PALM SPRINGS, CA- There will be a lot of “Bang Bang” and “Shoot’em up” going on this coming weekend, and if you hear loud explosions, don’t be alarmed. It will most likely be a result of a movie in the making called “Shoot The Hero”, a new feature film that will begin shooting on Sunday.

“Shoot The Hero” is the latest project from filmmaker Christian Sesma, a local who made the 2004 short movie “Cycles”, which won critical acclaim and became an official selection at the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films. Sesma also made “Things That Go Bump In The Night”, “6:30” and “On Bloody Sunday”, which is a feature length teen horror film. Sesma is also a young Latino filmmaker, a rising star of his generation.

Local involvement in Shoot the Hero doesn’t end with Sesma, who wrote the screenplay and directs the film. La Quinta philanthropist, actress, and entrepreneur, Denise DuBarry Hay is producing the film, her daughter, actress Samantha Lockwood plays one of the leads, and another local favorite, veteran actor Fred Williamson, joins the cast as well.

“I first heard about Shoot the Hero through Leanna Bonamici, owner of Casablanca Studios.” said DuBarry Hay. “Christian had shot a teen horror film at her soundstage last year, and was looking for some financing for Shoot the Hero. Leanna invited me up to meet him. I read the screenplay and I was quite impressed with his abilities but it was still very early on in the project. Then a few months later, my daughter, Samantha Lockwood called to tell me that she had answered a casting call, and been cast in Shoot the Hero. I decided it must be fate, and after that, things just sort of fell together. I found out Christian was still looking for financing, and I was looking for something to invest in. Shoot the Hero made sense for me, both creatively and financially, so I decided to get involved.”

Director Sesma describes Shoot the Hero as an action-comedy. “It’s about a 30-something couple who unintentionally become involved in a botched jewel heist while shopping for wedding rings. The plot thickens when the crooked casino owner who engineered the heist hires two unassuming hitmen to clean up the mess, and the soon-to-be husband and wife find themselves discovering new things about themselves and their relationship.” Cast members include Jason Mewes (Clerks, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Zack and Miri), Samantha Lockwood (Lords of Dogtown, Mexican Gold) Danny Trejo (Desperado, Heat, Con Air, Spy Kids, Sin City2), Nic Nac (MTV’s Wild N Out, American Pie Beta House, Van Wilder 3), Nick Turturro (Jungle Fever, NYPD Blue, The Longest Yard, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry), Steve Tally (American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile, American Pie Presents: Beta House, Van Wilder 3), and Fred Williamson (Inglorious Bastards, From Dusk till Dawn, Starsky and Hutch).

DuBarry Hay, who is the President of Palm Springs Women in Film and Television, and whose entertainment/media company, Kaswit, Inc., develops and funds infomercials and feature films, says she is particularly thrilled that Shoot the Hero is being filmed in the desert. “The Coachella Valley is an ideal location for film shoots. We have received tremendous local support from crew, talent, hotels, and other businesses. It’s amazing how film-friendly our community really is.”

“Even more exciting,” DuBarry says, “is to be working with a director who lives here in the desert. Christian (Sesma) is a real rising star in the film world, and I am happy to be able to offer him this wonderful opportunity.” -

Original Story From The Desert Local News©