Sunday, November 15, 2009

Indie Zombie Flicks Feature New Talent

As an independent filmmaker (my shameless plug for my film here) I'm always interested in what other people are doing in the independent film world. Specifically people within the same bracket which my current one is very low budget filmmaker. Or as is also known as mico budget filmmaking. Very little money but a lot of ambition. I try and watch as many as I can although it can be tough. The great thing about technology is that anyone can make a film. The bad thing about technology is that anyone can make a film. I give a lot of leeway because when you don't have money there is a good chance in the microbudget world that your film will just look cheap because, well, it is. I let that slide but if it's shot well or the idea is great or even if it's bad but there are good parts to it then I give the filmmaker props. However I've sat through a lot of bad ones to see that sometimes young dreams should be squashed because ... wow. Luckily the dreams were not squashed for two young filmmakers whose films I just watched at the Zombie Outbreak Film Festival put on by the Horror Society here in Chicago last night.



A 12 year old girl out of Austin, Texas decided she was going to make a zombie film. So she set out on the long journey to do it. Emily Hagins did what few adults have the guts to do. Making a movie is hard work. At some point you become the one person that will either keep the film afloat or have it crash under your feet. With her digital camera and 50 page script she set out to make 'Pathogen' a film about contaminated water that turns people into the walking dead hungry for human flesh. A documentary called 'Zombie Girl: The Movie' is all about her making this film. To say I admire young Emily is an understatement. When I was 12 I didn't have the tools that exist today but I wished I could go out and make a movie. She did and I have a feeling that as she gets older and makes more films she will have a big career ahead of her. I'm not going to quibble over the film. It was made by a 12 year old. What struck me was how some shots and scenes were constructed. Only someone with real raw talent would do that. Two scenes in the film even drew applause from the audience. I have seen my fair share of films from people twice (and even three times) her age make unwatchable films. She is ten times away from them. She has the natural talent and determination which is evident in the documentary. Keep going kid. You got the talent. Now put it to good use and I'll line up for it.

Trailer for Emily Hagins' film 'Pathogen'. Movie and production company website - Here



Trailer for the 'Zombie Girl: The Movie' documentary. Website - Here





Venturing across the pond as they say to where the other filmmaker is. I was also lucky to see the UK sensation from director Mark Price called 'Colin'. This was supposedly made for around $70 or something. Quite frankly, even if it was made for a couple thousand I would have been impressed. The film follows Colin, a guy who during the zombie apocalypse has been bitten and turns into one of the walking dead. A zombie film from the zombie's perspective. A clever idea in and of itself. Luckily it doesn't end at the clever idea. The film is actually very well made from a director who knows how to make and construct a film. I had been curious about this film for a long time and it's nice to know that the "made for $70" tagline being used in the press is nothing more than that. The film is not about a budget. It works and that is all you need. Much like Emily I suspect Mark has a big future ahead of him. This type of talent should not go unnoticed. Considering it got a theatrical release in the UK (and I just watched it with a theatre full of people in Chicago) then I'd say this won't be the last we hear from 'Colin' or its talented director.

Here is the trailer for Mark Price's 'Colin'. The official website - Here



Keep an eye on these two filmmakers. It's great to see people with so much talent. The fact that they both made zombie films only makes me that much more a fan.