If you’ve ever sat through the end credits of a movie (and hasn’t

everyone?), you know that film crews include mysterious jobs like “grip,”

“gaffer” and the “best boy.” If you’ve ever wanted to know what these are,

or if you think you’d like to be one, your chance is here. This August

brings more filmmakers to town as Knoxville grows in popularity as a movie

set. The as-yet-untitled project features a cast of local actors, and the

word is out for local folks interested in crew positions.

Writer-director Anna Cimini, a graduate student at the School of the Art

Institute of Chicago, will film here from August 5 through August 26. This

is Cimini’s first foray into feature-length narrative film, having done

more experimental work before. Larger projects require much more of a group

effort, so a full-blown crew is needed. Besides grips and gaffers, Cimini

and local contact Rachel Greene are seeking lighting assistants, production

assistants, camera assistants and a sound recorder and assistant.

Local actors appearing in the film include Greene, Jim Conn, Allan Harjala,

Sam Ward and Ann Moffett. The feature-length independent film will serve as

Cimini’s graduate thesis project. As these things go, it’s a very

low-budget film and most positions are on a voluntary basis. Interested

parties can contact Cimini at (312) 907-8575 or Greene at 546-1371.

Story-wise, the film is futuristic, though it’s not the usual “technical”

science fiction, a la Johnny Mnemonic. Nor is it the paranormal

paranoia of X-Files.

“It’s about what society could become,” says Greene. “It’s pretty

bleak.”

The film’s soundtrack will feature the appropriately sparse music of the

Palace Brothers.