Sunday, November 3, 2024

The Ride to Nowhere by Filmmaker Anthony Wright

What directors and their movies come to mind when you think of your favorite coming-of-age films? Greg Mottola, Superbad; Rob Reiner, Stand by Me; or, of course, the king of the genre, John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club

Toledo filmmaker Anthony Wright takes inspiration from these directors for his first feature-length film, The Ride to Nowhere

Meet Anthony Wright

Like many filmmakers, Wright caught the filmmaking bug when he was a kid, making movies at home with his friends. After high school, Wright started his own business filming weddings and events while continuing to work on ideas, scripts and collaborating with other local filmmakers. His short film Monarch made the festival rounds, going as far as Toronto, Los Angeles and Las Vegas while winning a few prizes. 

The Ride to Nowhere

The Ride to Nowhere is the story of Jimmy, a young, fresh-out-of-high school guy who embarks on a road trip with his friend Zak to visit an old crush. Along the way there are unexpected twists and turns. 

Wright started writing the story two years ago. In 2022 he wrote a few drafts and shared them with friends who gave him feedback. The script was completed in September 2022, and Wright began casting. 


RELATED: Film Notes June 2024


When asked about the inspiration for the story itself, Wright explains, “I’m a big fan of comedy in drama movies the way John Hughes incorporated those elements. It’s not just slapstick. They have heartfelt moments like in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles when Steve Martin finds out why John Candy’s character is the way he is at the end of the film (no spoilers here) and we get that great shot of Candy’s face when he’s invited to dinner. It’s the humanity in the comedy that I want to give to the characters in my films.”

Shooting a road trip

“We couldn’t shoot a road-trip movie that only took place with the Toledo skyline in the background, so we did our best to find all the hidden gems in the 419 area,” Wright said. “We shot in places like Howard’s Bar, spots deep in Oak Openings and other places people may not recognize. This is a practical technique — movies and TV shows do it all the time with cities like Vancouver doubling for almost any major US city.” 

Additionally, as the characters get closer to their destination in the film, the landscape becomes greener – which not only indicates traveling to a new place, but the emotional journey that occurs as well.

Casting in Toledo

Wright provides opportunities for actors in Toledo. He attended the University of Toledo and was able to recruit actors he knew from college. Others he met through FilmToledo, the City’s new film commission that serves as a networking hub for anyone in the area working in film. 

Actors Ben Kunec and Youseff Badder both came from the theater program at UT, while Leigh Yenrick came through FilmToledo. With movie making becoming more accessible, it’s less necessary for talent to live full time in excessively expensive big cities. Wright also says that there are many local businesses that generously donated meals, places to shoot scenes and support to local filmmakers and films set in Toledo. 

That’s a wrap

The film is now in post-production which puts it on track to get it in the film festival circuit. Wright will be submitting to several festivals including Marina Del Rey, California, where he showed Monarch, and a festival closer to home in Youngstown. There are also plans to have a Toledo premier. After all, John Hughes was famous for setting his films in Chicago. Perhaps Wright will be part of the new generation to pick up where Hughes left off, but in Toledo.  

Join Wright and The Ride to Nowhere team at Imagination Station Friday, Oct. 18 for the film’s local premiere. More details will be available at The Ride to Nowhere on Facebook.

What directors and their movies come to mind when you think of your favorite coming-of-age films? Greg Mottola, Superbad; Rob Reiner, Stand by Me; or, of course, the king of the genre, John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club

Toledo filmmaker Anthony Wright takes inspiration from these directors for his first feature-length film, The Ride to Nowhere

Meet Anthony Wright

Like many filmmakers, Wright caught the filmmaking bug when he was a kid, making movies at home with his friends. After high school, Wright started his own business filming weddings and events while continuing to work on ideas, scripts and collaborating with other local filmmakers. His short film Monarch made the festival rounds, going as far as Toronto, Los Angeles and Las Vegas while winning a few prizes. 

The Ride to Nowhere

The Ride to Nowhere is the story of Jimmy, a young, fresh-out-of-high school guy who embarks on a road trip with his friend Zak to visit an old crush. Along the way there are unexpected twists and turns. 

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Wright started writing the story two years ago. In 2022 he wrote a few drafts and shared them with friends who gave him feedback. The script was completed in September 2022, and Wright began casting. 


RELATED: Film Notes June 2024


When asked about the inspiration for the story itself, Wright explains, “I’m a big fan of comedy in drama movies the way John Hughes incorporated those elements. It’s not just slapstick. They have heartfelt moments like in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles when Steve Martin finds out why John Candy’s character is the way he is at the end of the film (no spoilers here) and we get that great shot of Candy’s face when he’s invited to dinner. It’s the humanity in the comedy that I want to give to the characters in my films.”

Shooting a road trip

“We couldn’t shoot a road-trip movie that only took place with the Toledo skyline in the background, so we did our best to find all the hidden gems in the 419 area,” Wright said. “We shot in places like Howard’s Bar, spots deep in Oak Openings and other places people may not recognize. This is a practical technique — movies and TV shows do it all the time with cities like Vancouver doubling for almost any major US city.” 

Additionally, as the characters get closer to their destination in the film, the landscape becomes greener – which not only indicates traveling to a new place, but the emotional journey that occurs as well.

Casting in Toledo

Wright provides opportunities for actors in Toledo. He attended the University of Toledo and was able to recruit actors he knew from college. Others he met through FilmToledo, the City’s new film commission that serves as a networking hub for anyone in the area working in film. 

Actors Ben Kunec and Youseff Badder both came from the theater program at UT, while Leigh Yenrick came through FilmToledo. With movie making becoming more accessible, it’s less necessary for talent to live full time in excessively expensive big cities. Wright also says that there are many local businesses that generously donated meals, places to shoot scenes and support to local filmmakers and films set in Toledo. 

That’s a wrap

The film is now in post-production which puts it on track to get it in the film festival circuit. Wright will be submitting to several festivals including Marina Del Rey, California, where he showed Monarch, and a festival closer to home in Youngstown. There are also plans to have a Toledo premier. After all, John Hughes was famous for setting his films in Chicago. Perhaps Wright will be part of the new generation to pick up where Hughes left off, but in Toledo.  

Join Wright and The Ride to Nowhere team at Imagination Station Friday, Oct. 18 for the film’s local premiere. More details will be available at The Ride to Nowhere on Facebook.

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