Behind the glamour of award shows and premieres is the all-too-true world of aspiring movers and shakers. Indie Filmmaker Ana Barredo spent a year documenting the lives of some of the most passionate people you will ever meet. A funny and charming look at the thousands who leave their families and hometowns each year to make it big in the club called Hollywood, The Table is a group that has one thing going for them - each other.
The Table documents a year in the lives of a network support group of Hollywood hopefuls and established professionals who have been meeting every Thursday for nearly 20 years! Called The Table, their informal meetings occur in the backrooms of Los Angeles restaurants. The Table is where doers and dreamers alike come to share their stories, strategies, and aspirations, buffering the highs and lows of pursuing careers in a fickle and elusive industry. And in doing so year after year, they've benefitted from the power of building a community.
Founded by author and screenwriter Marc Scott Zicree (The Twilight Zone Companion, Sliders), The Table has broadened its network to include thousands of creative individuals. With its friendly open-door policy that's free for anyone who would like to attend, The Table has attracted incredible actors, writers, directors and producers such as Guillermo Del Toro (director, Pan's Labyrinth), George Takei (actor, Star Trek), Armin Shimerman (actor, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), and Chris Wyatt (producer, Napoleon Dynamite).
Through the documentary, you'll get to meet just a few of those individuals, and witness their tenacity and the trials of traversing success in Hollywood.
One of the most compelling interviews in The Table is of Jim Troesh, who is a quadriplegic writer/actor/director. Disabled in his teens by a mishap with power lines while installing an antenna on a friend's rooftop, Troesh took acting classes in college while working in radio production. An unconventional casting choice in a local production landed him a role in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, a role that is typically given to able-bodied thespians. An overnight sensation, one thing lead to another for Troesh and soon he won a role in Highway To Heaven co-starring alongside TV's Michael Landon. Troesh began penning scripts for the program in addition to his co-star, opening many doors of opportunity for Troesh during the 1980's, but things changed once the show was over. With great humility and unwavering humor, Troesh recounts his tale of finding his way back to work through his associations at The Table.
Come see the feel-good film that encourages community. Whether you are in the arts or not, the strength of individuals coming together to persevere is one of the irresistible messages that comes across The Table.