Movie shot in Forsyth to be screened at Sundance
Jan 4, 2010, 10:38 AM
By JULIANA GOODWIN
FORSYTH, Mo. (AP) — Elizabeth Allen believed so strongly that the film "Winter's Bone" would make it into the Sundance Film Festival, she bought a ticket to Utah in September — long before Sundance announced its picks.
The movie was shot in Forsyth and cast five actors — Charlotte Lucas, Brandon Gray, Casey MacLaren, Lauren Sweetser, Cody Brown — from the Creative Actors Workshop, which Elizabeth runs with her husband, Scott-Arthur Allen.
Her faith paid off. "Winter's Bone" will be one of 16 feature-length dramas screened at Sundance in January, selected out 1,058 submissions in that category. Overall, 200 films (mostly short films) make the cut out of more than 9,000 entries.
"It's a huge selection process, so it gives you the golden stamp of approval," says Mark Biggs, Missouri State University professor of film and former chairman of the Missouri Film Commission.
If the film does well at Sundance, it could boost tourism in Missouri, help pique interest in filming in the Show-Me State and provide opportunities for local actors and musicians, say experts.
"Winter's Bone" has a slew of area connections. First, it's based on the novel by West Plains writer Daniel Woodrell. About a dozen local actors were cast in the film. Musicians from southwest Missouri and northern Arkansas are featured on the soundtrack.
In a previous Springfield News-Leader interview, Debra Granik, the director, said she needed to shoot in the Ozarks with local actors in order to create an authentic film.
The movie is set in the Ozarks and follows Ree Dolly, a teenager determined to save her home. Ree's father, a meth dealer, puts his family's house up for bond and then jumps bail. Ree, who is raising her brothers and caring for her mother, has 30 days to find her father to keep her family from losing their land.
This film portrays a community that has an intense connection to the land, which is rare these days, says Granik.
Ree is a strong heroine, too.
"I think Daniel Woodrell wrote a captivating American story with core classic ingredients people can't help but resonate with. Ree is a likable hero you can't help rooting for," Granik says.
Caroline Libresco, senior programmer for the Sundance Film Festival and one of seven judges for the feature-length films, says the film appealed to them because it's beautifully directed.
"Debra Granik is an enormously talented director with a clear, pristine vision of what she wanted, and she hits it in every scene," Libresco says. "She did a lot of research and it really comes through. It feels like a very authentic portrait of a group of people living in the Ozarks."
Biggs says just being at Sundance will open doors for the film, with potentially a small theatrical release and limited national and international distribution.
If the film wins, it's a whole other story.
"A major distributor will probably be inclined to pick them up and it probably means lots more money in the future for the filmmaker," Biggs says.
In addition, being accepted into Sundance means "Winter's Bone" will be eligible for other major film festivals, such as the Cannes International Film Festival, says Biggs.
"Winter's Bone" will be shown in the Ozarks sometime this year.
