Bronxville Native Realizes Silver Screen Dream

It's Gia Walsh's dream to screen her film in Bronxville.

And come Friday, Walsh's dream will be realized when her comedy, The Winning Season, shows at Clearview Cinemas on Kraft Avenue. The film is the Bronxville native's first producer credit, boasting writer/director James C. Strouse ("Lonesome Jim") at the helm and Sam Rockwell and Emma Roberts in starring roles.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009, where it was subsequently picked up for distribution by Lion's Gate. The Winning Season was released in limited theaters over the Labor Day holiday weekend and has already secured an extended run at the Village East Cinemas in Downtown Manhattan in light of a three star review in the New York Post.

"I knew it would be released to nine theaters in LA, but I specifically asked that it be released in Bronxville," said Walsh. "Its so thrilling!"

Rockwell, who has a penchant for playing outcasts, assumes the role of Bill, a former adolescent basketball prodigy-turned-derelict that receives an offer to coach his local Indiana high school's girl's basketball team. As the season progresses, Bill develops an affinity for his players, resulting in a heartwarming ending that merges Hoosiers and A League of Their Own in teen-friendly packaging.

Interestingly, Walsh approached the project with little professional film experience. While she admits to being a lifelong cinema buff, Walsh only considered the prospect of working in film while enrolled in Ralph Appelbaum's Filmmaker's Dialogue course at New York University's School of Visual Arts a few years back.

In addition, Walsh and her family left Bronxville for the Hamptons about eleven years ago, where she soon discovered that several parents of her children's summer campmates held prominent positions in the film industry. Following years of conversations and professional filmic aspirations, Walsh and a cluster of producing partners financed her "little film," as she calls it.

In an effort to capitalize on the success of The Winning Season, Walsh is nearing completion on Homework, a teenage dramedy also starring Emma Roberts alongside Freddie Highmore and Alicia Silverstone. The film is nearing the final stages of post-production and Walsh and company plan on screening a four-minute trailer at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.

Walsh seemed passionate when asked about maintaining a career in film.

"It's great, especially because these are indie films, so they take about five weeks to shoot," said Walsh. "I have three children, so shooting for only five weeks makes life manageable for me." Walsh also revealed she is preparing to embark on a third feature film project and is already reviewing screenplays.

Despite the possibility of exciting new filmic ventures, Walsh contends that The Winning Season will have a remarkably special place in her heart because of the overarching zero-to-hero theme that warrants family movie outings.

"It's about someone redeeming himself and rebuilding his life," said Walsh. "When the movie was finished, [Strouse] hoped it would make it to theaters. I told him I just wanted to go see it with my family. It's the biggest thrill. It's my dream!"

The Winning Season is showing at Bronxville Clearview Cinemas on Friday and Saturday at 2, 4:30, 7 and 9:30; on Sunday at 2, 4:30 and 7; Monday – Thursday at 4:30 and 7.