Midwest Movie Maker

Actress Busy Phillips joins the cast of 'Cleveland, I Love You' Cleveland, I Love You is busy filming – and soon will be filming Busy Phillipps . The actress, best known for her work on Cougar Town and E.R. , has joined the cast of the independent film. The movie, produced by filmmakers Eric Swinderman and Mark Pengryn, tells the tale of love in Cleveland through 11 vignettes – love stories created by some of Cleveland’s most talented filmmakers. Phillipps joins the short helmed by Hollywood director and Shaker Heights native Jamie Babbit ( United States of Tara , The Middle ) and written by Karey Dornetto ( South Park, Community, Arrested Development ). “We were originally talking with Molly Shannon about doing the film, since she is a Shaker Heights native,” says Swinderman. “But we couldn't work it out with her schedule. So Jamie approached Busy because they had worked together before. She said yes and the rest is history.” Phillipps character i...

Eric Swinderman is making the mother of all Cleveland love stories. The filmmaker, born in New Philadelphia, Ohio, and a Cleveland area resident since 1996, is quietly making an independent film in and around Cleveland, on weekends and late nights, which will turn heads and have people talking within the year. And not just because it has the backing of writer/director and Cleveland native David Wain . Or the bona fides of Shaker Heights native and director Jamie Babbit ( United States of Tara , The Middle ) and writer Karey Dornetto ( South Park, Community, Arrested Development ). No, people will be talking because the film – a collection of love story vignettes loosely tied together – is the collaboration of dozens of Northeast Ohio writers, directors, actors, crew members and cinephiles. Not too mention the talent of local celebrities like Robin Swoboda and Leon Bibb . Midwest Movie Maker sat down with Swinderman not long ago to talk about Made in Cleveland : ...