Vincent L. Scarsella, Bill Murray III, Jamison Namingha, Connor Greczyn, and Tyler Ineson are a production team of local filmmakers, writers, and artists working together to make a feature film called Local Talent — a universal story about realizing one’s dream.

Like every independent film project, Local Talent requires financing to be made the right way. We are reaching out to family, friends, fellow creatives, and supporters of independent film to help fund a portion of the project through this campaign.

Local Talent is a character-driven dramedy about ambition, resilience, and the fine line between chasing a dream and getting hustled. When a struggling actor and screenwriter is duped into raising money for a bogus TV pitch, he turns the disaster into a movie about the scam itself — the very film we’re making. Through humor, the story draws inspiration from the real struggles of artists outside Hollywood while celebrating the City of Buffalo, which, through every frustration, never stops trying.

The film will be shot entirely in Buffalo and Western New York, employing local cast, crew, vendors, and locations. Several well-known local figures — including restaurateur Dennis DiPaolo, former heavyweight boxing contender Baby Joe Mesi, and Buffalo Sabres legend Rob Ray — support the project and are expected to appear in the film.

Recently, we obtained a planned cameo appearance by Hall of Fame Buffalo Bills QB Jim Kelly.

This fundraising campaign is about the Western New York community supporting a local, homegrown creative effort. Every donation helps cover real production costs and helps ensure this Buffalo story is told the right way, by artists who live here.

If you believe in supporting local artists, independent film, and Buffalo-centered stories told with humor and heart, we hope you’ll consider donating and sharing this campaign.

Thank you for supporting Local Talent — and the local talent working together to make it.