2006 Indie Features Archive

2006

	Death of a Saleswoman One of the beautiful things about independent filmmaking is the ability to explore ideas and characters that do not traditionally have a big voice in mainstream film. In the film Death of a Saleswoman, writer and director Donna Wheeler wanted to examine women as heroes, protagonists, living in modern times. more...
	The Empty Acre When film buffs think of Kansas, they most likely recall the classic black and white scenes from The Wizard of Oz. Yet, those scenes were shot on a California sound stage, not in Kansas. Now, local director Patrick Rea has created a horror film that casts a shadow over a small town while shining a spotlight on the Kansas film community. In The Empty Acre, Rea brings first class filmmaking to the Heartland, showing a brighter side to Kansas. more...
	Fetching Cody When writer/director David Ray wanted to tell a story set in the rough Downtown Eastside district of Vancouver, he didn't shy away from it. Not only is his story set there, he also shot it on location. But the tale isn't a bleak documentary about urban crime. Fetching Cody is a bittersweet time travel fantasy that shows beauty even in the most desperate of places. more...
	In Memorium The majority of independent films I see are low-budget features and shorts by aspiring directors. Certain low standards have to be expected when watching a film made on a shoestring budget. Yet, writer/director Amanda Gusack makes these constraints work for the story in the horror film In Memorium. By incorporating still cameras and a single location into the storyline, she gives the film a gritty realism that makes the audience feel like a voyeur of someone's nightmare. more...
	Interstate Back in the day, hitchhiking across America was a part of life on the road. Immortalized in books by Jack Kerouac and others, this lifestyle has nearly died out because of the inherent dangers involved. We all know the cautionary tales about picking up hitchhikers. In the new independent feature Interstate, written and directed by newcomer Marc A. Samson, the story of the lonesome hitchhiker takes a decidedly different twist. more...
	The Key A crime was committed in Topeka, Kansas, last night. Local filmmaker Michelle Fridley charged $10 per seat for a low-budget "experimental" film that was little more than a vanity project. The premiere at the Topeka Performing Arts Centre created a faux-event of what passes for Hollywood glamour in the capital city. Like teenage girls at prom, the cast and crew played dress up and duped the city into believing they had actually created a product worthy of attention. The independent horror feature The Key, however, deserves none of the self-congratulatory praise it received. more...
	Last Stop for Paul We all know someone who has been everywhere and done everything. This person, be it a friend or a relative, is a treasure trove of great stories that range from the sublime to the bizarre and each one begins with a promise: "I swear, this is true." How does one begin to tell a story that encompasses all these experiences? Director Neil Mandt manages just that in an around-the-world expedition called Last Stop for Paul, a funny, touching, and breath-taking movie that is a cross between a travelogue and a feature film. more...
	Under Surveillance In 1954's classic Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock created a masterpiece of suspense set in a single room where a man with a broken leg watched his neighbors through his window. He saw into their windows and watched their lives unfold. He made observations and uncovered a murder plot in his own backyard. Half a century later, director Dave Campfield tries to recreate that suspense using the modern technolgy of the surveillance camera. more...
Buy it Now from Amazon.com	Zombie Honeymoon Stories abound of newly married couples who discover hidden truths about each other. Too young or too inexperienced, these couples often go their separate ways rather than cope with the imperfect reality of marriage. Others promise to stick to their wedding vows "in sickness and in health." The new horror/romance Zombie Honeymoon takes this test of a new marriage to the extreme when the groom develops a taste for human flesh. more...