Mintz, who died April 11, 2017, was unable to see the film’s completion, but his friends are going to make sure everyone else does.
“I wanted everyone that helped to see it,” said producer and actor Brock Shank, who met Mintz while performing stand-up comedy at Wiley’s Comedy Club. “It’s a thank you to everyone who helped get it done.”
Halfway through filming, Mintz disclosed he was battling stage 4 colon cancer, but filming continued. Shank said during some of the filming, Mintz had on a backpack with chemotherapy medication allowing him to receive treatment.
“He was a lot of fun to work with,” Shank said. “He was just super creative and super dedicated. The fact that he worked with local comics who are hard to pin down; he was patient through all that. He wanted to highlight local guys because it’s Dayton.”
Amy Dolph, who also produced the film and is the former owner of Rocky’s Pizza Ring in Beavercreek, echoed Mintz’s dedication. Dolph said she was more of a sounding board for Mintz and many scenes were filmed at Rocky’s.
“He was so driven – so stubborn,” she recalled. “In his head, he knew how he wanted it and that was the only way it would be. He had a vision. I don’t want to say he was uncompromising, but he was uncompromising.”
When Mintz died, filming had already concluded, but according to Shank all the post-production work including editing and voiceovers still needed to be done. To help finish the film, Shank started a GoFundMe to acquire funds.
Shank eventually worked with Chase Crawford at Four by Three, a Cincinnati independent film production and distribution company. Eventually, the movie was finished and ready to be sent to film festivals.
“Without (Four by Three) this wouldn’t be happening at all,” said Shank. “I would record guys who needed to do voice over and send it to them. It’s like we smashed a figurine and they glued it back together.”
“Find Eddie” won best narrative feature in the 2021 Indie Night Film Festival. It was also an official selection for the 2021 Poor Life Choices Comedy Film Festival. Now Mintz’s film is ready to be screened locally.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
As producer, Dolph said she knows what reactions the scenes are expected to have. And beyond the film, she hopes to honor how amazing Mintz truly was.
“He just had a heart of gold,” she said. “He really did. He was this bitter, cynical jerk, but he would do anything for you. His humor was so biting and sharp, but he had this love and protection for people. When you actually got to know him, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for you.”
HOW TO GO
What: “Find Eddie”
Where: Cinemark The Greene 14, 4489 Glengarry Dr., Beavercreek
When: Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $10. Tickets can be purchased through Venmo by sending the money to @Brock-Shank-1. Be sure to write the names of the people attending in the comment section.
More info: To view the trailer, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y9hL-Ezx1Y
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