Sonoma County filmmaker Joshua Dylan Mellars nominated for an Emmy for 'Shakespeare in the Shadows'

Sonoma County filmmaker Joshua Dylan Mellars's “Shakespeare in the Shadows” film has been nominated for an Emmy.

The Abuela Luna Pictures film sets Shakespeare soliloquies against breathtaking North Bay backdrops of swirling winds, wave-pounded rocks, coastal promontories and foreboding film noir cityscapes to capture the depth and emotional force of the Bard's famed work.

The film features performances from some of Shakespeare's best known plays, from the supernatural world of “The Tempest” to the dank, dark corridors of Macbeth's Dunsinane.

“Shakespeare said: ‘All the world's a stage.' For our film, all of Sonoma County and the San Francisco Bay Area became our stage,” Mellars said. “It was incredibly thrilling to adapt Shakespeare to the dramatic backdrops of my home.”

Mellars and his production team were ecstatic upon learning about the Emmy nomination. The filmmaker thinks it's remarkable that Shakespeare remains relevant more than 400 years after the playwright's death.

“It was so wonderful to film Shakespeare's characters and have the opportunity to immerse myself in the beauty and power of his words,” Mellars said.

The crew filmed “Shakespeare in the Shadows” with a very intimate approach. The production was shot with one camera and relied upon the abilities of one actor, the words of Shakespeare and the stunning backdrops of Sonoma County and the Bay Area.

Actor Mark Cohen, who trained in London at revered Royal Shakespeare Company affiliate Guildhall, delivers a nuanced performance in the one-man show.

“It's a performance that is so immediate, so direct, so emotive that I think both Shakespeare aficionados and people who aren't familiar with Shakespeare can enjoy and be moved by the work,” Mellars said. “Mark has breathed new life into the characters while staying true to the essence of the playwright's words.”

This isn't the first time Mellars's work has garnered acclaim, he's also been nominated for two additional Emmys this year for other television works produced for Bay Area PBS station KRCB TV Channel 22.

Mellars was born in San Francisco and grew up in Sonoma County before attending Brown University on the East Coast. Prior to embarking on his filmmaking career, Mellars worked as a journalist in South America where he filed reports for UPI, the BBC and NPR.

“Shakespeare in the Shadows,” which made its television premiere in the San Francisco Bay Area last November on KRCB TV Channel 22, will be broadcast nationally later this year.

The Northern California Area Emmy Award Gala will take place at the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco on Saturday, June 2, 2018. “Shakespeare in the Shadows” next airs in the Bay Area Wednesday, July 11th, at 9 p.m. on PBS station KRCB TV Channel 22.