A BENEFIT FOR ANTHONY COLLAMATI’S 2004 IFP/Chicago Production Fund-winning short “The Apologies” will be held Thursday, July 8 at Trace, 3714 N. Clark, from 7 p.m. to midnight. Collamati shot the film last March in the Rockford area, benefiting from $85,000 in donated goods and services from local vendors through the Fund. Producer is Darpan Joshi, DP Tomomi Itaya. Stars Joe Fobrich, Mick Weber and Melissa Sienicki. See www.theapologies.net. Application deadline for the 2005 Production Fund is Sept. 10. See www.ifp.org.
MPS RENTALS MANAGER MEENA SINGH is writer and director of the 15-minute 35mm short “Get Out Overlook,” lensing Sept. 4-7. A coming-of-age comedy set in a pizza parlor, Singh aims “Overlook” for the fest circuit to garner support for a feature on the same subject. Producer is Jennifer Biver, DP Addae Shelby. Reach Singh at 630/886-0254.
JOHN BOROWSKI’S 2003 FEATURE DOC “H.H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer” screens Tuesday, July 20 at 6 p.m. at the Apple Store, 679 N. Michigan. “Holmes” will also screen at the Video Software Dealers Association show in Las Vegas July 14-16. DVD’s are available through www.hhholmesthefilm.com.
ALSO AT THE APPLE STORE, TOM TRINLEY of Skipping Stone Entertainment gets an encore screening of his hour doc “Monumental Myths,” Friday, July 23 at noon.
NATHAN ISRAILEFF is producing the doc “Beyond the Ropes” about inner city boxing clubs and other publicly funded activity centers for underprivileged youth. He’s shooting in Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Sarasota, Florida, where he was a high school boxer. He plans to wrap production by mid-October in time for the 2005 fest circuit. Reach Israileff at nathan.israileff@sbcglobal.net.
DAVID NIEZABITOWSKI of Tinley Park’s Nightshade Films on July 17-18 reshoots “The Shelter,” his contribution to an eight-part compilation feature being shot across North America. The eight independently produced segments will be assembled into the disaster film tentatively titled “DVX Unleashed” about an alien virus wreaking havoc on the earth’s population.
Producer Niezabitowski and director Will Nast shot scenes for “The Shelter” in June, then decided to recast some roles for the reshoot. They plan to shoot at a Naperville fallout shelter, among other west and southwest suburban locations. “DVX Unleashed” is the brainchild of Craig Kitchens of Orange, California and is executive produced by Jarred Land of Vancouver. Niezabitowski is also developing the shorts compilation DVD “Short Ends” and the feature “The Mortician’s Tales.” See www.nsfilms.com.
? by Ed M. Koziarski, edk@homesickblues.com
