THE COFFEE SHOP Film Wrap Party

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

The Coffee Shop Director Jana (AJ) Mattioli

The Coffee Shop is the latest feature coming from the highly acclaimed LGBTQ film production company, Mattioli Productions, currently filming in New York City. Mattioli Productions, known for serving the LGBTQ community with groundbreaking work in movie production is run by Jana (AJ) Mattioli (recently honored in the Advocate as “40 People Under 40 to Look Out For.”) AJ Mattioli’s directorial film debut of An Affirmative Act, starring multiple Academy Award and Emmy winners and nominees, had a very successful national theatrical release in 2011.

 Film cast: Blanche Baker, Bobby Walker, Denise Finelli, Holly Meek,
Keith Collins and Elissa Goldstein, with AJ on top

The Coffee Shop is a gay owned restaurant catering to everyone in the community ranging from fabulous drag queens, to flamboyantly gay waiters, lipstick and butch lesbian waitresses, patrons questioning their sexuality and of course some bi-sexual vampire cult members.

Playwright Debbra Liverman and Entertainer Tym Moss take sides on AJ

The film stars Blanche Baker (Emmy winner; Sixteen Candles), Elissa Goldstein (An Affirmative Act), Rachael Robbins (The Great Fight), Julia Weldon (Before and After), Keith Collins (A Fight For Survival, Awake in the Woods), Joshua Cruz (The Big Gay Musical), and famous fabulous drag queen Dallas Dubois (Miss Fire Island 2010.) The cast consists of an additional twenty hilarious supporting actors creating a fantastic environment for this playful comedy.

Denise Finelli takes a spin at the pole

Elissa Goldstein

The Coffee Shop was a collaborative writing project executed by Zach Rothman-Hicks, Talia Gonzalaz, Bisanne Masoud, Kelly Feustel, Sean Connelly, Robert Borneman, Blanche Baker and Elissa Goldstein.

Tym and Blanche Baker risk dancing on the premises

Executive Producers for The Coffee Shop include Harrington Talents, Robert and Joyce Borneman, Greg Jackson, Steve Wolf and Dreamcatcher Entertainment.

AJ's turn at the pole

To see more photos of this event, click here