An independent filmmaker who has achieved extraordinary success on a tiny budget will visit SIUC today, lending insight into the process of creating movies without the millions of dollars invested by major studios.

Dan Mirvish’s first feature film, Omaha (the Movie), shown at over twenty film festivals around the world and voted Best Dramatic Film at the 1995 Great Planes Film Festival, will open at Carbondale’s AMC theater Dec. 1.

Mirvish, who wrote, directed, co-produced and distributed his film on a $38,000 budget, will discuss independent filmmaking at the cinema and photography sound stage in the communications building at 1 p.m.

Advertisement

Mirvish said he made his film on location in Nebraska, and through donations of equipment, locations and even public official’s time, completed the entire movie as a Master’s student at the University of Southern California.

The mayor of Omaha and the governor of Nebraska appear in the movie, and Panavision donated cameras for us to use, Mirvish said.

Richard Blumenberg, a cinema and photography professor who arranged the director’s visit, said Mirvish will tell how he found investors, and made deals for free goods and services to make his movie.

(Mirvish) has done something great, Blumenberg said. He has been aggressive and dynamic enough to show that an independent filmmaker can get work shown by exhibitors nation-wide.

Blumenberg said this is an opportunity for aspiring filmakers to learn about a form of very independent filmmaking.

I can say with some certainty that independent filmmaking is becoming more commercially successful, he said. (Film school graduates) can get their films made more easily than ever before, they can get responsible jobs early on, and the industry is becoming more competitive.

Omaha (the Movie), according to the Hollywood Reporter, shows Mirvish’s cinematic talent, particularly in his droll dialogue and surreal settings.

Advertisement*

The film, Mirvish’s thesis project at the University of Southern California, tells the story of a young man returning from abroad to his strange family and friends only to be chased across Nebraska by a gang of Iowa kickboxers and a pair of Columbian jewel thieves.