FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COLUMBIA-Over 40 students ranging in age from 15 to 60+ participated in the sold out Midwest debut of the Indie Filmmaker's Bootcamp, which took place at Stephens College in Columbia, MO. Held July 23-31, the IFB enabled aspiring filmmakers to make a movie - from concept through rough cut - under the guidance of Hollywood professionals. The result of their collective effort is the short film, The Last Temptation of Tommy, an irreverent chronicle of the Devil's lifetime pursuit of an elusive soul.

Conducted by The American Academy of Arts (A3), the IFB model is such that nobody knows what the movie to be made over the course of the nine days will be until the end of the first day. And even then, as is the nature of the movie industry, things change. Explained IFB Executive Producer Stan Foster, "While a fairly rigid process is in place which nearly all movies share in their making, the unexpected challenges unique to each production are where the greatest learning opportunities can be found. The group we had at Stephens faced some serious challenges and rose to the occasion. Because of their ingenuity and commitment, [The Last Temptation of Tommy] evolved from one type of film we'd intended to make on the first day to another that, by the last day, turned out to be probably the best film to come out of the Bootcamp in rough cut form. It really is as real-world an exposure to the filmmaking process as you can get in education."

Other A3 filmmakers facilitating the Stephens College IFB included assistant director Norman C. Berns, gaffer Nick Berry, screenwriter Larry Brody, cinematographer Robert Collins, casting director Bonnie Gillespie, director Michael Steven Gregory, unit production manager Ross Kallen, supervising editor John Rosenberg, post production assistant Jeremy Svenson.

Complete information about the IFB at Stephens College, including the 7/31/05 rough cut and behind-the-scenes making of The Last Temptation of Tommy, can be found at IndieFilmmakersBootcamp.com or AAArts.com.

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