PREVIEW PROJECT: Ingenious
(Image: www.filmskijken.tv)
In writing movie reviews with my educator's eye for the life lessons one can learn from any given film, my goal has always been a personal one of having an outlet to flex the creative muscle to write and talk about a topic I really enjoy. My target audience has always been my friends and family in my native Illinois and Indiana area who enjoy my take on movies. While this site has grown to traffic several thousand pageviews a month expanding to people far beyond my circle of friends, I've never had in my mind that it would get "noticed." Out of the blue today, I was cordially contacted via e-mail by Brian Neufang, a producer at Arriba Films, LLC, based in Santa Barbara, California. He was complementary towards the style of movie reviews on my site and wanted to inform me about a film project he is leading that needs support. How cool is that?
Mr. Neufang and his company has, over the course of several years, completed a film entitled Ingenious. Shot in Tuscon, Arizona on good old-fashioned 35mm film, the film stars Dallas Roberts (The Grey, 3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line) and two-time Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker, The Town, The Bourne Legacy, The Avengers) as pair of friends, one an inventor and the other a salesman, who are trying to make it big with their product idea. Check out the trailer for the film right here and also their website.
The filmmakers have made this film on their own and desire to distribute it outside of the Hollywood system and free from studio interference and control. That goal is what has brought Brian Neufang and Arriba Films to Kickstarter and its public fundraising promotion. They have set a goal of $48,000 to achieve the marketing, film prints, and distribution towards a U.S. theatrical release for Ingenious. See their Kickstarter page for their full story.
If you're a cause-giving kind of person, consider supporting this good-looking film. As a nice little reward, the first 200 pledges over $25 will receive a DVD or Blu-ray copy of the film upon its November release. While you're there, browse through Kickstarter for hundreds of great causes, both large and small that need friendly help and backing.
As for Every Movie Has a Lesson and possible future involvement with Ingenious, this has the potential to continue. In his initial e-mail to me, Mr. Neufang offered to set up an interview with me about the film, a column and post I would definitely feature and carry here on this site and also promote and publish over at Examiner.com where my work gets published as a Chicago Film Examiner. With Examiner.com, I have reached a level as a contributing writer there to request press credentials to attend local and national events. I will be working with my support people there and Mr. Neufang to possibly attend the Midwest premiere of Ingenious right here in Chicago. I'll say it again. How cool is that?
