The journey began when Gianni and Milly-May met backstage on the first day of rehearsal for off-Broadway play “D.O.A.” (Dead On Arrival). It was love at first sight. A young man from Hoboken and a young woman from East London bound together by the passion for storytelling. A short five months later the two got married and anticipated a lavish destination wedding celebration in August 2020 which of course was canceled due to Covid-19. Before the disappointment could settle in, Milly-May suggested that they take the money saved from not having a wedding and make the movie “Bless Me Father”, a screenplay Gianni had written three years earlier. The couple took the opportunity to turn a negative into a positive and got right to work, starting the production of “Bless Me Father” in the summer of 2020. The six week production served as an outlet for all the cast and crew members.  A sense of community was created on the set when the world had shut down around it.  

 

"Creating art was the defense from the offenses we endured during the COVID-19 pandemic.” - Gianni McLaughlin

 

“Some want a white dress and big wedding, and others want to move to New Jersey and make Italian mobster movies! The best part is that everyone who was going to come to our wedding became a part of the cast instead. We could have had one big night but instead we celebrated every day for 6 weeks on set! Everyone who was a part of making this film will forever be in my heart for making my wedding dreams come true!” - Milly-May McLaughlin 

 

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