Love God star Will Keenan has the leading role in Patrick Hasson’s Waiting, a quirky comedy about a slacker waiter trying to muster the ambition to move on in life. Sean McNutt (Keenan) still lives at home – his girlfriend has just dumped him in disgust – and his father has just given him marching orders. He drinks himself into oblivion each night until an impulsive visit to a fetish club to see an old flame ("The State"’s Kerri Kenney) ends with him being thrown out. This is the last straw, and Sean soon embarks on a campaign of romantic retaliation.

"It’s a very physical comedy whose true essence is Will’s amazing presence," says Hasson. Keenan, a veteran of numerous turns in Troma films who made his own directing debut last year with the short Hoofboy, is now working on a pair of digital performance documentaries and can currently be seen on screen, albeit briefly, in trick. Also in the cast is former adult film star Ron Jeremy (Orgazmo) as a seedy restaurant customer overheard advising his six-year-old son about women.

Originally from Philadelphia, where Waiting was made, Hasson graduated from the University of South Florida’s Experimental Film Program in 1993 with four shorts to his credit. The Speed of Mind, a 68-minute 16mm experimental drama about a dysfunctional Florida family, was recently released on video by Provisional Films. Hasson says he and producer John Stefanic had intended to shoot Waiting on film but changed course after seeing The Last Broadcast and Love God and bringing Keenan on board last summer. "I wanted name cast and a soundtrack and solid locations and a high shooting ratio and for that I felt we could forgo film for digital if we used the right equipment," he says.

The filmmakers shot a three-minute trailer featuring Keenan and used that to secure investors in the film. Principal photography took place throughout Philadelphia over 21 days this spring. Michael Pearlman, who shot Eugene Martin’s Edge City and Diary of A City Priest, was the cinematographer. Waiting should be done by the time you read this; all rights are available.

Cast: Will Keenan, Kerri Kenney, Ron Jeremy, Kurt Knobelsdorf, Hannah Dalton, Lloyd Kaufman, Harry Philabosian, Bill Robertson. Crew: Producer, John Stefanic; Co-Producer, Tim Kelly; Associate Producer, Will Keenan; Screenwriter/Director/Editor, Hasson; Cinematographer, Michael Pearlman; Production Design, Christopher Jones; Costumes, Chante Brooks. Contact: Patrick Hasson, Manayunk Pictures, 4729 Larchwood Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143. Tel: (215) 748-5674. Fax: (215) 487-2611.

Boyd’s Out - Dani Minnick
Follow Me Outside - John Sullivan
Kali’s Vibe - Shari Carpenter
The Magic of Marciano - Tony Barbieri
Maryam - Ramin Serry
On the Q.T. - Yale Strom
Slice & Dice - Rob McCall
Swimming - Robert J. Siegel
Waiting - Patrick Hasson