THE FEATURE “SOARING” is the latest project of producer Joe Orlandino of Atlas Media Group, working with writer Amy Danford-Klein, a former corporate pilot who wrote the screenplay as a tribute to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) of WWII, whose records were sealed and classified for 35 years.
The story is about an elderly female WWII pilot who forms an unlikely friendship with a troubled teen and teaches her that despite the circumstances, life’s greatest gifts are love, courage, compassion and hope.
Now in active development, Atlas Media is involved in packaging the film and currently is in talks with LA-based Fortitude International foreign sales, finance and production company.
ARTS SUPPORT GRANTS totaling $1.75 million from the McArthur Funds for the Arts and Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation went to 74 culture and arts organizations, including three film companies, to support their continuing efforts.
Non-profits receiving grants over two years were $37,000 to executive director Nancy Watrous’ Chicago Film Archives, and $12,500 to TV / video pioneer Tom Weinberg’s Media Burn Archives. Filmmaker Eugene Sun Park’s Full Spectrum Features, received a one year $5,000 grant, in addition to a $14,600 grant from Chicago Filmmakers’ Digital Media Production Fund.
The grant program supports small to mid-sized Chicago arts organizations as an expression of civic commitment to the community, to help sustain the city and region’s cultural life.
THE COMEDY FEATURE, “It’s All Good,” from FND Film filmmakers Aaron Fronk, Vinny DeGaetano and Cooper Johnson about their own experiences spoofing a fraudulent crowdfunding campaign, is now available to rent / purchase on Amazon and the film’s website.
The film is a fictional portrayal of the filmmakers’ experience raising close to $78,000 on Indiegogo in 2014 to fund their first feature, then falling off the map once they collected the cash. An audience of 500 attended the October premiere at the Music Box Theatre. Watch the “fake trailer” here.
AWARD-WINNING “SCAMMERHEADS,” a noir feature directed by former Chicagoan and cult film director Dan Zukovic (“The Last Big Thing”) was mostly filmed in Chicago and international locations over seven years.
It’s the tale of a legendary hustler — character actor and Chicago native son Bruce Glover — the “emperor of scam” and his Chicago project: an artificial casino/hotel island a half mile out in Lake Michigan.
GOT AN INDIE PROJECT GOING? Send details about it to ruth@reelchicago.com or phone 312/274-9980 and share it with ReelChicago’s ever-expanding readership.
