By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News
Deedee Woche — a 2013 Vandegrift graduate originally from Steiner Ranch — is the executive producer of a short film called “A Lone Star Love” which included scenes filmed in Steiner.
The film was originally conceived by Ronan Colfer, inspired by the way social media has influenced and consumed people’s lives.
Producer Woche was a big fan of the project and was looking to make the film. After meeting Director Ben Myers at a play and then watching his film, “Power Out”, she knew she had found the right creative team to bring the project to life.
“I brought everyone together to collaborate on it, including Ronan, the main actor, and Ben, the director,” said Woche. The first-time filmmaker also helped write it and starred in it. Another VHS grad from 2013, Giselle Suazo, has been the social media manager of the film.
“A Lone Star Love” is a ‘black mirror-esque’, soundtrack-driven short film. Woche shares a synopsis of the storyline: “The story is about David, an Irish National, who makes his new home in Austin, with the help of a social media android named Viva. When he meets Texas native, Layla, a free spirit looking for romance, he must choose between his synthetic companion and a lone star love.”
The team is hoping to have their world premiere to the public at the Austin Film Festival next month, October 21-28, where their film is still pending acceptance.
“We are a few weeks away from hearing from AFF,” said Myers, director and producer of the film.
Under the direction of Nicholas Richter, the team finished filming the principle photography in 2020 including scenes in downtown Austin, Steiner, and other area spots. They expected to finish production earlier but got caught by the pandemic slowdowns.
The film had a private screening in Austin followed by an invite-only film industry screening in Brooklyn, NY in June at the Alamo Drafthouse, just blocks away from TriBeCa Film Festival was in full swing, Myers said.
The team plans to release a trailer this month, said Myers, who is a New York director whose previous films have screened internationally to critical acclaim.
“The film was entirely self funded, and is truly a representation of what driven filmmakers can do with creativity and guile on a small budget,” Woche said.
