Multi-award winning indie filmmaker John Wesley Norton of Boomstick Films of Downstate Maple Park, is “working tirelessly” to complete postproduction of his feature mockumentary, “Private Screening.”
The 85-minute comedy, about a Hollywood crowd that comes together to watch a new film from an up-and-coming director, is largely improvised by the talented cast, in the vein of Christopher Guest’s “For Your Consideration,” Norton says.
“I’ve always liked showbiz satire, since I was a little kid. The more people I meet and work with in Hollywood, the more fodder there is,” says Norton, who has made 14 films, several of them horror, over the past 11 years.
Among the ensemble cast of 12 Chicago actors, North Roberts plays the egocentric director, Bruce Spielbauer is the peculiar producer and Marla Seidell is the overzealous former star vying for the director’s attention. Shannon Brown is the rising star whom the director despises and Suzette Brown is a New Age hippie the director hand-picked from a yoga class to star in his next film.
Norton, who wrote, produced and directs, and Drew Pientka was DP. They shot interior and exterior locations in Orland Park and DuPage County over seven days last June and July. Michael Schmid, who also acts in the film, is editing.
The budget is micro-budget, of which $10,000 is being raised on Indiegogo to finish. When completed this fall, “Private Screening” will head for a festival run.
AN ADVANCE SCREENING of Todd Lending’s doc, “All the Difference,” that followed two African American teen boys for over five years as they struggled to attend college, takes place Saturday, Aug. 20 at the Cultural Center, prior to its Sept. 12 premiere on WTTW/11’s “POV” series.
The 2 p.m. screening will be followed by a conversation with a panel of Oscar-nominated Lending, the doc’s executive producer, Wes Moore, doc subject Krishaun Branch and Rebeca Huffman, CEO City Year Chicago and Tim King, founder/CEO of Urban Prep Academies.
CIMMFEST CALLS FOR ENTRIES from filmmakers and musicians to submit their features, docs, shorts, music videos, VP, soundtracks and/or any combination of the abot, for CIMMFEST 9, April 20-23, 2017. Find complete submission details here.
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