“Bearhead McGee,” a P4 short film reimagined by Logan Stanfa, is a comedy-noir of renowned detective Bearhead McGee, who is half man and half bear. The film is about Bearhead McGee getting back into the detective game, at which point he finds out that his former partner has turned to a life of crime and now calls himself “The Cheetah.”

The original creators of “Bearhead McGee” are Boston University Junior George Atencio and University of Pittsburgh rising junior Zain Adamo.

The main cast includes retired marine, boxer and martial artist Brandon Keeton as Bearhead McGee, Point Park alumna Ivy Mackinson, who plays Detective Christine, and local actor Mike Psenick, who plays The Cheetah. 

The film was written by senior Michael Bayer.

 “We couldn’t have asked for a better person to do the job,” Stanfa said. Michael is one of the best.”

Stanfa is the producer of “Bearhead McGee” and oversees a crew of a little over 13 people.

The director of the film is filmmaker Rashed Elami, the production designer is Jameelah Platt and the cinematographer and editor is filmmaker Georges Kassouf. 

“The film is a loving call-back to old 40s noir films with an offbeat/comedic twist to it,” Stanfa said. 

Stanfa created the crew and schedule for the project, but doesn’t consider himself to be a “boss figure.” 

“We’ve also brought in a small number of auxiliary support as well,” Stanfa said. “We have a very tight-knit crew, but we always help each other out to help get things moving.”

The crew did a lot of fundraising for the project, raising a total of around $3,500 dollars.

“We promoted the film at Steel City Con and posted flyers all around certain areas of the Cultural District,” Stanfa said. 

The filming for “Bearhead McGee” is nearly complete, with the final shooting day coming up this weekend. 

Two of the main problems that the film faced were last-minute call-offs from the auxiliary crew and the replacement of one cast member. 

“We all reached out to try and fill in these roles, and everything resolved itself,” Stanfa said. “Night shoots are also difficult because of the weather.”

Stanfa also said besides those issues, they still had a great shoot. 

The crew put casting calls out on Facebook and Backstage for the actors, and held auditions for those who were interested. 

“We provide call backs, and we let them deliver their own, separate interpretations of the character,” Stanfa said. “We’re also paying our actors, so that definitely gives them some incentive to show up.”

“Bearhead McGee” will be shown at the P4 film screening at PNC Theater on April 24, 2025. 

For behind the scenes and promotional images, follow the crew on Instagram @bear_head_mcgee_p4.