Filmmaker Zack Williams. (Courtesy of the Philadelphia Daily News)

Philadelphia director Zack Williams announced an open casting call Sunday, Nov. 14 from noon to 4:30 at the Community Education Center (3500 Lancaster Avenue) for speaking roles and extras for Keyz 2 Da City, which is scheduled to be shot in West Philadelphia.

Here’s a synopsis from the Greater Philadelphia Film Office site:

In the mean streets of philly, (Nadir) who’s just released from prison,finds himself in bloody war after being falsely accused of murdering a kingpin named Frog. Things get complicated when he falls for a woman(Dez)10yrs. his senior and the woman is not who she appears to be. Things come to a head when his old cell mate (Donnie) gets out of prison. He’s a capo in the Italian Philadelphia mafia (la costra nostra) and gets set up by a close associate. Now all hell breaks loose when the mafia puts contacts on Nadir and his crew head while still fighting for theire live against the local thugs who wants revenge for Frog’s murder. With no place to run and no one to trust there is only one option- kill or be killed. Take a rollercoaster ride through the city streets as bullets fly and bodies fall and friendships are broken. Sometimes crime doesn’t pay when one false move can cost you your life!

Williams, who grew up near 40th and Ogden, definitely has the street cred for the film. He spent a few years in prison, where, when asked which skill he would like to learn such as carpentry or plumbing, he replied, “acting.” Prison officials laughed.

Williams’ first film, Can’t Judge a Book, debuted this summer (trailer).

Grammy Award nominated rapper and Philadelphia native Charli Baltimore has signed on to the film as have Philadelphians Sundy Carter,  Omillio Sparks and Oschino, all of whom featured in State Property.

A jogger heads west on the new South Street Bridge.

The South Street Bridge opened Nov. 6 after two years of reconstruction, giving West Philadelphians their path back to South Philly.

Local politicos lauded themselves and developers for getting the bridge done ahead of schedule and under budget. Little mention was made that the final product comes 18 years after design work began. But, fair enough, we got our bridge back.

The bridge isn’t much to look at it – strips of galvanized steel and concrete – but it’s functional attributes are attractive.

They include (soon to be?) painted bike paths and pedestrain friendly crosswalks. Before it closed, an estimated 23,000 people per day used the bridge (by foot, pedal and motorized vehicle). Its reopening could not come soon enough for business owners on both sides of the Schuylkill. Development in Graduate Hospital or “South of South” areas are reportedly scheduled to begin soon.