Plot

Set in Brooklyn’s Bedford Stuyvesant, Shelter is the tale of three inner-city adolescents: the reclusive 16-year-old Ray (Ray Santiago, of Girlfight and Pinero) who tends his bedridden mother; his brother, Spider; and the very pregnant Maria. When his mother dies, Ray becomes determined to get away. At the same time, Maria’s drug problems get her thrown out of her sister’s apartment, and she turns to Spider, only to find Ray gone. The two set out on a frantic search and eventually find Ray in a deserted Times Square alley. In a stolen car, the three drive aimlessly into the night. At daybreak, they find themselves on a desolate beach in a world of natural beauty that is both breathtaking and unfamiliar. In this magical setting, they attempt to form a surrogate family, after taking solace in a beach house. As Maria’s pregnancy advances, she cocoons herself with Ray in a make-believe world of "playing house." But will their newfound haven survive the jealousies that arise among them? Tough-minded and vibrant, Shelter mixes urban squalor with magical beauty for one of the most breathtakingly original stories of the year. In it, the power of friendship and love in the face of hardship transcend harsh realities, and the characters’ search for a home becomes as moving as it is devastating.

Reception

Awards:
(Winner)Temecula Valley International Film Festival Jury Award - Best Feature Film,
(Winner)Taos International Film Festival Best Screenplay,
(Winner)Temecula Valley International Film Festival Jury Award - Best Directing,
(Winner)Carolina Film & Video Festival Independent Filmmaker Award - Best Narrative,
(Winner)Cinequest Film Festival Special Jury Award

Film Festivals:
Cinequest Film Festival

Trailers and Artwork

Key Art:

Key Frames: Trailer links:

Quotes and Credits

Credits

Writer Benno Schoberth

Producer Lynn Cassaniti

Producer Anthony Artis

Director Benno Schoberth

Ray Ray Santiago

Maria Marilyn Soto Santiago

Spider John Rafael Peralta

Zsa-Zsa Alejandro Garcia

EMS Worker #2 Matt Klein

Raffaela Theresa Efre Lamarca

Long Island Cop Oleg Ferdman

Landlord Héctor González

Strip Joint Patron #2 John Michael Dion

Strip Joint Patron #2 Michael John Dion

Valerie Louise Colon

Nosey Neighbor#1 Louise Devery

Strip Joint Patron #1 Gene Silvers

Emily's Baby Ray Coco Smith

Nosey Neighbor#2 Edward Rollin

EMS Worker #1 Marla Santouri

Gloria Gina Maria Paoli

Trick Rohan Quine

Ray's Mother Stacie Linardos

Girl Julia Moran

Strip Joint Patron #4 George Anton

Boy Gabriel Anthony

Emily Diana Acosta

Strip Joint Patron #3 Arnold Acevedo

Walter Herman Chavez

Distributors NetFlix

Distributors Cinequest Distribution

Key Grip Eric Velarde

Production Assistant Kenny Stevenson

Location Manager Taylor Wigton

Production Companies Whirligig Production

Set Decoration Julie Gamble

Art Director Leslie Genser

Special Make-Up Effects Artist Leni Calas

Costume Design Munee Hayes

Original Music Anton Sanko

New York Cop Monroe Tinker

Film Editor Lynn Cassaniti

Cinematography Brian Nisbett

Sound Effects Editor Damian Panitz

Sound Re-recording Mixer Peter Levin

First Assistant Camera Marc-Eric Nielsen

Sound Mixer Russ Senzatimore

First Assistant Director Apryl Lee

Second Assistant Director Nicole Daignault

Boom Operator Erin Finnegan

Art Department Production Assistant Bruce Hall