Locally inspired series ‘Dewey Days’ premieres at film festival
The pilot episode of “Dewey Days” will premiere at the Rehoboth Beach International Film Festival this November. The series captures the chaos and heart of life in the Dewey Beach service industry.
Written by Christine Rineer and Mike Macera, and created by son Zach Rineer, the series follows Clarice, played by Rory Wagner, a young woman who returns to her mother’s Dewey Beach home after her plans for a law school internship fall through. She takes a job at the local restaurant, Gary’s, and quickly finds herself immersed in the tight-knit, fast-paced environment of town’s service industry. The episode features the actual Gary’s restaurant, and owner Gary Cannon even makes a special appearance.
Zach has some deep personal ties to Dewey Beach, where he spent many summers with his family. His time in the area and experience working in local restaurants inspired the setting and characters of “Dewey Days.” This allowed him to capture the authenticity and community spirit of the special town.
“I came to Dewey Beach during the summers when I was in high school and stuff like that,” said Zach. “My first real job was at Gary’s. It’s a local spot where industry people will go for drinks or get food between shifts. It was a really great environment and the guy who owns it, Gary, is fantastic. So the original idea just kind of stems from doing a workplace type of story that’s like about these people in this place.”
Filming took place last September during the town’s off-season. The town’s support played a pivotal role in this production. Dewey Beach town officials helped secure filming permits, while nearby businesses like The Starboard and The Lighthouse provided food and resources for the production. Plus, co-owners Gary Cannon and Holly Ski of the restaurant were welcoming and accommodating as a major location within the series.
“Gary and Holly have been integral in the process, because they’ve been so open to letting us film there and work within their hours,” said Rineer. “The mayor of Dewey Beach has been super supportive and helpful. Monty from the Starboard and people over at the Lighthouse restaurant were very gracious and willing to send us some stuff to feed our team.”
The pilot recently earned recognition at the Soho Film Festival in New York. The project’s inclusion in the Rehoboth Beach International Film Festival provides a chance to share the story with the very community that inspired the series in the first place.The episode will be screened alongside other local short films on Nov. 6 at 11 a.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://rbiff2025.eventive.org/schedule/delmarva-short-film-block-2nd-screening-68f67ab43ba7f07196a3bb57.
“Everybody who’s seen it so far who is from there has been very supportive,” said Rineer.
Looking ahead, the “Dewey Days” team hopes to expand the project into a full series, continuing to explore the stories, characters and life in Dewey Beach.
For more information, follow the series on social media at instagram.com/deweydaystv.
