In 2008, Amy S. Weber was talking with a friend about the creative
limitations of her commercial video production work. Weber spoke
about her dream of making a real film someday. “Make your film,” the
friend said.
Later that same day, Weber was driving with her two-year-old daughter
when a burly biker pulled up alongside them. “I wonder what his story
is,” Weber said. She started thinking aloud about the idea of such a
character being forced into the role of father to a little girl.
Soon she had the whole story worked out in her head. She called her
writing partner, Tracy Sims, and told her the story. Before long they
had a screenplay, and eventually a film.
Weber’s resulting Annabelle and Bear is one of three Michigan-made
films playing at this year’s Riverside Saginaw Film Festival, which runs Wednesday through Saturday, Nov. 2-6, at the Temple Theatre in
downtown Saginaw.
Annabelle is scheduled for two screenings, at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday
and at 11 a.m. on Sunday, with Weber attending the Saturday
screening and talking about her film and moviemaking in the state.
Annabelle tells the story of an introverted biker known as Bear
whose former girlfriend shows up at his doorstep with their daughter,
Annabelle, whom he’s never seen. The girlfriend is strung out on
drugs and insists that Bear take the little girl. He does, hoping to
foist her off on his mother. But before long, Annabelle and Bear begin
to bond.
Olivia Walby, who plays Annabelle, was only 2 when the film was shot.
“She steals the entire movie, she breaks your heart,” says Weber, who
was amazed by Walby’s maturity. “She was improvising. There’s an
entire scene where she and Bear have this little tender moment talking
about Bear’s dad. It was not scripted.”
Weber used all Michigan talent, including many non-professionals.
Weber’s company, Radish Films, opened its doors for Michiganders to be
part of the filmmaking experience. “Most of them were volunteers, electricians, people who had worked on
the line and were laid off,” says Weber. “Even though we had a lot of
people who had never worked on a film before, these were incredibly
talented people who made a film that was equal in production quality
to any motion picture.”
Weber also made an effort to highlight Michigan-made products. Velvet
Peanut Butter, Faygo Pop, Better Made potato chips, and Made in
Detroit sportswear all receive name checks or free product placement.
Weber is hoping Annabelle will receive wider distribution. “We just
need one person who has a lot of power to fall in love with it and see
its potential.”
In the meantime, it has won awards at the Detroit Windsor
International Film Festival, East Lansing Film Festival and Midwest
Film Festival.
Two other Michigan-made films on the Riverside Saginaw schedule are Myth of the American Sleepover and Where Soldiers Come From. Myth, directed by David Robert Mitchell, tells the story of four
Michigan suburb teens celebrating the last night of summer before the
new school year starts. The film was an official selection at Cannes and a special jury award
winner at the South by Southwest Festival. It is scheduled to screen
at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday and again at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Where Soldiers Come From is a documentary about three friends who
joined the National Guard after graduating from their Upper Peninsula
high school in Hancock—enticed by a $20,000 signing bonus and
college tuition support. Sent to Afghanistan, and assigned to sweep for roadside bombs, they
become increasingly disillusioned. Director Heather Courtney follows
the young men’s story there and back.Where Soldiers Come From, too, was a winner at South by Southwest as
well as the Traverse City Film Festival. It will play at 8 p.m.
Wednesday and at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
In addition to the three Michigan films, this year’s Riverside Saginaw
Film Festival is showing 25 independent, foreign and documentary films
on four screens at the Temple Theater, 203. N. Washington. Single
tickets are $6 and festival passes $40. For a list of the films, show times and other information, log on to
www.riversidesaginawfilmfestival.org.