Hero Magazine Interview

Video Cities
By Eric Wilkinson 

At the core of today’s independent film movement lays a foundation of
“do-it-yourself” style innovation that’s trendy accessibility is
changing how we view film. These kinds of productions are popping up
everywhere- from short films to documentaries to viral videos, and
have begun to stir the already universal appeal of film. Festivals
like South by Southwest have taken a liking to this new way of doing
things, and as a result have grown in popularity each year with the up
and coming film community.  When driving this point to our home front,
it begs the question, ‘where is the face of film in Minneapolis’?
With “do-it-yourself” style productions becoming more accessible for
creating new and innovative films, it might just be a sign that things
could be changing for independent enthusiasts here in the Twin Cities. 
Introducing: Minneapolis Tv (MPLS.tv), a locally produced sketch
comedy group that utilizes local talent, and the social media to
create hilarious and sometimes in-your-face sketches. But the group
doesn’t simply strive to make people laugh; it hopes to actually
promote growth in local production. “I think the arts community is
definitely responding to the homegrown talent. Our goal at MPLS.TV is
to foster a community of creative individuals and projects from video
to art and music,” says founding member Chris Cloud. As the site
continues to gain momentum within the city itself, it seems that more
people are beginning to recognize the power of something based in
their city. “When an opportunity comes along to create something new
for a project like MPLS.TV, people often take it.,” says Cloud. In the
next year, the site plans to strengthen its already growing community
by empowering others to start producing and contributing new and
innovative videos. In just two years of online production, MPLS.tv has
gone from three friends’ personal side project to a city wide arts
initiative. They have also been recognized in articles featured in
MPLS/St. Paul magazine and VitaMN, as a fresh and exciting new
opportunity. 

Across the river in St. Paul, rising film production company
Restraining Hollywood is attempting to create a new independent film
market without the influence of Hollywood. “In the four features we’ve
done since 2004 we have only just begun to utilize the unique local
talent that we’ve got here in Minnesota,” stated founding member
Brandon Van Vilet. The group found its biggest success after landing a
coveted distribution deal following a citywide premiere of
their film, Hunting Buddies, in late 2009. “People always think that
you have to go to Los Angeles to find exposure, that’s not how we
operate, if you want this (film) bad enough you can make it happen.”
Restraining Hollywood has two more feature films currently set in post
production, which will be released late in 2011. A Fantasy-filled, Comedy with Zombies called Potpourri & an Action-Packed, gritty crime drama called In Harm's Way. They are also currently in production for second season of One Night Stand, their uniquely crass and offbeat webisode series about a defunct rock band. 

As word spreads about these and other independent film movements, who
else will follow in their footsteps? Perhaps Minneapolis won’t ever be
comparable to Los Angeles or New York when it comes to film, but that
doesn’t mean that the Twin Cities have to be left in the dark. As
“do-it-yourself” style productions become more universally accepted,
so too will a resurging debut of an already established art form.