Grant paves way for indie filming in Elgin

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"Recalculating" showing one of the key scenes in the story in which Tom Avery (the main character) revisits the memory of learning that his daughter was injured in a car accident.

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Updated: June 12, 2011 12:25AM

ELGIN — Thanks to a grant from an Elgin organization, some independent Chicago-area movie makers will be shooting a short subject here this summer.

Blue Damen Pictures recently learned it was awarded a $25,000 grant from the arts-friendly Florence B. and Cornelia A. Palmer Foundation, with the stipulation that it make its film in Elgin.

“It was a long process,” Gwydhar Gebien, president of the fledgling company, said of the filing work it took to get the award.

Gebien said Blue Damen screened its film “The Visionary” at the inaugural Elgin Short Film Festival in 2009 and went home with a third-place nod.

“I think we knew even then that this festival would stand out for years to come as being something special,” Gebien said. “The feeling of having the film screened before an audience of hundreds reminded me why I wanted to make films in the first place.”

It was at this event that Gebien also learned about the foundation and its support of local artists. She also met Pete Garlock, the director of sales for the Elgin Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Garlock has served as a member of the Hemmens Cultural Center Advisory Board since 2004 and was involved with the Elgin Short Film Festival for its first two years. Garlock is listed as a Blue Damen board member and actor on the company’s website, www.bluedamen.com.

“Pete was actually the one who let us know about the grant and that it was available to artists looking to bring their work to Elgin,” Gebien said.

“He had just applied for the grant to get that first film festival off the ground, and it turns out he was a huge help in guiding us through the submission process. I would say he was one of the key people who helped convince us that Elgin would be an excellent place to produce films as well as just screen them.”

The website also states that Gebien graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2004 with a double major in theatre and art. Like many aspiring artists, the Glendale Heights resident said she has a day job, as a sales rep for a commercial arts studio.

Film support

The young company bills itself as “a non-profit, community-oriented film production company that provides emerging filmmakers with the opportunity to get hands-on filmmaking experience.” It has a handful of short movies to its credit.

Gebien said the project for which Blue Damen was awarded the grant first will exist as a short film, with plans to include it in a full-length, anthology-style piece. The film is titled “Recalculating” and tells the story of a down-on-his-luck track coach trying to reconnect with his grown daughter.

Shooting should take seven to 10 days, with dates to be set. Gebien said approval has been granted for shooting in an around The Centre and the Elgin Public House in downtown, and the old Sherman Hospital on the city’s northeast side also might be used if details can be arranged.

“We are also planning on shooting another low-budget film in Elgin this month entitled ‘Night Train,’ ” Gebien said. “ ‘Night Train’ is a ‘mumblecore’ style film, which (means it) is super low-budget, super low-tech, and we hope to use this production as sort of a dry run for ‘Recalculating.’ ”

Gebien noted that “most independent film gets made in spite of location, but Elgin is different. Not only does it have a wonderful Main Street America feel, it also actively supports film production. This is the kind of place where independent filmmakers could really show the beautiful relationship between a city and a vibrant arts community.”

As such, Gebien said her company is considering relocating its office from Chicago’s Loop to Elgin. And the plan is to one day screen “Recalculating” at the Elgin Short Film Festival.