Jonathan Gross

First Round Down

When big city problems follow a former hockey star turned hitman to his home town it's clear that he's not the only one with skeletons in his closet in this crime comedy caper involving ex-lovers, old coaches, mobsters and unpaid debts.

Pitch

A Canadian documentary featuring two young filmmakers attending the Toronto Film Festival to pitch a film concept to various celebrities. Their film idea, titled "The Dawn", concerns a Mafia don who goes for a hernia operation but gets a sex change instead. During the 1996 Toronto Fest, they approach Roger Ebert, Norman Jewison (at a packed press conference), Eric Stoltz (leaving a limo), Al Pacino, and others without much success. On a roll, they leave Toronto for Hollywood, getting advice from Arthur Hiller and Neil Simon and finding an agent who expresses interest in their pitch.