Independent Production Roundup

SCOTT GRENKE of Beverly Hills/Chicago-based West Bridge Entertainment wrapped second unit shooting in Cary in late June on his sci-fi comedy “Space Daze 2.”

The picture stars Robert Z’Dar (“Tango & Cash”), Fred Williamson (“Starsky & Hutch”), Butch Patrick (Eddie from “The Munsters”), Larry Thomas (“Seinfeld’s” Soup Nazi) and West Bridge partner James Vallo.

West Bridge plans to release “Space Daze 2” through Troma Entertainment, which put out the DVD of “Space Daze.” See www.westbridgeentertainment.com.

RICH SENG presides over his second annual “Rhyme Spitters” battle rap tournament Saturday, July 16. Emcees go head to head for a $2,000 prize as Seng and his crew film for the documentary “Rhyme Spitters II.”

Registration is noon-1 p.m. at the Wicker Park Field House, 1425 N. Damen Ave. Battles start at 1:30 p.m. The top 32 rappers compete beginning at 9:30 p.m. at the Note, 1571 N. Milwaukee Ave., where there’s a $10 cover.

Puertoricanism hosts. Judges include Iomos Marad, Ang13, Lo-Tec, Shadowmaster, and Larry Miller.

Seng held the first tournament last July and documented it in the “Rhyme Spitters” DVD, which is available for $11 from his web site, www.cherrybombusa.com.

Kris Williams

KRIS WILLIAMS is in production on a short observational documentary about mothers of various ethnicities bathing their children.

Williams acted in, co-wrote and assistant directed “Kissing on the Mouth,” Joe Swanberg’s DV feature of post-collegiate relationships, which won acclaim at the South by Southwest Film Festival last March.

Williams also directed the doc “My Mother y Su Madre,” about her family’s conflicted relationship with their Cuban heritage, which screened at the Big Muddy Film Festival. See www.mymotherdoc.com.

BILLY JACKSON is shooting the historical drama “Holiness in Time,” which tracks five generations of an African American/Cherokee family from the hills of Mississippi to present-day Chicago. Anita Kavuu is producing for PAAW, Inc. and El Pintor Productions.

They’re holding auditions Saturday and Sunday, July 9 and 10, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St., Oak Park. See www.professionalartistartworkinc.9k.com.

ROXIANNE COOLEY of Grace Films is adapting the stage play “Touched” into a DV/16mm musical feature shooting this summer. It’s the story of “several generations of teenage pregnancies defying class boundaries.”

Auditions will be held Friday, July 8, 4-7 p.m. at Lake Meadows Park Field House, 3117 S. Rhodes Ave. Crew email gracefilms4@yahoo.com. Cast email divercitiproductions@yahoo.com.

DECLAN RYAN of Bartlett-based one6productions is in post on his short documentary “Ulbert,” about Joe Ulbert, a painter and sculptor with bipolar disorder. See www.onesixproductions.com.

ABDUL MALIK is in preproduction on the romantic hip-hop drama feature “Suite Misery.” Shooting is scheduled for November. Email am60411@aol.com.

SEND INFO to edk@homesickblues.com.

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