Tony Doupe, a years-long professor of acting and theater at Shoreline, recently premiered his first feature film Winter Island to a worldwide audience. Doupe is beloved by students for his dedicated craft and engaging teaching style. The movie’s release on Sept. 24, 2024 is a momentous milestone in his career and reflects his transition into directing longer projects of his own volition.
Doupe’s recent feature certainly isn’t his first rodeo in commercial film. He’s directed multiple TV pilots and short films, produced over 30 films, and acted in over 100.
Winter Island explores the journey of a young woman who returns to her isolated hometown on an island during a gloomy winter, confronting loss, memories, and magnificent solitude in nature. Set against the mystical landscape of Washington, the film is both visually striking and emotionally compelling. It dives deep into themes of grief, renewal, and self-reflection.
“I was contacted by a friend of mine who thought I’d be good for the job,” Doupe recounted. “The whole process was about 14 months from pre-production to final edit. We had four Shoreline students act in the film and 5 Shoreline students work on the crew. We had one Shoreline alumni act in the film and two faculty members. So, Shoreline was all over the film.”
Insight is to be gained from every new experience. Doupe said he learned that, “directing is about constantly answering questions. The same happened on my next directing job, which we are in post-production for now, called Devil’s Wine.”
With Winter Island’s initial screening drawing praise of its beautiful setting and the emotional depth of its characters, it’s safe to say we’re getting more features from Doupe in the future.
“To any aspiring directors, I always say, create — with your phone, friends, etc. Create with what you have access to,” asserted Doupe.
Shoreline students interested in or passionate about filmmaking have the opportunity to take multiple film classes throughout the year and attend multiple film festivals right on campus.
Anyone who’d like to watch Winter Island can now rent, purchase, or stream through a subscription on Apple iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, Hoopla, and Microsoft Store.
