Midwest Movie Maker

Director Eric Swinderman (left) and cinematographer Sage O'Bryant on location in Lakewood, Ohio, with Breckin Meyer and Emily Kinney The Enormity of Life , from Cleveland filmmaker Eric Swinderman , will debut April 6 on AppleTV, Google Play, FandangoNOW and Vimeo on Demand. The indie dark comedy stars Emily Kinney , Breckin Meyer and Giselle Eisenberg . The film tells the tale of Casey (Meyer), who meets struggling single mom Jess (Kinney) and her eccentric daughter (Eisenberg) after receiving a substantial inheritance from a long-lost relative. Past struggles make him question whether money and love make life worth living.  “This was a very powerful and challenging project from script to screen,” says Meyer. “It’s always a risk when you’re dealing with such polarizing subjects but hopefully this film can help encourage communication in regards to mental illness and seeking help.” Meyer is best known for his roles in Clueless and Road Trip . Audiences will know Kinney from her he...

The one-sheet for 'M is for Model' You know how at the end of every horror movie, the movie makers try to get you to believe the film is over? That all is well and you can happily collect your popcorn and go about your business? Then they throw one more big scare at you, just to send you home with your heart pounding and your stomach in your throat? This is that post! One last scare before the Halloween season is over. And this time we’re chatting with Cleveland filmmaker Sage O’Bryant . O’Bryant is the man behind Big Jones Productions and has lingered about the Cleveland movie scene for a few years now. He’s a sought after creator, directing two segments of Made in Cleveland , taking home a first place award in the 48 Hour Film Project a few years back (read about that here), and cutting his teeth on terror. His latest, co-produced with special effects artist Maxwell Desotell, is titled M is for Model . The macabre movie is an entry in The ABCs of Death 2 ...

Actor Mike Goulis discovers what's on 'The 4th Floor' It probably took 48 seconds for Big Jones Productions (BJP) and Kinook Creative to receive the award for Best Film, but it's far more astonishing that they made their winning film -  The 4th Floor  - in less than 48 Hours. It was all part of Cleveland's annual  48 Hour Film Project , a self-described “wild and sleepless weekend in which (a team of filmmakers) make a movie — write, shoot, edit and score it — in just 48 hours.” Moments before the contest begins, filmmakers are given a character, a prop, a line of dialogue, and a genre to include in the movie. The completed film – editing, music, credits, the works – must be turned in before the deadline. In 2009, nearly 40,000 filmmakers made 3,000 films in 76 cities. In Cleveland, that included BJP and Kinook’s team. And by the end of it, they took home the prize for both Best Film and Audience Favorite. “Winning ‘Best Film’ was totally unexpected,” says Sag...