Marty Bufalini – “Derek Abernathy”

Marty Bufalini is a true renaissance man of the arts. He’s been writing, directing, producing and acting for theater, radio, TV and films since 1968. Marty has netted hundreds of credits doing everything from commercial voice-overs to one-man plays to an award-winning stretch as the anchor of the evening news. He has appeared in such feature films as HBO’s acclaimed 61*, RENAISSANCE MAN and TRUE ROMANCE. He produces, directs and acts in an annual radio adaptation of “It’s A Wonderful Life.” He’s even taught radio and TV performance at the university level.

Marty’s second love, classic cars, has led him to be tapped as an automotive historian to the Henry Ford Museum while cultivating his own private collection. These days, he works primarily as a radio voice-over artist and a stage actor when he’s not running Marty Bufalini Communications, an independent communications consultancy.

With nearly 20 years in corporate communications management, playing Fairfax Furniture CEO Derek Abernathy was a snap. All he had to do was ignore everything he knew about healthy corporate life!

Satish Shah – "Devendra Tiwari"

Comedian par excellence, Satish Shah is a well known name in Bollywood and Indian television. Ever since his debut on television 21 years ago in YEH JO HAI ZINDAGI, he has been growing his legend.  He has appeared in over 100 movies in his four decade career, but Satish is an extremely choosy actor; for him it is quality and not quantity that matters more.

"I am not an ambitious actor," he says.  "I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. What gives a high and what keeps me going is the fact that the audience loves to watch me on screen and I love to make them laugh.”  The media anointed him the “King of Comedy” for his work on this serial in the mid-80’s.

 When it comes to accepting serial offers, Satish is very choosy.  This pickiness won him the Indian Telly Award for Best Actor, Comedy in 2005 for the wildly popular sitcom, SARABHAI VS SARABHAI.  However, when it comes to films, he will accept roles in any film that provides a satisfying role, regardless of budget or prestige.  His recent Hindi films include KAL HO NA HO, CHALTE CHALTE, MAI HOON NA, MASTI, MILENGE MILENGE, ARYAN, SANDWICH.  OFFSHORE marks his first Anglo-Indian production.

Deb Tunis – “Carol”

Deb Tunis took her entire vacation time off from her “day job” as a national sales trainer… to play a woman working as a trainer. OFFSHORE provided a unique opportunity for Deb’s art to imitate life, but with decidedly darker ramifications: Carol Silvers, Deb’s character, must train the very people taking her off-shored job back to India.

Deb has acted and performed in Michigan for over twenty years, but had yet to draw so much from her personal experience as a corporate trainer when she played Carol. “I was able to tap into the raw reality of coaching American works who must reinvent themselves,” Deb says. “I know very well the pain of the American dream ‘shipping’ away.”

Deb’s extensive voice over work includes being a voice for the Ford Motor Company as well as dozens of other Michigan-based companies. She also channels her energy into her own speaking and coaching company, Talkaboutit. The trick to keeping both her acting and day job balanced, she says, “is having enough vacation time to complete the shoot!”

Neil Bhoopalam – “Nikhil”

Neil Bhoopalam was born in Mumbai, India, where he showed an aptitude for performance early. At 19, he was the youngest DJ to ever hit the airwaves, and plunged into theater shortly thereafter. His first chance to hit the boards was as an unexpected understudy replacement in a production of “Noises Off!” This was enough to encourage him to give up his day job in advertising and take up acting full time.

Neil has performed nationally and internationally in plays for the Industrial Theater Company and Q Company, including a production of “Hamlet.” He’s also collecting commercial and TV credits, as well as continuing to work in radio as a host and disc jockey.

He signed his first film role at 21, and shortly thereafter scored the OFFSHORE role of Nikhil, one of the Indian call center employees sent to America for training. It was a role that’s close to him: his older brother is a senior manager at a major call center. Says Neil, “He’s looking forward to the release of OFFSHORE even more than I am!”

Ratnabali Bhattacharjee – “Anjali”

Ratnabali Bhattacharjee was born in Calcutta and made her first forays onto the stage there, but went on to study History at Presidency College. She shares with her OFFSHORE co-stars an early love for performance – and a willingness to risk everything to follow her heart. Two days after her 26th birthday, she quit her job and immersed herself in the Mumbai theatre scene.

Ratnabali has performed with some of the best from the art – Makrand Deshpande, Sunil Shanbag, Rehaan Engineer – and in various languages including Hindi, English and gibberish (the latter being part of an Italian production of Commedia dell'Arte). Television and short films credits have begun to amass, but, as Ratnabali says, she prefers “quality over quantity always.”

OFFSHORE is Ratnabali's first feature film. She joins her Industrial Theater Company co-star, Neil Bhoopalam, in the movie as an Indian call center employee who is sent to America for training. Her character is caught in the crossfire, putting her in a position quite the opposite of her real life philosophy: “live, let live -- and get paid for it.”

Adam Schomer – “Mark“

Adam Schomer has been active in independent films in Detroit for over 3 years, with leading roles in DEXTER MURPHY and NINA’S SLED, plus supporting roles in OFFSHORE, BULLSEYE, THE PASSENGER and many shorts. He is a graduate of the Second City Training program and an active member of the improv group 6 Month Suspension. He is a co-writer and performer in the stage comedy ROAM, as well as feature films LIFE IS THERAPY and HOROSCOPE. He most recently published his children’s book series BECKA & THE BIG BUBBLE.

Malaika Shenoy -- “Reva “

This Mumbai voice-over actor is happy to take on the occupational hazard that comes with being the anchor for a travel show. TAKE A BREAK features remote, back of the beyond yet to be discovered places in India, and is soon to air on the Times Now, News Channel. Past voice-over work includes commercial campaigns for Nokia, Motorola & L’Oreal. She has also had a successful front-of-camera career in commercials, netting her 2003 Best Actress Abby Award for a Toshiba TV ad. She has also acted in feature films, including KAL, a Hindi suspense drama directed by Ruchi Narain, and OFFSHORE, her first Anglo-Indian endeavor.

Alison Crockett – “Amanda Case”

Alison Crockett’s first appeared in front of the camera doing the news while in college, but her focus soon shifted to production.  She has made several short films, including SEETHING SWANS, which explores the self-image issues many women face.  While working on her master’s degree, she assistant produced NORTHERN AT 100:  A CENTURY OF MEMORIES, a video celebrating the history of Northern Michigan University.  Alison shot much of the behind the scenes footage for Jeff Daniels’ ESCANABA IN ‘DA MOONLIGHT, which she later used to write and direct the documentary,  A PICTURE FROM HOME: THE JOURNEY THROUGH ESCANABA IN ‘DA MOONLIGHT.

On Daniels’ second directorial effort, SUPER SUCKER, Crockett served as the Production Coordinator, which won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the 2002 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.  As an Artist in Residence for the Marquette Alger Intermediate School District, she has developed and conducted video production workshops for K-12 students in rural school districts.  Crockett is currently pursuing a PhD at Michigan Technological University. 

Sid Makkar – “Ajay”

Sid Makkar is a busy young actor who already has multiple credits in film, TV and the theater. His feature film debut was as the lead in the Hindi 2004 comedy KIS KIS KI KISMAT. This performance cast him as the son of famed Indian comedian Satish Shah, who also plays his father in OFFSHORE. Sid’s most recent film is POSTCARD, an English feature with an all star cast including Soha Ali Khan.

Currently, Sid’s working double-time appearing in both a long-running play and a popular soap opera. “Art,” a Tony Award winning play, has proven so popular, it’s been running since November of 2005. Simultaneous to “Art,” he’s also on “Betiyaan,” a family soap airing on Zee TV four nights a week.