Tony Doupé acts and produces film premiering at SIFF

The Hollow One with Tony Doupé

“The Hollow One” Screens May 27 at May 28 at SIFF Cinema Uptown Theater

Audiences will be seeing a familiar face again this year at Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). 

Shoreline Community College (SCC) Film Department Chair Tony Doupé stars in “The Hollow One,” a suspense thriller horror feature which he also co-produced. “The Hollow One” screens at SIFF Wednesday, May 27 at 9:00pm and Thursday, May 28 at 3:30pm at SIFF Cinema Uptown Theater. Tickets can be purchased through the SIFF Box Office.

Doupé plays Michael Wade, a small, rural farm owner and amateur photographer. Father to Rachel and Anna, Michael is forced to appease forces far beyond his control.

“We used mainly local actors and crew for this film. It was great to be able to utilize the talents we have here,” Doupé said. “We also had a lot of support from some of our SCC film department graduates and current students. They're always eager to be in the learning environment only a film set can provide.” The film was written and directed by Doupé’s colleague and friend, local filmmaker Nathan Hendrickson.

Doupé took the plunge into independent filmmaking several years ago and came on board as part of Compulsion Films with Hendrickson and their colleagues Brian Pamintuan, Sherry Floyd, and Wayne Burns. Compulsion Film producers also recruited the talents of another local filmmaker and actor, Lorraine Montez, to assist in getting the film made. “The Hollow One” was also produced in association with Abundant Productions, founded by Montez.

The film also stars local actors Kate Alden, and Tonya M. Skoog, Los Angeles actor Jesse James (best known for “As Good as it Gets” “The Butterfly Effect,” “Amityville Horror,” and “Blow”), and New York actor Chelsea Farthing. 

“The Hollow One” follows young and hopeful Rachel Wade (Alden), who is sent down an emotionally destructive path after the tragic death of her mother (Skoog). Forced to leave home by her grieving father (Doupé), Rachel and her younger sister Anna (Farthing) return years later to find their father missing and the community deserted. The few remaining people are not the same. They seem devoid of emotion, just empty husks controlled by some unknown desire.

Haunted by fractured memories and nightmarish visions of her mother’s death, Rachel struggles to piece together the events leading up to her father’s disappearance. But the search for answers quickly turns into a deadly race for survival. In order to escape, Rachel must face her past and her mother’s dark history and a mysterious figure with sinister intentions.

“The Hollow One” was filmed using mainly local crew from Seattle and surrounding areas. Filming locations included Capitol Hill, Fremont, Duvall and Carnation. 

Doupé said “It was a challenge being an lead actor and producer on the film - especially given what a complicated and physically demanding role Michael was to play,” but we had a great cast and crew and that helped a lot.” 

Tony Doupé

Doupé is a director and SAG-AFTRA actor with more than 25 years experience. His feature credits include “Lucky Them” with Thomas Hayden Church and Toni Collette, “Switchmas” with Elliot Gould and David DeLouise, The River Murders with Ray Liotta and Christian Slater, Laggies starring Chloe Grace Moretz, and Wild with Reese Witherspoon.

He has also been a guest star on several TV series including Grimm, Leverage and Northern Exposure. Doupé has worked at Shoreline Community College for 18 years and has taught acting in Seattle and Hollywood for nearly 15 years. 

“The Hollow One” is executive produced by: Brian Waite, Mike Dussault, Rosario De Guzman, Nathan Hendrickson, Sherry Floyd, Brian Pamintuan, Wayne Burns, Jan-Fryderyk Pleszczynski, and Louis-Simon Ménard.

Compulsion Films is based in the Seattle area Its end goal is to create a local, sustainable multi-media company that bridges the gap between film, games, and internet content.

Abundant Productions is a forward-thinking company that creates intriguing films with real potential for national attention. Work includes features, TV and Web series, award-winning shorts and video production.