After a rough breakup, Nate Lewis gets a chance at stardom when a Battle of the Bands contest comes to town with a prize of $50,000 and a promising new career in Los Angeles.
When a mysterious girl Skye moves to the neighborhood and inspires his creativity to new heights, Nate’s confidence goes too far and jeopardizes the relationships that matter most.
A dreamer and a goldmine of raw musical talent, Nate Lewis works a hum-drum job in facilities at a local park. After his high school sweetheart breaks up with him, Nate searches for inspiration through song, and soon meets a new girl in town who becomes his muse.
In preparation for the Battle of the Bands, Nate must overcome his own personal fears and become the artist, and person, he is meant to be.
Seanan Michael Ellis - Worlds We Created, One Summer
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3980076/
Skye Robinson moves to town and gets a job as a waitress at the local diner, “Junior’s”. She rides a skateboard and (literally) falls into Nate’s life and awakens his musical talent.
Bubbly, artistic, caring and mysterious, Skye seems like the perfect girl-next-door. But when there’s trouble in paradise, she may not be all that she seems.
Cassidy Rose
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6698479/
Joey lives in his grandmother’s basement. He is Nate’s best and only friend, and drummer for their band “Small Town”. While he talks big about his ability to rock and get girls, it’s certainly not always the case in real life.
Nonetheless, Joey’s underdog spirit and uncanny wisdom become an unwavering source of support for Nate in good times and in bad.
Ryan Sherrill
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12365523/
The town’s local bully with a fine sense of rhyme and having a good time. He is Nate’s boss at the cement plant and Smalltown’s rival in the Battle of the Bands.
Though a constant thorn in Nate’s side, DJ Dale is more than meets the eye.
Max Schuster - High Fidelity, Homecoming
https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm6822540/
Sincere and caring, Violet is the peacemaker of the group and works at Junior’s as a waitress with her best friend Tiff.
When things are in dire straights, Violet steps up to the plate. She is the personification of what it means to be a true friend despite the circumstances.
Yakima Rich - Milestones
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5514928/
Sugar, spice…but not always nice. Tiff splits her time at Junior’s as a server and a wannabe influencer. She has a bad habit of stirring up drama and the voice for gossip among the youth of the town. Though she plays the mean girl part well, Tiff just wants to be loved.
Shifra Zuckerman - The Sex Lives of College Girls, Ghost in the Graveyard
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9375345/
The town’s “hot girl” and a big fan of Small Town, but for perhaps the wrong reasons. She’s fun and flirty and only has one thing in mind. Get too close to her and you may find yourself in a bit of situation.
Olivia Larsen - Ghost in the Graveyard, A Job to Die For
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4845377/
Nate’s father who has worked his whole as the local cement plant. Like his son, Chris suffers from a broken heart and has trouble moving on, often taking out his frustration in spurts of anger. Though he has a hard exterior, he wants the best for Nate and his calling.
Drew Moore - The Night Agent, Law & Order: Organized Crime, FBI: Most Wanted, Signs of Love, American Horror Story
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5088831/
Joey’s grandmother. Don’t play the music too loud or you won’t be allowed to eat any of her wonderful Italian baked delights!
Though easily irritable, Nana is a quintessential loving grandmother and a snapshot of a bygone area of Americana lifestyle.
Phyllis Pastore - Tulsa King, The Finellis Movie
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8489593/
The owner and chef at Junior’s. He also moonlights by driving an ice cream truck at odd hours of the night. A shadowy character and smooth talker, Rocco’s true motives become a real threat to Nate’s well being and jeopardize his goals.
Reid Carrescia
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5156826/
The man, the myth, the legend - Krush is one of the greatest rock icons of all time and front man of “Fan Fare”. He can be found calling the shots in the studio, singing a vocal in only one take, and then taking the rest of the day off on the beach with his gang of groupies.
When Nate learns he has a chance to work with Krush through winning the Battle of the Bands, he forms a band with Joey, giving it their all for a $10k prize and one-way ticket away from their sleepy hometown to the starry-eyed promise of Los Angeles.
Allen Carrescia
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5249788
Reid Carrescia - director, writer & editor
Allen Carrescia - writer, producer & composer
Jason Armstrong - producer
The Carrescia brothers watched Citizen Kane in 2007, and as the credits rolled, Allen turned to Reid and said…
“Hey, why don’t we make a film?”
Soon after, Allen bought a Canon handycam and the brothers made their first short. In the following years, Reid and Allen worked independently both in the film and music industry. Reid went off to film school and began shooting and editing commercials, music videos and shorts; while Allen scored films, formed various bands and perfected his craft as a music producer and engineer.
Fast forward to 2025, the Carrescia brothers completed their first feature Small Town Paradise, which showcases their combined raw talent for story, original music, filmmaking, emotional sensibility, and overall artistry.