“The Funeral Band” is a fun film about a brass band that aims to show the heart of a New Orleanian, according to its creator, Nicholas Manuel Pino. Currently in post-production, it will make its debut at the New Orleans Film Festival on October 21.
“‘The Funeral Band’ isn’t just a story about a brass band. It’s a story about of group of people bound by something even greater than family… tradition,” says Pino. “These traditions surrounding death aren’t just relegated to New Orleans, but I believe here, the true heart of the human condition is explored in a way that has more in common with ancient myths and legends rather than the the modern conception of a funeral. Second line funerals emerged from necessity. Before ALL people were allowed to purchase insurance, Social Aid and Pleasure clubs sprung up to make sure the people in their neighborhoods were taken care of when it was their time to go home.”
To lend the film authenticity, Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s Kirk Joseph and SOUL Brass Band’s Derrick Freeman (current OffBeat cover co-star!) were enlisted as consulting producer and music supervisor/executive producer, respectively. The film stars:
Terence Rosemore (“Guardians of the Galaxy 2,” “Queen Sugar”) as “Rev”
Anthony Michael Frederick (“Girls’ Trip,” “Claws”) as “Boss”
Derrick “Smoker” Freeman (“NCIS: New Orleans,” “Queen Sugar”) as “Youngblood”
Martin “Bats” Bradford (“NCIS: New Orleans,” “Tales from the Hood 2”) as “Happy”
Dominic “Taz” Alexander as “Loudmouth”
Khiry Armstead as “John”
As the film enters its marketing phase, a Kickstarter has been launched to raise funds to offset expenses. “We want to bring this film to as large of an audience as we can find for it, which means submitting it to as many festivals as we can, creating promotional materials and targeted advertising to raise awareness for the film, and traveling with the film in order to ensure its journey continues,” says the filmmaker. Pino and his team have set a goal of $7,900 with 31 days left to go in their campaign.
Find out more about “The Funeral Band” here.
