Cranston Filmmaker to Première Gotta Find Barry

Cranston Filmmaker to Première Gotta Find Barry

Thanks to cable channels like SyFy and Discovery, Rhode Island has become somewhat synonymous with ghost hunters, most notably, Warwick-based Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS). So it’s no surprise that film director Rich Camp of Cranston adopted the topic for his forthcoming independent feature comedy, Gotta Find Barry, premièring Saturday, November 20 at the newly renovated Park Cinema in Cranston. The movie follows the hijinks of two grave-digging best buds, played by Camp and fellow Cranston native Frank Iacobucci, who break into a haunted mansion to find their dead best friend in order to hang out one last time. “We’ve been friends since kindergarten–we went to George J. Peters School in Cranston–and [the film] very much comes from our friendship,” Camp explained. The film also features Rhode Islanders Matt Zuena, John DeCorpo, and Joe Agresti.

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Camp said the film’s main action takes place at Cranston’s Governor Sprague Mansion, dating back to the early 1800s, which the Cranston Historical Society loaned to the young filmmaker. “The mansion gave us such a production value, we were able to set up a base there,” says Camp. Nor could the location be more apropos, as rumors have swirled for decades of Sprague Mansion being haunted due in large part to an unsolved murder, hence its investigations for paranormal activity by ghost hunters. In October, the mansion ranked in the top 10 haunted homes in the U.S. by MSNBC.

Saturday’s première marks both the one year anniversary of the restoration of the Park Cinema as well as Camp’s directorial debut, Lumberjacking. “Saturday will be a celebration of film, local art and artists, and local history," he said. Tickets to Gotta Find Barry are $10 and can be purchased at www.richcampent.com or at the door. The film is appropriate for audiences over the age of 15.