Levinson
Fortune Teller - Elizabeth Austin
Mr. DeWitt - Daniel “DC” Christain
Silhouette Maker - Brenda Woods
Young Kakisamanetowayo - Emmanuel Isaac

Kakisamanetowayo's Sister - Chrstine Navarro
Young Marquis - Remoh Romeo

Baby Nia - Raquel Austin

Mission Home Priest - John B. Boss
Mission Home Nun - Sandy Gulliver
Mission Home Nun II - Joy Schoeph-Helfrich
Mission Home Nun III - Claire Llewellyn
Railway Navvy / Theresa’s Driver - Don Winter
DeAndre’s Soliloquy Girl - Amanda Tea
Cherub - Nathan Walker, Jr.
Female Cherub - Greenlee Clayborne
Bookstore Owner - Doug Wilson
Bookstore Patron - Marcelina Knade
Aaliyah’s Father - Benny Stewart
Ballet Dancer 1 - Emma Peterson
Ballet Dancer 2 - Marcelina Knade
Ballet Dancer 3 - Brenann Lyn Stacker
Ballet Dancer 4 - Jax Turyna
Reporter - Jason Knade
Bartender - Tony Lenzo
Coroner’s Cadaver - Gerald Heller
Widower Soldier - Daniel Christain
War Widow - Rachel Rozycki
Flapper - Pamela Planera
Depressed Bar Patron - Joe Wiesolinski
Devil-Horned Man I - Sanghoon Lee
Devil-Horned Man II - Benny Stewart
Devil-Horned Man III - Blake Labriola
Evil Barber - James Barbee
Barbershop Customer - Will Cummings III
Barber - Remoh Romeo

Home Occupant - Jack Banks

Man with Cat - Matt Sass

Hog Owner - Kevin Kahley
Worried Mother - Mia Kim
Girl on Train - Lauren Gingras
Asian Immigrant I - Cy Shim
Asian Immigrant II - Kyung-Po Lee
Asian Immigrant III - Marcus Kim
Asian Immigrant IV - Sanghoon Lee
Prisoner II - Matthew Bach
Prisoner III - Ryan Stovall
Prisoner IV - Zach Stovall
Prisoner V - Matthew James Straka
Prisoner VI - Rich Gratt
Girl on Broadway - Amanda Tea
Boy at Riot - Othel Robert Owen
White City Ballroom Dancer I - Holly Bittiger
White City Ballroom Dancer II - Eve Rydberg
White City Ballroom Dancer III - Jason Love
Policeman - Dirk Fletcher
Tailing Policeman - Jason Knade
Beautiful Girl in Jackson Park - Aayisha Chanel
Beautiful Girl at 29th Street Beach - Genn Jackson
Beautiful Girl at the Abandoned Cineplex - Delicia Dunham
Riot Girl - Esu Ebeigbe
Riot Girl II - Whitney Pipes
Riot Girl III - Angel Williams
Riot Girl IV - Keanna Adams
Riot Man - Anthony Ross
Riot Man II - Ryan A. Campbell
Riot Man III - Todd Bruce
Riot Man IV - Victor Griffin
Smiling Little Girl - Reagan Reilly
Little Girl - Eden Elyse Strong
Little Girl II - Harmony Elise Jones
Climactic Cop - Daniel Postlethwait
Climactic Gunman- Rich Gratt
Climactic CPD - Antonio Valentin
Climactic Policeman - Christopher Midkiff
Officer Dad - Dirk Fletcher
Man in the Leather Cap - William Cochran
Desk Clerk - Chelsea Nash-Wolfe
Head Librarian - Alexander Wolfe
Librarian - Stephanie Lane Sutton
Our Man on the Street - Mel Muchnik
Mansion Officer - Jon Panozzo
Alley Officer - Myles E. Flynn
Office Officer - Randy Boyd
Mustache Officer - Mark Kundla
Telephone Operator - Michael Wallace
Railway Navvy - Daniel Nearing
Sustenance - Bacon Cooper Konow

Innocence - Jimette Rozycki
Purity - Duncan Balster
Love - Finnegan Nearing

​

​

Additional Camera: Daniel Nearing



Gaffer: Donald C. Winter 



Additional Effects Editing:

Philip Larkin, Aaron Daniel Annas

 

Script Consultants: Julie Anna Glass,
Rudy Thauberger, Keisha Dyson

 

North American and International Sales

ArtMattan Productions

 

 

Original Gospel Songs: Minister Raymond Dunlap

Lyrics by Daniel Nearing

 

Orchestral Score

Composed and Conducted by Paul Bhasin

 

Performed by

The College of William & Mary Wind Ensemble

 

Score recorded by
Christian Amonson, Arts Laureate

​

Clarinet Soloist: Timothy Rozycki



Violin Soloist: D. Andy Bhasin



Pianist: Nicholas Starr

Violist: Caitlin Lynch

 

Flute: Erin Wagner, Laura Pugh,

Fine Han, Abigail Trevor

 

Oboe/English Horn: 

Kevin Deisz, Will Dickinson

 

Bassoon: Gabby Steinfeld

 

Clarinet: Anuraag Sensharma

Hannah Shenouda, Kathryn Turner,

Whitney Fields, Dan Kent

 

Alto Saxophone: 

Tim Rivenburg, Mike Goetjen

 

Tenor Saxophone: Kali Gille

 

Baritone Saxophone: Joseph Wilkins II

 

French Horn: 

Dilara Kiran, Julia Kihm

 

Trumpet: 

Jeff Menzin, David Specht

JJ Kuchan, Zach Hasan

 

Trombone: 

Matthew Baker, Lucy King, Joe Corliss

 

Euphonium: 

Tim Planert, Peter Colwell

 

Tuba: David Geroski

 

Timpani: John Savino

 

Percussion:

Alice Fuller, Avery Newton

James Chesnut, Nick Hoffman

 

String Bass: Rachel Hyneman

 

Gaffer Assistants: Blake Labriola

Jack Banks

 

Lighting: Don Winter, Joe Wielosinski, Dirk Fletcher,
Eddie Avinashi, Lauren Gingras

 

Sound Recordist: Daniel Christain



Crane Operator: Mark Kundla

 

Oil Paintings Sequence: Eric Esper



Set Photography/Videography:  Pamela Planera,

Jason Knade, Dirk Fletcher, Don Winter

Camera Assistant: Leah Chapman



Research: John J. Nearing

 

Magician: Tim Balster

 

Props Assistance: Lynn Rozycki



Grip: Yomi Adekahunsi



Production Assistants:

Levilyn Chriss, JoAnna Matthews

 

Sound Mix Consultant:

Archie Bransford Cocke

 

Sound effects courtesy:

http://www.freesfx.co.uk

Battlefield Hard Drive Surgeon: Joe Kearns

 

 

Thanks



Mashaan Guy
Alex Nerad
Demetri Kouvalis
Doug Wilson
Adam Knade
Joe Caccavella Jr.
Suzanne Patterson

Paula Hendrickson
Maria Finitzo

Sergio Mims

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.

Chanil Jeon

Carolle Brabant

Sandy Boyd
John Heidbreder
Richard Price
Charles Hines
Karen Kissel
Seth McClellan
Ted Griffin
Annamarie Christafanelli
Danièle Wilmouth
Seunghyun Lee
Steven Madonna

Ligia Popescu

Jim Nauer

Nick Kallis

Donna DeFalco

Becky Antrim

John Sterritt
Christopher White
Ed M. Koziarski
Mel Muchnik
Janet Muchnik
Dwayne John Beaver
Elaine Maimon
Terry Allison
Reinhold Hill
Joan Vaughan
James Howley
Karen D'Arcy
Rhonda Jackson
Myisha Meeks
Lindsay Gladstone
Jon Cobb
Lynn Werth
Trenton C. Guy
Royce Y. Guy
Jacqueline J. Guy

Anne Rasmussen

The William & Mary Department of Music

The Illinois Railway Museum
The O'Gara and Wilson Bookstore

Joe’s Barbershop
Powell’s Bookstore
The Egyptian Theatre
The Patio Theater
The Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Home

The Historic Courthouse of Kendall County

Kendall County Forest Preserve
St. Michael in Old Town
Old Jail / Sheriff’s House, Crown Point, IN
Sperones

Naper Settlement
The Chicago Film Office
The City of Chicago Police Department
Governors State University DPS
Key Porter Books



This project is partially supported by an Individual Artists Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events and Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

 

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. 

Shot on Location in:

Palos Heights, Oak Park, University Park, Park Forest, DeKalb, Naperville, Flossmoor, Union, Yorkville,
and Chicago, Illinois
Crown Point, Indiana
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Versailles and Paris, France