The charming, new, indie romantic comedy “Off The Menu,” starring Dania Ramirez (“Once Upon a Time,” “Devious Maids,”) Santino Fontana (just announced as Broadway’s “Tootsie,” plus “Frozen,” “Crazy-Ex Girlfriend,”) , Makenzie Moss (“Steve Jobs,”) and Maria Conchita Alonso (“Desperate Housewives,”) will make its World Premiere during the 2018 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
The film will be screened February 1st @2:20pm and February 3rd @5:20pm at the Metro 4 Theater on State Street in Santa Barbara.
Executive Produced and Directed by Jay Silverman (“Girl on the Edge,”) “Off The Menu” follows an unlikely heir to a Mexican fast-food franchise (Fontana) who goes ‘cuisine’ hunting for the next “big culinary thing” to bring back to his family business. He soon finds himself in a small, dusty New Mexican town, where “foodies” come from all over to delight in the culinary treats of an authentic, local and very feisty female chef (Ramirez) who uses her private green chilé garden to grow her secret ingredient. Opposites attract in this sweet and romantic story about food, family, and love.
Says Silverman, “I’m proud that the character ‘Javiera’, that Dania Ramirez portrays, represents a single mother who is smart, self-driven, and successful. She has a strong voice – which I’m sure will resonate with today’s audiences.”
Perfect for Valentine’s Day, “Off The Menu” will be released to the general public on February 6th. The film will be available via VOD/DVD on these online platforms and cable providers: iTunes, Amazon, Xbox, Googleplay, Vudu, Playstation, Dish, Fandango Now, Comcast, Direct TV, Fios, Spectrum, Optimism, Frontier, Cox, Cablevision, Sling, Time Warner, AT&T, and Mediacom. In addition, the DVD of “Off The Menu” is now available for pre-order on Amazon: http://bit.ly/OtM-AmazonDVD
To view the film’s trailer, please see: https://youtu.be/fUnvHbmFYdw
The film’s website is: offthemenuthemovie.com
Silverman said, “When my team and I began developing ‘Off The Menu,’ I was inspired by Michael Pollan’s novel The Omnivore’s Dilemma, to show the huge role that food plays in all of our lives. Our character Joel’s family owns one of America’s largest fast-food chains, while our character Chef Javiera takes a farm-to-table approach to her melt-in-your-mouth good cooking. These cultural details were central to our story, and enabled the romantic journey which our characters then pursue to their happy conclusion.”
Adds Producer Bethany Cerrona, “We are very proud that the cast was over 50% female and Hispanic, which made for a more inclusive experience. This is a truly authentic story that we are sure audiences will fall in love with.”
About the Cast
Currently one of Hollywood’s hottest actresses, Dania Ramirez portrays the first Latina Cinderella on the hit ABC TV series “Once Upon A Time.” She also made a splash in the entertainment industry with her role on “Devious Maids,” playing Rosie Falta, a Latina maid who works for the rich and famous in Beverly Hills. Film roles include “American Reunion,” “X-Men: The Last Stand” and “Quarantine,” while other TV work includes “The Sopranos,” “Heroes” and “Entourage.”
One of Broadway’s foremost leading men, Santino Fontana has cemented himself as a top talent in film and television. Perhaps best known as the voice of “Prince Hans” in Disney’s “Frozen,” he also portrays Greg in “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” and has appeared in “Sisters” with Tina Fey & Amy Poehler, and top TV series including “The Good Wife,” “Nurse Jackie,” “Shades of Blue” and “Royal Pains.”
Prior to her role as Sophia Torres in “Off The Menu,” young Makenzie Moss most notably portrayed the daughter of Apple’s legendary co-founder in the hit film “Steve Jobs.” Maria Conchita Alonso is one of the biggest names in the Latin entertainment world. A film star, TV actress, singer/songwriter and political activist, she has appeared in over 80 films, 12 telenovelas, 15 MOWS, and over 100 episodes of television on virtually every major broadcast and cable network.
About the Production
“Off The Menu” was written by Jennifer Goldson, and produced by William Newman, Bethany Cerrona, and Joe Gamache. Casting was by Nick Anderson. Production on the film took place in Taos, New Mexico and Los Angeles, CA.
The New Mexican setting featured in “Off The Menu” offers another “character” to the film – the enchanting city of Taos stood in for the fictional “Villaneuva.” The authenticity that the site offered the story, as well as its unique geography, made it a top priority of the filmmakers to shoot on-location. In addition, careful attention was paid by the film’s producers to accurately represent New Mexico’s diverse, vibrant and storied cuisine when designing the character Javiera’s dishes – each of which prominently feature green chilés as a recurring theme.
Visit the film’s social media sites:
- https://www.facebook.com/offthemenuthemovie/
- https://twitter.com/offthemenumovie
- https://www.instagram.com/off_the_menu_movie/
- #offthemenumovie
About Jay Silverman
“Off The Menu” marks Jay Silverman’s second original feature film. His first was the multi-award winning dramatic feature “Girl on the Edge”, starring Peter Coyote, Taylor Spreitler, Mackenzie Phillips, Gil Bellows, Rex Lee, Amy Davidson and Amy Price Francis. “Girl on the Edge” also features one of the final appearances by the late Elizabeth Peňa.
Previously, Silverman was Executive Producer and Co-Creator of the A&E TV series “The Cleaner” with Benjamin Bratt. He is currently developing his next film, a true story based on the book The Last Cemetery in Berlin. Silverman has also been an award winning commercial director and still photographer for over 35 years.
