Currently in production is The Chester Story, a drama now filming in Wilmington, North Carolina until early May. The film centres around an accident which brings together three lives: an entertainment lawyer returning home to his dying mother after years in escape of his home town; a lost woman trying to claim her supposed love; and a boy with a sixth sense struggling with the death of his father and overbearing love of his single mother. One night in the town of Chester, the past and future suddenly bind these people together on a journey of need, forgiveness, discovery and - when they least expect it - love.
The Chester Story is the second feature film from the new production company Velveteen Films. Velveteen Films, Inc. was formed in February of 1999 with Courtney Williams, Rebecca Bagley and Nick Edney. Ben Cammarata joined the company in October, 1999 making the partnership complete. The company's first feature film production was titled The Gypsy Years , and is currently making the film festival rounds. The Gypsy Years Director/Writer Rebecca Bagely is also directing their current feature, The Chester Story, as well as penning the script for it.
Leading the cast for this project is Teri Hatcher, currently seen the in Miramax film Spy Kids , alongside Antonio Banderas. Hatcher plays Meagan Margulias, a New York business woman trying to find a way to fulfil her life. Other cast members include Robert Treveiler, Colin Wilcox Paxton and Andrea Powell. Producing the film is Richard Sirianni and Velveteen Film's Courtney Williams. The Chester Story is Velveteen Films biggest film yet, and such has given them the opportunity to work with such known actors as Hatcher and Wilcox Paxton, which, as producer Courtney Williams has stated, helps the film gain a wider audience. "Casting was a big part of this film because we truly wanted fabulous actors but we also knew that by having actors who are known, it would help us to sell the film." With Independent films such as The Chester Story, selling the film can be quite an ongoing process.
Being budgeted at under US $2 million does have its monetary constraints to the film makers, but also being such a small investment compared to other Hollywood films should mean the film gets picked up by a distributor. What The Chester Story does have, however, is a great, compelling story and some well known actors. This will hopefully lead to a chance at silver screen success. Producer Courtney Williams is confident that the film will screen in the foreign and domestic market. "I am in negotiations with a gentleman who will represent our film and take it to Cannes, Milan, Toronto, etc. to secure us foreign distribution while we also begin to form relationships with domestic outlets such as Miramax, USA, Sony Classics, Paramount, etc. in the hopes of showing our film on the big screen all across the United States!" Williams's vision of having The Chester Story on the big screen will hopefully soon become a reality, and audiences all over the world will get the opportunity to view a film with such a talented and dedicated cast & crew.
It is anticipated that the first screenings of The Chester Story will be before the end of the year or early 2002. Director Rebecca Bagley has also just signed a deal with Plus films and Otis and McTntyre to write and direct a screenplay adapted from the novel Chicago Blues. Velveteen Films and Courtney Williams are attached as producers. Things are certainly on the way up for this small production company, and you are sure to be hearing a lot more of Velveteens Films, and The Chester Story, in the very near future.
For more information on both The Chester Story and Velveteen Films visit the official website at http://www.velveteenfilms.com
Scott Eathorne - (Acknowledgments: Courtney Williams, Peter Wilkes, VelveteenFilms.com) |
