Monroe’s own Ronnie Cail, a well-known barber and familiar face in local theater circles, is stepping into his biggest on-screen role yet in an upcoming feature film titled I’ll Still Love You.
The 90-minute drama is being produced by Blues Critic Films, a small but determined film company based in Geneva, Ohio, founded in 2021 by filmmaker Dylann DeAnna.
DeAnna, who is serving both as Executive Producer and actor in the film, describes I’ll Still Love You as a love story with heart, humor, and a powerful message: real love lasts, even when life changes.
The story centers on a woman who struggles with health-related weight gain and wonders whether her husband—played by well-known soul singer Ricky White—will still love her as she changes. The film features a brand-new ballad recorded by White, also titled I’ll Still Love You.
Cail, who plays White’s barber and loyal sidekick, doesn’t play himself, but the role is familiar enough to feel natural.
“This is the first one that I’ve done where I have a major supporting role,” Cail said, noting that he has spent years traveling from state to state chasing his dream of breaking into film.
“I’m not giving up until I get my breakthrough.”
Monroe, Farmerville, and Winnsboro are serving as filming locations, giving the project an authentic Louisiana backdrop. The Ohio film crew is adjusting to southern heat, southern hospitality, and southern cooking—but they’re winning over locals along the way.
Extras have lined up eagerly for barbershop scenes and street shots. When DeAnna asked if anyone wanted to be in the film, every customer in the barbershop volunteered—though a few had to be reminded not to look into the camera or flash peace signs.
Don Charles, another member of the Ohio team, is also getting a small acting role, adding what DeAnna calls “life and humor” to the project.
Although the film is being shot on a modest $25,000 budget, DeAnna says the finished product will look like a million-dollar production once editing is complete.
Filming and post-production are expected to wrap by the end of the year, followed by efforts to land a streaming deal—an increasingly promising path for independent films featuring African-American casts and storylines.
I’ll Still Love You is Blues Critic Films’ first full-length production, and if all goes well, it may also be the one that finally propels Ronnie Cail—Monroe’s traveling barber-actor—into the spotlight he’s been chasing.
