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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, February 26, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 8, 2003 Locally made film wins Santa Fe festival award The audience choice honor could give ‘Indigo’ national distribution, says its executive producer By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune Movie fans around the country may be seeing Southern Oregon on the big screen in a few months. "Indigo," a film about children with exceptional psychic powers, captured the Audience Choice Award at the fourth annual Santa Fe Film Festival over the weekend. With that boost, the film should gain national distribution, executive producer James Twyman of Ashland said Sunday. "With the momentum behind this film, it will be distributed one way or another," Twyman said in a telephone interview. "Whether it’s in 10 cities, or five, or 50." Twyman also wrote the script along with another Ashland resident, Neale Donald Walsch, author of the "Conversations with God" books. The film follows the relationship that develops between a man and his 10-year-old granddaughter who are on the run from kidnappers. Along the way he discovers the power of his granddaughter’s gifts, which forever alter the lives of everyone she encounters. Advertisement Walsch played the grandfather. Meghan McCandless of Medford played the granddaughter, Grace. Twyman said the film is an example of "spiritual cinema" — films that seek to understand who we are and why we are here, and the audience responded to that effort. "People want movies that affect the human spirit," he said. Stephen Simon, also of Ashland, produced the film, which includes many scenes shot in Southern Oregon’s cities, roadsides and parks. The 92-minute film was shot in 20 days on $500,000, made from start to finish within eight months and completed just 10 days before the festival. Twyman noted that "Indigo" won out over films with stars such as Sean Penn, Nicole Kidman and Ben Kingsley. "There was something special about ‘Indigo,’ " he said. "We felt it while we were shooting in Southern Oregon. Somehow our little project did well." "Indigo" was selected on the basis of ballots filled out by some of the more than 1,000 filmgoers who attended — many of whom came from out of state specifically to see the film. The final ballot tally was not immediately available. Twyman said he hopes to make at least one film in Southern Oregon next year. "We want Ashland and Southern Oregon to be known for independent filmmaking." The Associated Press contributed to this story Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times