Wrapping Up a Summer of Filmmaking in the Middle of Nowhere

I love being a truly independent filmmaker.

No fear. No limits. Telling your stories. Opening people's eyes. Sharing your voice with the world.

This summer is no exception.

As the summer's wrapping up here in the middle of nowhere in the boonies, it's been quite constructive. Here's a taste of my summer in the middle of nowhere:

Written a new book.
Made 2 new short films.
Read 3 books: the Bible, the Upanishads and Ayurveda.
Starting to write another book, and shooting another short film.

Life is good.

It's easy to make your movie. When you focus on making your movie. You just have to make your movie.

Feature Film Comedy to Shoot in the Ozarks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HOLLYWOOD COMES TO THE FOUR STATES

SW Missouri Native Returns Home to Shoot Feature Film Comedy

Burbank, California – Hollywood is coming to the four states.

JUNK STORE, a new independent feature film will be shot in Southwest Missouri. The low-budget comedy film about a Mother and Son's junk store in a small Southern town will be directed by hometown native Jack Truman. Truman, a native of Lamar and Joplin, is returning back home to shoot his first comedy feature film. According to Writer/Director Truman, the film is a modern day version of SANFORD AND SON meets CLERKS.

“I wanted to come back home and share with the film world a part of life that I come from”, Truman stated in press materials. “Most people don't know about this part of the country. I want to give something back to the area where I grew up, and at the same time, make an original film that will entertain people and show them how real people are. It's not hard to make a film that you're passionate about. Especially when that film is about a life that you know”.

Truman is an award – winning independent filmmaker, and 30 year veteran of television, film and stage. A veteran director, writer and actor, Truman's films have screened at over 300 film festivals around the world.

Shooting begins late summer in Southwest Missouri. The film will be casting local people for speaking roles and extras. Also needed are people in the four states to help with crew.

For more information, email the production team at junkstoremovie@gmail.com .

On the web:

The home page for JUNK STORE: http://www.gofundme.com/3k8d9k

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/junkthemovie

JUNK STORE

Written and Directed by Jack Truman

A Dixie Film

Dockery Wins Top Film Honors in Hollywood & Australia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

67 YEAR OLD FIRST-TIME FILMMAKER WINS TOP HONORS

Dockery Wins Top Film Honors in Hollywood and Australia

Burbank, California – Should a women have the right to go topless in public?

The world is finding out. And responding in a big way.

TITS, a 7 minute documentary film about a woman's right to go topless in public, won top film honors last month in California and Australia.

The new eye opening short documentary film won Best Film last month at Hollywood's Sunset Film Festival. Not to be outdone by Hollywood, TITS won Best Director honors at Australia's Colortape International Film Festival.

Since the film's premiere in April in London, TITS has screened at over 10 film festivals worldwide in just 2 months.

Directed by Opal Dockery, TITS is a fascinating film about a woman's right to be topless in public, while bringing in the larger debates concerning women's rights and gender equality, the shocking, alternative short film is a story about Dockery's fight against what she perceives as discrimination against women in a very particular and conscientious way.

The film is the directorial debut of 67 year old first-time filmmaker Opal Dockery.

Dockery collaborates with her film producer son Jack Truman to share her thoughts about not being able to go topless in public, in conjunction with the annual Women's Equality Day topless protest in Venice Beach, California.

TITS is an eye-opening film from the team behind the cult mockumentary hit film PHONE SEX GRANDMA.

TITS

A Dixie Film

Running Time: 7 minutes

Director: Opal Dockery

Summer in the Boonies for the Underground Filmmaker

Well, it's July.

Can't believe half of the summer is over. And half of the year is over. Seems like just yesterday I wrote the No Budget Filmmaking book, was a programmer at Slamdance in Park City during the festival, and produced Opal's award winning directing debut. But all of that was back in January.

Now, this summer's kickin' along in the boonies with a lot going on in the middle of nowhere.

Made 2 new short films that are being sent out on the film festival circuit; writing a new book; in production on a feature film; and just finished reading the Upanishads.

And July's just starting.

Underground Filmmaking in the Boonies This Summer



It's one hell of a busy summer for underground filmmaking. For no budget filmmaking. For making truly independent film.

Opal's new award winning documentary short film TITS is taking the film festival world by storm. The new hit short film won top honors in Hollywood last month, winning Best Film at the Sunset Film Festival. And this month, in June alone, screens 4 film festivals worldwide in NYC, Texas, Australia and South Africa.

I just finished shooting 2 brand new short film comedies that are a riot. And can't wait to get them started on the film festival circuit.

Also, writing the poem book. After taking 5 years to get the No Budget Filmmaking book written, this compilation of poems over the last 20 years is taking some time to put together.

All this, and getting ready to start shooting a feature film comedy in Missouri. With no money. True No Budget underground filmmaking.

I love it.

What a underground filmmaking month of June here in the boonies.

One Crazy Month For an Underground Filmmaker

There's nothing like being truly independent.

I love it. Wouldn't have it any other way.

Take how life's going right now:

Mother's new documentary short film TITS is taking the festival world by storm. Since it premiered one month ago in London, it's screened in the UK, Ethiopia, Wisconsin, and Hollywood. And last week, won BEST FILM in Hollwood at the Sunset Film Festival.

Opal's directing debut screens over 10 film festivals over the next 2 months, including places like NYC, Texas, Australia and more....

It's great to get Mother's messages out to the world that's important to her.

Got a lot of work to do on the properties out in the country. Been mowing, house work, construction, and more. Physical activity is feeling pretty good. And damn glad to be away from Hollywood for awhile.

Over the next month, a new narrative short film is going to be made based on actual events. It's fun to combine my acting talents with directing. Last year, when I made WOODY THE REDNECK, that was my first acting work in about 10 years. It feels good occasionally getting my acting juices back.

And this summer, the crazy CLERKS/SANFORD AND SON style feature film is gonna be made. This is gonna be a lot of fun. Just got to find some other people I like to work with that want to come to the Midwest to work on a film for no money.

A truly independent, underground filmmaker's life: you can't beat that with a stick.



Film Festival Screenings and 2 New Movies to Shoot This Summer



Nothing beats the life of a truly underground independent filmmaker.

Take this life:

We've got a brand new documentary short film taking the world by storm. Just premiered in London earlier this month, and over the next 2 months, has screenings lined up at over 7 film festivals worldwide, from Hollywood to Australia.

Getting ready to shoot a new comedy short film next month.

And shooting a feature film comedy this summer.

Life doesn't get much better for an underground filmmaker.