Art no party in drama GREENE
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Last week, we told you about an upcoming campus film festival that is custom built for student filmmakers at the University of Illinois and other Midwest institutions of higher learning, but not all young media practitioners will be jockeying for short film glory this spring. Current UIUC upperclassman Keenan Dailey, who showed visual promise and projected a strong voice in his New Art Film Festival ’16 entry LABYRINTH, is aiming higher and longer with his new feature-length project called GREENE. Active on multiple fronts to bring this story to fruition, Dailey launched a Kickstarter campaign to amass a little more than $3,000 for a production budget with about three weeks left for supporters to give. He also has begun casting with one leg taking place this past Monday, February 20, and another scheduled for later tonight, Wednesday, February 22, at the UI School of Art + Design; audition blocks will run from 5 to 7 p.m. and have possibly been all filled in advance, so contact Dailey immediately by writing greenemovie [at] gmail [dot] com or messaging his GREENE or personal Facebook pages to offer your performance credentials and demo reel if not secure a remaining slot. (Open roles are listed in the graphic below and include parts for post-college age performers.) Potential collaborators on all fronts are also encouraged to approach him through these same avenues if interested in other positions on the show. His Internet promotion goes on to describe GREENE as “the story of 28-year-old black gallery owner, Marcus Greene, who is struggling to find peace with the fractured remnants of his life. Despite the efforts of his brother-in-law and largely due to Marcus’ depressive state, his gallery has been failing and is now facing foreclosure. This story follows Marcus’ journey as he comes to terms with his past.” Also eyeing a larger thematic canvas, Daily paints his projected film as “a reflection of artistic exposure within the African-American experience” and “one that wishes to exist outside the stereotypical view of African-Americans in mainstream media.” GREENE could turn out to be a touchstone endeavor for the right combination of theater and fine arts candidates coming up through the UI student body ranks due to its bravely ambitious and emotional concept. Among them, Dailey hails from Peoria, IL, and is working towards a graphic design degree at the UI; peripheral activities include a piece that qualified for the 2016 Sundance Ignite “What’s Next?” challenge, DADAISM, and an acting appearance in the recent WILL-TV/Illinois Public Media offering BARNS: AN ILLINOIS STORY directed by Oliver Peng.
~ Jason Pankoke
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