‘Nero Bloom’ premiere to hit Cinema Center red carpet
FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Huntington, Ind.-Lights! Camera! Red carpet! "Nero Bloom," a film by Huntington University digital media arts film students Jason Eberly and Nathan Hartman, will debut at Cinema Center in Fort Wayne with a red carpet extravaganza at 7:30 p.m. on May 8. This black-tie event will feature the cast and crew of "Nero Bloom" shuttled in period cars and walking the red carpet into the first showing of their film set for 8 p.m. Following the private premiere will be a reception at Artlink. "Nero Bloom" will be shown again at 9:30 p.m. for Huntington University students.
When young private-eye Nero Bloom is hired to follow a down-and-out gambler, everything seems business as usual. But when the gambler winds up dead in a hotel elevator, the game is on, and Bloom is a suspect. With action, suspense, and seduction...Bloom must travel a labyrinth of clues to reach one twisted ending.
The 45-minute film has several Fort Wayne area connections. Eberly, the director and producer of "Nero Bloom," is a Fort Wayne native. Bethany Edlund, a Huntington University junior who plays "Veronica St. Claire," hails from Roanoke, Ind. Dana Christy Minnick ("Barbara Lomax") and Darren Turney ("Brute") both reside in Fort Wayne. Dr. Lance Clark, Huntington University associate professor of communication and executive producer of the film, is also a Fort Wayne resident. Screen writer and producer Nathan Hartman is from nearby Berne, Ind.
Along with the cast and crew connections, portions of "Nero Bloom" were filmed in Fort Wayne. Locations used include Club Soda, the Lincoln Tower, the Baker Street Train Station, the Embassy Theatre and the Bass Mansion. Scenes also were shot in Huntington, Berne and Zionsville, Ind., as well as Coldwater, Mich.
The movie was filmed in high definition using Huntington University's new prime lens system, giving students creative control over depth of field, a feature they never had before. With the on-location shooting and advanced filming equipment, Eberly and Hartman say that film's price tag realistically would have been $200,000. However, they weren't shy to ask for favors and acknowledge the generosity of several people.
"We made this movie not for a class but for our lives," said Eberly, a junior digital media arts major with a focus on digital video cinema. "We made this for our portfolios. We wanted to make a film that could stand up in the real world."
"Nero Bloom" will open to the general public at 7 p.m. on May 9 at Cinema Center. Additional showings will be a 4 p.m. on May 10, 6:30 p.m. on May 11, 9 p.m. on May 12 and 13, and 6:30 p.m. on May 14.
Tickets are $5 for general admission and $3 for students, seniors and Cinema Center members.
For more information, contact Cinema Center at (260) 426-3456.
Included in the price of admission is a showing of the short film, "After Hours," starring local actress Andrea Aspacher and dance protege Evan Kasprzak best known for his appearance on the FOX network's "So You Think You Can Dance." "After Hours" was filmed at the Huntington County Courthouse. The film was directed by Jason Eberly, produced by Alicia Bonham, and scripted by Nathan Hartman. The dance number was choreographed by Broadway dancer Ryan Kasprzak.
The plot involves a timid janitor who secretly falls in love with a female law clerk while cleaning a courthouse. Alone one night, he begins to dance with his mop. Suddenly, it turns into the gorgeous clerk, a figment of the janitor's imagination. The janitor takes this dreamy opportunity to convey his feelings through dance as a modern-day Gene Kelly.
