Film at Eleven

Emerging director/producer Delaney Dragon of DFILM has teamed up with producer/executive producer Brendan Davis of Tangible Entertainment to bring Rough Hustle, one of the most highly anticipated independent films of 2009, to the screen. Written and directed by Delaney Dragon, Rough Hustle is a film about a group of tight-knit blue-collar workers with a street smart eye for detail who follow the drifting sun to unrefined downtown Las Vegas. The group hopes to get their lives back together in the original Sin City.

Leading the cast of Rough Hustle are Matt Bushell, Michael Welch, Joe Estevez and Natalia Livingston. Supporting cast members are astounding newcomers and indie film veterans such as Dean Haglund, Andrew Fiscella and Isaac Singleton Jr.

Dragon has directed five short films and now tackles Rough Hustle as his feature debut. He is supported by Davis who has a roster of highly acclaimed projects screened at festivals around the world. His work includes Deadgirl, Life with Fiona and Flowers and Weeds. In addition to Davis, Rough Hustle also boasts the support of producer Katherine Haber who rounds out the team coming from several studio positions and credits on award-winning projects like Blade Runner and Deer Hunter.

Davis and Dragon have organically created an environment for the shoot that echoes the gritty feeling of the story which loosely parallels Dragon’s own journey. This becomes evident when the camera focuses on lead actor Matt Bushell’s character, Dean, a clever and love-obstinate young man who develops unlikely friendships as he builds a raggedly endearing team of card counters. The authenticity of the shoot and the creators’ devotion to blazing new trails in independent filmmaking blend beautifully in Rough Hustle, redefining what a hero is and emphasizing that the days of the “cookie-cutter” protagonist are gone.

Bushell best describes the overall energy of the film with an introspective on his character Dean. “The cool of Dean and beauty of his life is that he is flawed. The environment he surrounds himself with, including the company he keeps, brings a sense of nostalgia to Rough Hustle through the relationships between his friends and their interactions in every day life. This is the true beauty of the story of Rough Hustle and the process itself.”

Look for Rough Hustle in theatres mid-summer of 2009.

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