Drama about reluctant mentor and his troubled protégé stars Kelly Blatz, Richard Jenkins and Kim Basinger.
Seattle, WA – September 5, 2012– Washington Filmworks’ production incentive project One Square Mile, starring Kelly Blatz (Prom Night), Academy-Award® nominee Richard Jenkins (The Visitor, Burn After Reading) and Academy-Award® winner Kim Basinger (L.A. Confidential, 8 Mile) just wrapped principal photography in Seattle this past week. The feature film was written by Josh Campbell and Jeff Van Wie and directed by award-winner Charles-Olivier Michaud (Snow and Ashes, 2010 Slamdance Film Festival Grand Prize). The film shot for 25 days at locations throughout Seattle such as Fishermen’s Terminal, the Ballard Locks, Rainier Beach and Garfield High School.
This production marks one of ten projects approved for funding assistance through Washington Filmworks after the Motion Picture Competitiveness Program was renewed during Washington’s 2012 legislative session. These ten projects will inject an estimated $8.6M in the statewide economy in five short months.
“When we found out that Washington’s production incentive program had come back online, we immediately started to reconsider where to shoot the film,” said one of the One Square Mile producers, Deborah Moore. “We could shoot this script anywhere, but the production incentive was key to our decision making process. We were actually one of the few that qualified for the California program, but between Washington’s competitive incentive, the talented crew, and the help of Washington Filmworks, we couldn’t resist coming to Seattle. We found a home here and I think we made a great film thanks to all that the area has to offer.
“It is a direct result of Washington’s production incentive program that over the past five years our crew base has grown in both experience and depth to the point that we could tackle a film of this caliber,” said One Square Mile line producer Mel Eslyn. “We were able to step up for this film and provide the crew base we needed from a much deeper talent pool that is far more established, and more developed in their skills than ever before. Seattle, at last, can compete with other cities, which means I can hire locally at competitive industry rates and keep families together while working at home. I no longer have to pull crew from out of state.”
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Synopsis – On the threshold of young adulthood, Drew (Kelly Blatz) is torn between the dreams of his youth and the all-too-real existence of his marginalized family life. Across the street, his older neighbor, Coleman (Richard Jenkins), is a broken man haunted by the past and struggling to finish his life with any kind of meaning he can muster. The promise of Drew’s athletic abilities captivate Coleman, reigniting a drive for excellence long lost to the old man.
Producers – Phoenix Rising Motion Pictures presents One Square Mile. Produced by Howard Burd, Micah Sparks, Deborah Moore, Mark DiSalle, Jennifer Reibman. Co-Produced by Dane Lillegard and Michael Hothorn.
International Sales – International sales are being handled by Lawrence Meyers and Bobby Meyers of Meyers Media Group. Sales will commence at the 2012 American Film Market (AFM) in Santa Monica, CA.
About Washington Filmworks – Washington Filmworks is the non-profit 501(c)(6) organization that manages the state film and production incentive programs. Its mission is to create economic development opportunities by building and enhancing the competitiveness, profile and sustainability of Washington’s film industry. We do this by creating possibilities for local and national filmmakers, and offering comprehensive production support, as well as financial incentives.
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