“Uncle John,” the debut indie feature from producer Erik Crary and director Steven Piet is on its way to select theatrical distribution by Film Buff, barely six months after it took SXSW by storm in March.
Starting this Friday, Sept. 18, “Uncle John” will screen at Facets Cinematheque in Chicago and theatres in LA, New York and Madison, and On Demand on iTunes.
John Ashton (“Beverly Hills Cops”) stars in the title role. The story, set in a small rural town, is about town about one man’s struggle to keep a mysterious disappearance unsolved.
Reception for the film has been at the three star level among reviewers. “Smart suspense and a great performance make ‘Uncle John’ a must-see thriller” was the take of the critic for The Village Voice.
It was filmed in part in Lodi, Wisconsin, Crary’s home town, “for a very small Ultra Low Sag budget with a crew of six to 16, depending on the day,” he says.
Until recently, Crary had spent four years as Sarofsky’s senior producer and is now freelancing. Earlier he had produced at Foundation where he met Piet who was on staff as a director/DP/editor. They formed their own company, Witness, in 2010 to hire crew for jobs.
Earlier, Crary was in in LA, working for director David Lynch (“Twin Peaks”) as an associate producer and production supervisor for eight years.
Beginning with its SXSW world premiere, “Uncle John” so far has been a selection of 14 film festivals and on Saturday, Sept. 19 it plays at the Festival Europeén du Film Fantastique de Strasbourg, its first European screening to date.
“Uncle John” also may be purchased on Vimeo for $9.99.
