By Crystal McGough
PINSON – Local indie film company KeiDie Ruff Films announced in June plans to put Pinson on the map by filming the movie, “Frienemy For Life,” in Pinson, using local, Alabama actors. This Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021, the cast and crew will take their first leap toward that goal as they begin filming a barbershop scene at Pinson’s own Designer Cuts Barber & Style.
“That will be our first time actually starting to film the scenes,” writer and producer DieDra Ruff said. “The barbershop scene is fun and it’s just lighthearted … all the guys hanging out, joking, that type of thing.”
“Frienemy For Life” will also feature several other Pinson businesses, including Dodd and Dodd Attorneys, Price’s Drugs, Celina’s Boutique, and State Farm. Additionally, Trussville’s Imperio Steakhouse & Grill will be the location for one of the movie’s main scenes.
Sponsor Chris Keller, who also offered his over-100-year-old historic Pinson home for the movie, hosted a meet-and-greet for the cast and crew last Thursday, Sept. 30, at Imperio Steakhouse & Grill.
“He kind of just took us under his wings after he offered to let us use his house,” DieDra said.
As things often go in small towns, it just so happened that Keller was good friends with Alex Muniz, the owner of Imperio Steakhouse & Grill. Keller and Muniz got together and decided to host the meet-and-greet dinner for the cast, who have not had an opportunity to gather since July.
“They took care of everything,” DieDra said. “They fed us, they had live entertainment, and we all got together. To have their hearts open up to us like that, it’s a good feeling. Sometimes you think your dream is just your dream. When you share it and put it out there and somebody else can embrace it, then it becomes something bigger. That’s what happened Thursday.”
One of the most important reasons for getting the cast together before filming begins Saturday is because there have been some changes in the cast since their last meeting.
Originally, the movie cast boasted three actors from Atlanta, but as issues arose with those actors, Keithen and DieDra Ruff became even more inspired to keep not only the film locations, but the actors local.
“That was one of the things that made us say, you know what, no; we’re sticking with Alabama,” DieDra said. “My husband has been in Pinson all his life and we just said let’s do it here. We’re trying to represent Alabama in this movie, so we’re just going to use Alabama actors, and that’s what we got. For the five main roles, only one of those people is not from this area. Everybody is from here, and I’m excited about that because we all can feel good about this movie. If it gets picked up in California, this puts Pinson on the map.”
Keithen and DieDra became even more hopeful that “Frienemy For Life” might make it to Hollywood after recently discovering that five of their actors are also starring in a sitcom called “The CJ Steele Show,” which has been picked up by a streaming network out of Hollywood, California.
“You just don’t know,” DieDra said. “Believe in what you are trying to do and you never know what doors will open up. Everything is just falling in line.”
While DieDra said that, in a perfect world, she would like to say the movie would be complete by this time next year, she has learned over time not to try to put a date on projects like this.
“It’s really hard to say because you have all kind of issues that could come up,” she said. “You know, you’ve got Covid out here and then you could have equipment problems, you could have some cast to quit and you have to recast. It’s just very hard and I learned not to put a date on it because you don’t know what’s going to happen. I would love to say next year, this time next year. But you just don’t know.”
One goal the Ruffs do have for the release, however, is to do a premiere at the Regal theater in Trussville.
“We would love to have it there,” Keithen said. “That would be our ideal spot.”
In order to make this dream a reality, KeiDie Ruff Films is still needing three housing locations – apartments or homes – to be donated as filming locations, as well as people to sponsor the movie financially.
Anyone who would like their home or apartment to be featured in the film can contact KeiDie Ruff Films at (404) 379-0096 or ruffpro64@gmail.com. Anyone who would like to donate financially can do so by searching “Frienemy For Life The Movie” at GoFundMe.com
“It’s going to be a hit,” Keithen said. “I think it’s going to be a good movie and it’s going to be a lot of fun cutting it. The whole Pinson is all excited about it; the word got around, so everybody’s excited and waiting on it to come. We’re excited about it, and we think it’s going to do well.”