Zane Phillips & Jelani Alladin in Queer Erotic Thriller ‘Strangers on a Beach’

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Actors Zane Phillips, famously known for his role in “Fire Island,” and Jelani Alladin from “Fellow Travelers” will appear together in the ’80s-themed queer thriller titled “Strangers on a Beach.” This film promises an erotic narrative.

In 1983 San Francisco, a secretive murderer is preying on gay men. However, the main character, Calvin, is more interested in stealing a kiss from that appealing stranger. The movie, written and directed by Michael Schwartz (“Snatched”), follows this intriguing plotline.

The film titled ‘Strangers on a Beach’ will make its debut at the Big Apple Film Festival in New York City this coming June. Joining the cast are Juliana Aidén Martinez, known for her role in ‘Griselda’, Jack Falahee from ‘How to Get Away With Murder’, Nancy Lam who starred in ‘Miss Saigon’, and Perry Young, recognized from ‘In The Heights’.”

Or even more casually:

“In June, the movie called ‘Strangers on a Beach’ will have its first screening at the Big Apple Film Festival in NYC. Cast members include Juliana Aidén Martinez (‘Griselda’), Jack Falahee (‘How to Get Away With Murder’), Nancy Lam (‘Miss Saigon’), and Perry Young (‘In The Heights’).

Schwartz explains that the movie was influenced by the noir films of David Lynch and Brian DePalma from the 1980s. In his statement on Wednesday, he mentioned that many studio movies from that time embraced subtle queer themes, but these were often portrayed as dangerous. Hidden identities also faced difficult repercussions. With this film, we aimed to feature genuinely queer voices while maintaining an atmosphere of fear, seduction, and the bizarre – all in an effort to confront the prejudices not only of the characters but also the viewers who watch them.

Titled “Strangers on a Beach,” this movie is the work of Andrew Carlberg, known for “Skin,” and Nilou Safinya, who brought us “Julia Blue.” This film represents the third joint effort between Eyes Up Here Productions (headed by Safinya) and Boat Ashore Productions (led by Schwartz).

The creative team also comprises cinematographer Matthew Pothier (from “Mutt”), editor Mike Patterson (“Bulldozer”), along with consulting producers Nancy Hult Ganis and Sid Ganis. The executive producers are Erica Berger, Juliana Tyson Kissick & Ryan Kissick, Catherine Steiner-Adair & Fred Adair, and Madeline Levine & Lee Schwartz.

Katie VanderDrift and Edward King III serve as co-executive producers, while Ryan Connors and Rebecca Maar are the co-producers.

Apart from numerous theater roles and acting alongside Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey in “Fellow Travelers,” Alladin also starred in the Netflix film version of the Jonathan Larson musical, “Tick, Tick…Boom,” alongside Andrew Garfield. Notably, Phillips has recently made an appearance on the new Hulu comedy series titled “Mid-Century Modern.

Aladdin is represented by the agencies Buchwald, Amplified, Goodman Genow Schenkman Smelkinson + Christopher (collectively known as GGSS+C), LLP. On the other hand, Phillips is represented by BRS/Gage Talent Agency and Prime Talent Media.

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Aladdin is in the care of Buchwald, Amplified, Goodman Genow Schenkman Smelkinson + Christopher (GGSS+C), LLP, as well as Phillips who is handled by BRS/Gage Talent Agency and Prime Talent Media.

Currently, Schwartz, represented by Kegan Schell at Navigation Media Group, has released his technology-focused thriller feature titled “Pay Attention!”. Meanwhile, his half-hour TV comedy series “Senior High”, which was previously showcased on The Red List, is now being developed with producer Danny Rose, known for his work on “Scrubs” and “Cougar Town”.

In addition to this, Schwartz has experience in Broadway productions at Lincoln Center and The Old Vic in London. He is also the co-creator of the live variety game show, “That’s a Gay Ass Live Show”, which premiered at The NY Comedy Festival and will air on Netflix Is A Joke in 2024 with Eric Williams as host, featuring stars like Bowen Yang, Matt Rogers, Ana Gasteyer, Margaret Cho, and a rotating cast of LGBTQ+ celebrities and allies.

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2025-04-30 18:47