Whiteside and Ogle counties have served as location photography for upcoming TV shows

Gary Camarano

MORRISON – Film production has been a growing part of Illinois’ economy, with a record high of $630 million in economic impact in 2021.

The Northwest Illinois Film Office in Morrison seeks to support and promote its local filmmakers, as well attract film projects and the outside dollars that they can bring to the region’s communities.

In addition to the growing local filmmaker community, outside productions have been showing interest in the region as a location for film production.

October Films recently completed principal photography for a true crime documentary in Whiteside County, and several completed projects have made it to release, including Netflix’s “The Now” and HBO’s “Lovecraft County,” which also filmed some scenes in Ogle County.

Additionally, a few major studios have started location scouting for projects in development.

Film productions can contribute locally to employment opportunities, increased spending for local businesses such as lodging, equipment rentals, catering, security, and other suppliers.

Film production can have a positive effect on the local economy. Outside dollars being spent here, employment opportunities and creating awareness for the region are our goal.

We just want to get a little slice of that $630 million being spent in Illinois.

That said, 2022 has been a good year for Northwest Illinois independent filmmakers: There were three world premieres, with one more scheduled Nov. 12, numerous invitations to prominent film festivals, and several nominations and wins for industry awards.

World premieres and red carpets

The 2022 world premieres for regional filmmakers started in March with “The Blacklight” by Dashford Media.

The film, produced by Rockford’s Don Hatton, is described as “a dark, fun, genre-bending ride led by an incredible ensemble of character actors merging elements of crime, mystery, fantasy, horror and tying it all together with a bow of dark humor.”

Matt Cichella and Never Submit Entertainment of Rockford followed with premieres of feature films “Without Grace,” a romantic drama with a faith-based undercurrent that’s based on a true story, in May, and “God’s Not Here,” which bills itself as the first-ever “faith-based anthology film.” It features four stories about forgiveness, love, hope and faith, and premiered in July.

Independent documentary filmmaker Fourth Wall Films of Moline scheduled Nov. 12 for its premiere of episode four of its “Hero Street: A Historical Documentary Series.”

Titled “An Infantryman from Hero Street,” it tells the true story of Pvt. Joseph Sandoval, who was born in a boxcar to Mexican immigrants in the Silvis rail yard.

In 1944, Joe, married with two young sons, was drafted and shipped to Britain with the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment. His unit helped fight the second stage of the Normandy invasion in France.

The film premieres during Veterans Day weekend, at 2 p.m. that Saturday on the National Geographic Giant Screen Theater at the Putnam Museum in Davenport, Iowa.

Northwest Illinois filmmakers are getting noticed

The film festival circuit was alive with northwest Illinois Filmmaker’s projects this year.

Fourth Wall Films, no stranger to the film festival circuit, screened projects at the 2022 Borrego Springs Film Festival and the 2022 Raindance Film Festival.

Never Submit Entertainment attended the Christian Family Film Festival New York, the Texas Family & Faith Film Festival 2022, London International Film Festival 2022, Indie Film Festival 2022, the New York International Film Awards – where it won honorable mention for “God’s Not Here” and best director and best actress – and the Georgia Christian Film Festival 2022, where “God’s Not Here” was the winning entry.

Dashford Media’s “The Blacklight” participated in the Septimius Awards in the Netherlands, where it was nominated for best American film and Grant Lancaster was nominated for best American actor; it won the award of excellence for a feature film at the IndieFest Film Awards, where Lancaster won the award of excellence for lead actor and Samantha Aneson won the award of merit for lead actress. It also was nominated for best feature film in the New York City Independent Film Festival.

Fourth Wall Films received two 2022 Mid-America Emmy nominations for its historical documentary films “Jean Seberg: Actress Activist Icon,” a feature-length film co-produced with Garry McGee; and Remembering Forest Grove,” a short museum film.

Kelly and Tammy Rundle, owners and operators of Fourth Wall Films, also won a 2021 Mid-America Emmy for their environmental short “Over and Under: Wildlife Crossings.”

Gary Camarano is executive director of the Northwest Illinois Film Office, as well as Whiteside County’s economic development director. Reach him at gcamarano@whiteside.org.