Young And Rising Star Wins An Award For Acting Talents In The Film Tombstone Pillow
Written by~ Sharry Flaherty
Dream Team Directors Bayou Bennett and Daniel Lir found a new and shining star in the eleven year old Kendra S. De Mesa. She was chosen two years ago, at the age of 9, for the role of Maria Del Carmen in the film, "Tombstone Pillow". Kendra’s portrayal of this young girl has won her fast recognition as One of the Best Actresses Under 18 through the Global Independent Film Awards.
Kendra’s talent on-screen and her work with the husband and wife director duo, Bayou Bennett and Daniel Lir, has earned her the recognition she deserves as an up and coming gifted actress. They chose Kendra based off of her single audition tape sent through her modeling agency, from there they quickly and excitedly met her and went through a 2 day acting workshop.
"Tombstone Pillow" takes place in the Philippines, where Maria Del Carmen humbles a rich woman on a tour through the Manila Cemetery, home to over 6000 people in deplorable conditions. It’s directors wish for it to bring forward the issues in the Philippines with the families living in the North Manila Cemetery. Their goal is to bring the movie to the mayor of Manila in the hopes they will help relocate those families to a better place.
The Dream Team directors, Bayou Bennett and Daniel Lir, coached Kendra through her 3 day filming session in the North Manila Cemetery. While Bayou Bennett could not be there in person, she continued to have a large influence through online forms of telecommunication. Kendra was an excellent fit with this talented pair of directors as they kept the importance of the story prominent, while also highlighting their young star’s gift for acting.
Classic Title
The lead actress and producer of Tombstone Pillow, Duque Baron says “... the secret to success of Tombstone Pillow is the magical collaboration of very hard working talents HEADED by dream team directors!”
When Kendra received news that she was chosen for the award of One of the Best Actors Under 18, she and those who worked with her on Tombstone Pillow were overjoyed and humbled by her recognition. She came from a background of being a runway model and did not see herself being chosen for this amazing award. Tombstone Pillow has recently won an additional three festival awards making it a total of 33 wins and surely many more to come.
“Working on the film Tombstone Pillow was a life-changing experience for me. It’s great to be a part of an international, award-winning movie that was able to show awareness about a real and important situation in my country.” says Kendra.
Directors Bennet and Lir never doubted Kendra’s talents as they knew she would be a star one day. She says that she wishes to continue to pursue her dream of being an international artist and says that “Every cloud has a silver lining.”
Acquired by Sharry Flaherty of Samera Entertainment/ Bounty Films. Tombstone Pillow can now be streamed on Amazon Prime.
To see the trailer for Tombstone Pillow click HERE
.jpg)
Attention bloggers, online magazines, and pod-casters, for follow up interviews with the cast and crew, be sure to contact Sharry Flaherty of Samera Entertainment at: SameraEntertainment@Gmail.com
ABOUT BOUNTY FILMS
Bounty Films is an Australian~owned independent film distribution company. Based in Melbourne and complemented by a passionate and dedicated staff who have over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Bounty is committed to releasing films that are both entertaining and culturally significant.
ABOUT SAMERA ENTERTAINMENT
Sharry Flaherty CEO and Founder of Samera Entertainment is a seasoned and well known film producer and Acquisitions Executive for Midnight Releasing. Samera consults with filmmakers on their projects that are either in development, pre-production or post-production. Filmmakers are welcome to submit their horror and thriller titles to:
SameraEntertainment@Gmail.com or AcortAcquistions@Gmail.com