JOTH RIGGS is the perfect example of “slow and steady wins the race.” No stranger to filmmaking, Joth has paid his dues and put in the time and the work before stepping into the director’s chair to helm NIGHT OF THE SICARIO. With almost 30 years of movies and television shows under his belt, Joth started as a production assistant in television and worked his way up the ranks and learning the various cinematic crafts, finding himself at Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, and then ultimately being accepted into the Director’s Guild Training Program. With years of training and practical experience in the art and craft of filmmaking, Joth became an Assistant Director, honing his skills further in both television and film with an impressive and lengthy genre-diverse resume before finally donning his own director’s hat and helming several award-winning short films. And now, Joth takes the final step as director of NIGHT OF THE SICARIO.
A tension-fueled thriller that combines drama and action, and yes, even a few light moments courtesy of a talented collection of some older character actors, NIGHT OF THE SICARIO focuses on one night in a senior living home where a young girl named Amelia and her father have taken refuge. Amelia’s mother is a key witness in a federal trial against a drug cartel and while her family is being transported to a safe house, the DEA transport is ambushed leaving Amelia and her father to fend for themselves. With sicarios hot on their trail and a category 5 hurricane bearing down on them, will they and the five resident seniors and Taylor the facility director make it safely through the night, especially when the sicarios arrive at the door. A nail-biting cat and mouse game that will have you on the edge of your seat!
Directed by JOTH RIGGS with script by Matthew Eason and Ernesto Melara, NIGHT OF THE SICARIO boasts a top-notch cast led by Natasha Henstridge, Manny Perez, and Costas Mandylor, with a breakout performance by Addison Kendall as Amelia, and not to be missed work by Carol Florence, Dan Kern, Jann Ellis, Robert Torres, and Jerry Carrier, all of whom steal the show with some shining golden moments.
I spoke at length with Joth in this exclusive interview covering all aspects in the “making of” NIGHT OF THE SICARIO. Easy-going, light-hearted, and energetic in our conversation, it’s easy to see how bringing those elements to a set creates a wonderful working environment for all involved. And that leads to a first-rate film. From casting to action and stunt work (seniors were doing their own “stunt” work) to designing a visual tonal bandwidth with cinematographer Brian Shanley that made the best use of the building layout and floorplan with corners and dark corridors, to Jon Connor’s well-paced editing, and David Williams score, Joth left no stone unturned in directing this film. Listen as he talks about melding his technical proficiency and each of these production disciplines with a newly acquired skill – working with the actors.
TAKE A LISTEN. . . . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview April 6, 2021
