Midwest Movie Maker

Filmmaker Eric Swinderman We’re more than five long months into (ugh, do I say it?) our post-COVID-19 new normal (there, I did it), and, for the most part, we are all still in quarantine.  While it’s true we’re all getting out a bit more and taking on versions of normal things, things certainly aren’t normal. Everything requires a little more thought and thoughtfulness, along with whole bunch of new skills. So while we’re not stuck at home, we are staying at home. And we’re still talking to filmmakers about what they’re doing during the pandemic. Today we chat with Eric Swinderman, best known for his films Made in Cleveland and The Enormity of Life . MMM: How would you describe being a filmmaker locked down at home without a crew? Eric Swinderman (ES): As someone who considers myself a writer first, the change hasn’t been that drastic as I was working on an episodic series for streaming. So while I probably haven’t been writing as much during the lockdown as I could be, due to th...

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...