Photo Source: Lesley Bohm
Frederick, who has worked steadily as an actor in Los Angeles, began the Iowa Independent Film Festival with Richard Schinnow in 2007 as a way of promoting the same encouragement that she received. "The most exciting aspect for me has been seeing the local talent that has come out and has decided 'I'm gonna pick up a camera,' " Frederick said. "And then watching them go on to win awards nationally, and to have a voice and to not go for the Hollywood, Syd Field obvious."
That same sense of giving back while providing opportunities to a community struggling for an artistic outlet is behind Frederick's newest venture, Project Cornlight. Created with the intention of developing and filming at least one Iowa-based film a year, Project Cornlight picks up the filmmaking slack left by the loss of Iowa's tax credit program. Frederick acknowledges the "Sturm und Drang" of the state's film office but says that her project isn't a direct outcome of that situation.
"I try to remain out of the politics of any of it," Frederick said. "It really is more about people having the facilities and the encouragement to make the films in the Midwest. My goal is to watch this project fly, so that we have not just one or two films being made, but 10 films being made at a time under the Project Cornlight umbrella."
Initiatives like Project Cornlight are more than welcome, according to Kathy Byrne, director of TV/theatrical contracts for SAG-AFTRA Chicago. "There are a lot of ultra-low-budget films in the Midwest, and they're fantastic because more often than not they are indigenous production, which is what we want," she said. "We want our local filmmakers to make our films. That's the way you build your infrastructure. The Ultra Low Budget Agreement gives our members an opportunity to work on film projects that they might otherwise not have the ability to work on. And any time an ultra-low-budget films in a location, it also expands the knowledge of filmmakers and actors to the existence of these contracts."
Project Cornlight co-directors John and Kimberly Busbee (the latter of whom cast PC's first film, "The Farm") are equally excited about the prospect of opening up the film industry in the state they call home.
"There's creativity everywhere, and this is a response by Tanna to say, 'I want to make some of this film project work in my state,' " John Busbee said. "These are fully accredited, SAG ultra-low-budget films, and the idea is to create some work for people both on the crew and in the cast. It's a combination of local talent and talent that is making it in the L.A. and New York City scene with Iowa connections. And letting Iowans who can't find the steady work they're looking for find work in their home state."
More than 300 people auditioned for "The Farm," some of them traveling from as far away as Nebraska. "One gentleman, this big burly guy with tattoos everywhere, huge, scary, but a great actor," Frederick recalled, "rode his hog all the way from Kansas to Iowa just to audition. Then he drove back that same night. When I see commitment and passion like that, I think we've got something good here. We've got people who need to be seen, who need to act, and they're coming in droves."
Not just actors are excited about the prospects represented by Project Cornlight; John and Kimberly Busbee are too. When asked if he's as excited about the venture as Frederick and the actors, John Busbee let out a long laugh. "Yes," he said. "We made the choice to settle down in Iowa and raise our family here, and so the tradeoff is we don't have the same frequency or critical mass that New York and L.A. have, but in a lot of ways we can control our own destiny. And for projects under $1 million, we can get an awful lot of bang for our buck. People are going to be surprised by the high quality of the films coming out."
That's been Frederick's goal all along. "Project Cornlight is kind of a guinea pig in that it's going to show people what it's like to make high-quality film for so little money. It's a labor of love, and the whole state is excited about it," Frederick said. "I think people are excited to say, ‘I have a story to tell, and I'm going to tell it.' It's just starting now, and actors aren't waiting for someone else to tell a story. They're starting to tell stories themselves. It's a very exciting time, and Project Cornlight is just a small part of that."
Mark Peikert is Back Stage's NY Bureau Chief. Follow him on Twitter: @markpeikert
