By Marion Filler
They are among the survivors.
A dozen Morristown business operators share their pandemic stories in Closed Until Further Notice, premiering at the Mayo Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021.
Dan Gianfrancesco and Zack Ryan, co-founders of production company StrixMedia in Morris Township, created the documentary.
“It was a labor of love,” said Gianfrancesco, noting that the business people he interviewed shared a common trait.
“One of the things we discovered, was that no matter what they were going through, they were going out of their way to help other people. Everyone was always looking out for someone else when really they didn’t have to do that,” he said.
Gianfrancesco hopes the film will raise awareness about what it took to survive. “At the end of the day, you’re going to walk out of the theater and say, ‘I want to go to this business.’ ”
Video trailer, ‘Closed Until Further Notice’:
Ryan and Gianfrancesco donated their time and equipment and enlisted approximately 40 other professionals who also volunteered their expertise. Responding to a suggestion from Leia Gaccione of South + Pine Restaurant and Jeff Haag of the Morristown Stimulus Plan, Strix created the video to spotlight and support local businesses.
Gianfrancesco said it took about 450 hours to produce the 90-minute film. Shooting began last November, “not a long time in the film world, but definitely a long time in every other world,” he said.
The downtown has faced downturns before, but never one like this, Gianfrancesco said. It was a challenge to document.
“We didn’t know the rules. We didn’t know if we were going to be open. We didn’t know what the game would be the next day. It was ever-changing,” Gianfrancesco said.
The film consists of 15 six-minute segments, featuring conversations with owners and representatives of Morristown restaurants, hair salons, fitness clubs, gift- and coffee shops, hotels, and salad bars. Mayor Tim Dougherty and Jennifer Wehring of the Morristown Partnership also are interviewed.
“It became our mission to humanize these businesses and show the people behind these brands, storefronts, and logos. It was so important for us to shine a light on the unsung heroes who persevered through the pandemic to save their business and ultimately save Morristown, NJ,” Gianfrancesco said.
Gianfrancesco and Ryan met while working at Apple. StrixMedia services companies nationwide, with a focus on business storytelling.
For Closed Until Further Notice, they interviewed people at south + pine, Smart World Coffee, Salad House, ESO Pasta, 13 Stars, Motown Fitness, The Rock Box, Best Western, South Street Yoga, Charlie Brigitte, 23 South Boutique, and MPAC, which donated the theater for Tuesday’s premiere.
Tickets are available at MPAC, on a pay-what-you-can basis. Suggested prices: $10-$100. Proceeds go towards stipends for the creatives in the project. Tickets are good for admission to the 7:30 pm screening, and for accessing the documentary on the Strix website. The producers also have a GoFundMe page.
Proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test are required for theater entry.
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