Independent Filmmakers Looking At Warsaw

Tension, thrills and enough suspense to keep one awake all night.

That's what the men behind the tentatively titled movie "Pokernight" think audiences will find in their independent movie. And they want to shoot the movie in Warsaw in the spring.

Shawn Victa and Greg Francis have been producing and directing films and series for the Discovery Channel for more than 10 years, including such hit shows as "New Detectives" and "FBI Files." "New Detectives" helped pioneer forensic television shows such as "C.S.I."

Now the two men, along with Spike's/Noa Noa owner Scott Woods - all brothers-in-law - are ready to make a dream of theirs come true and bring "Pokernight" to the big screen.

Victa and Francis are in Warsaw now meeting with potential investors.

Francis wrote the script and will co-produce and direct. Victa, also a co-producer, said the movie is loosely based on hundreds of interviews they had with investigators and detectives. There is a lot of forensic science in the movie. Francis said the movie is a suspense/thriller movie much like "Memento" crossed with "C.S.I."

It's a "pretty intense film," he said.

There are many reasons why they want to make the movie in Warsaw, the two film partners and good friends said.

"It's a good small town, interesting places," Francis said, where they can get the various shots they want. In a metropolis like Los Angeles, the movie just would be another production, while Warsaw, being small, is not jaded by the movie industry and Warsaw will make the film "distinct."

Victa said the people in Warsaw also seem very open to the arts. "This is the orthopedic capital of the world, but people seem very down to earth," he said, and are very interested in the arts.

The men also have friends and family in the area so it's not the first time they have looked at Warsaw.

Francis said when he showed the script to people since last week, he received very favorable responses. The main comments they have received, he said, is that the readers really get hooked in the first 20 minutes of the script and can't put it down - it's just really intense.

If the movie ends up being shot in Warsaw with local investors' money, the money for making the movie also will be spent here, so the investors are putting money back into the community. While the movie is being shot, the cast and crew will need to stay at hotels and eat at restaurants, and some locals will be used in front of and behind the camera.

And besides the money generated for Warsaw during the filming, the media spotlight Warsaw will receive from the movie could be enormous.

Woods, a co-producer, said the fallout from the movie for Warsaw will be a big payoff.

"How cool would it be (for the movie to be shot here)?" Woods said. "(Francis) is a director with years of experience. He's got a great eye. ... It would be so big. There would be nothing like it in town. It would be good for everyone. ... I'm excited. I'm really excited about it. It would have a definite impact on the local economy."

"There's so many residual things that go with film production," said Victa, that would benefit the community.

"For me, it would just be amazing," said Woods.

"It's amazing for us, too," said Francis. "We've been doing it all this time - it's our dream" come true.

Francis said they are going for a theatrical release of the independent movie and they have put other clients on hold to make the movie. When this project came about, Francis said, he knew it was "just the right project at the right time." He's declined other film projects that have been offered to him during the past 14 years of his film career.

"We're very excited," said Victa. "Greg and I have worked in film and TV for a long time. We waited for the right time to pursue something (like this)."

"It's our dream," said Francis. He said they will film the movie, whether the money comes from Warsaw investors and is filmed in Warsaw or not. Warsaw, however, is the first step in their pursuit of their dream.

In a world of $100-million movies, Victa said, they are trying to raise less than $5 million for their independent movie - around the same cost of hit movies like "Good Will Hunting," "Diner," "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" or even "The Blair Witch Project." All those movies were made for only a few million dollars and went on to make hundreds of millions.

By shooting the film next spring at the earliest, Victa said, they hope to be able to show the film at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.

The film will take three months of preproduction work and then two months of actual production.

As for casting, Victa said, there is a lot of great talent out there looking for an opportunity to shine, waiting for their big break. And they want to take their time to find the right actors for the roles, which also will help control costs. Of course, at this stage of development of the movie, they are flexible, so if some big name celebrity wants to attach their name to the project, "we'd be foolish not to go with it," said Victa.