What's Happening in Cincinnati, OH…

An independent film written, starring, and directed by Emilio Estevez is slated to be filmed in and around Cincinnati starting in January.

The ‘dramedy’ (drama/comedy) is an ensemble project called “the public” and co-stars Che “Rhymefest” Smith, Taylor Schilling, Jena Malone, and Alec Baldwin. According to Film Cincinnati's Kristen Schlotman, the movie is in pre-production.

It tells the story of a standoff between library officials and police, who get involved when patrons of the library hold a sit-in at the facility during a cold snap so frigid it threatens human life. Many of those who opt to hold the sit-in are mentally ill or homeless. Malone and Estevez play librarians, and Baldwin is a crisis negotiator. Smith takes the role of a homeless person, while Schilling's character exposes the true situation, while the media, instead of reporting accurately, spins the event to increase ratings.

Estevez is the son of actor Martin Sheen, and the brother of Charlie Sheen of ‘Two and a Half Men’ fame. Estevez is probably best known for his role in the movie ‘The Breakfast Club’, where he played stereotype jock Andrew Clark.

Projects like this can benefit when organizers work with poster or flyer printing companies, which can create handouts to inform residents of street closures and other potentially difficult situations that arise during filming.