|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Area filmmakers
gear up for '03 By PETER HANSON,
Special to
the Times Union It's almost time to make those dreaded New Year's
resolutions, so, in that spirit, here's a sampling of projects that Capital
Region filmmakers have resolved to complete in 2003. On track for a release early next year is "Face of
the Enemy," the first project created at the Digital Film Farm. As
described in a Times Union feature earlier this year, the farm is the
brainchild of "Face of the Enemy," which Holser
directed from a script by Guilderland's Tom Mercer, is a topical drama about
divisions within a terrorist militia group. The piece, which was created by a
team involving many of the area's most active filmmakers and actors, has
evolved from a no-nonsense 10-minute quickie to an elaborate 20-minute piece
that may eventually be one section of a feature-length project. Boasting some of the most impressive photography and
production values yet crafted for a local digital film, "Face of the
Enemy" is in the editing stage, with Penny Perkins handling the cuts.
Perkins, by the by, recently stepped down after two successful terms as
co-president of local filmmakers' group Upstate Independents. Holser, Perkins' former co-president, has taken over as
sole president. For info on "Face of the Enemy," visit
http://www.digitalfilmfarm.com. Speaking of Upstate Independents, the group continues to
grow by expanding its repertoire of programs. In addition to the ongoing
Movies Without Pictures series of screenplay readings, UI recently launched a
satellite program with the working title of "The Upstate Independents
Screenwriters Caucus." And UI is continuing its relationship with the
WAMC Performing Arts Studio, with the hope of launching a series of
meet-the-filmmaker events. To keep up with the various UI comings and goings,
check out http://www.upstateindependents.net or visit the group itself. UI
meets at Busy Latham-based horrormeister
Jeff Kirkendall has a handful of projects on tap. He's
planning a January debut for his latest writing-and-directing effort, a
feature-length vampire thriller called "The Temptress." The
action-laced spookfest is extrapolated from a Kirkendall short titled "Three to Murder." And
as if making "The Temptress" hasn't left the filmmaker with enough
(fake) blood on his hands, he's also cutting projects for other directors. Using his trusty Adobe Premiere editing system, Kirkendall is piecing together films including
"London After Midnight," the long-in-the-works feature from Keep track of Kirkendall's
endeavors by visiting his Web site, http://www.veryscaryproductions.com. An extremely ambitious project scheduled for release in
2003 is "Wik," a sci-fi parable
co-created by The hard-to-describe plot involves a bleak future setting
in which characters such as the protagonist, a man-child named Adam, live in
tiny, hermetically sealed boxes. One of those boxes comprised the main set
for the picture, which Swantek and To check out some of the picture's wild visuals and to
stay abreast of the film's release schedule, visit
http://www.wikthemovie.com. And that's not all. Other local projects percolating
include the latest installment of Mike Camoin's
"Inside the Blue Line" documentary series, a movie about the
now-defunct Although the Masuccis' proposed
zombie movie, "Walking With the Dead," was derailed because of
difficulties with the financier, the brothers are planning to roll the
resources they amassed for "Walking" into a character-driven crime
flick. Expect director Dan Masucci and
cinematographer Joe Masucci to launch the new
project in the spring. In the meantime, look for updates on their site,
http://www.fountainheadpictures.com. This is the final "Focus on Film" column
because its author, longtime Capital Region indie-film
chronicler Peter Hanson, is moving to |
|
|
|
|
