2024 Rental Credit Grant Project Update

CCR Gets an Inside Look at the BTS of 5 Local Short Films

Follow along with some photos and interviews from Conrad Miles (My America), Jon Skinner (Connect), Dylan Bowe (A Cult Following), Shawnee Idahosa (The Alumni) and Kathleen Kelleher (Rust). Each of these selected filmmakers were given a part of our rental credit grant that was used to equip their project. Each film has been made or is currently in post-production. Make sure to support our local filmmakers by giving them a follow on their social media channels!

My America by Conrad Miles

CCR: Tell us a little bit about your film.

Miles: In one fateful day, 23-year-old Shawn juggles job interviews and a dinner with his girlfriend Grace and her father, Peterson, a police officer. When a routine traffic stop escalates into a tragic shooting, Peterson confronts the harsh consequences of his partner's actions as he fights to save the boy he was about to welcome into his family. The inspiration behind "My America" stems from the everyday struggles of someone striving for personal growth. I aimed to shift perspectives, highlighting that there’s more to life than the usual narrative. This piece reflects real-life experiences and the complexities of change.

CCR: How do you feel about being a selected filmmaker for this year's Rental Credit Grant Project?

Miles: Being selected as a filmmaker for this year's Rental Credit Grant Project felt Great! It was a win for the entire team. This opportunity is a great motivator, and I truly appreciate CCR for supporting artists in elevating their work with access to equipment.

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CCR: Anything you'd like to share about your experience renting or using your equipment?

Miles: My experience using the rental equipment was amazing; it really elevated the quality of our work. As an underdog Cleveland filmmaker, this opportunity has boosted my confidence and motivated me to push even harder!

Follow Conrad's journey on his socials!

Instagram - @imxabel  

Twitter - Imxabel

Youtube - @Heartoinspire

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Connect by Jon Skinner

CCR: Tell us a little bit about your film.

Skinner: A woman fleeing a mysterious past tries to settle down in a quiet, seemingly safe neighborhood, but the lengths her strange new neighbors will go to connect with her might not be so safe.

CCR: How do you feel about being a selected filmmaker for this year's Rental Credit Grant Project?

Skinner: Massive, massive gratitude, I just moved here last year with my wife and my filmmaking partners, and we come from a town that isn't nearly as film-friendly as Cleveland. Getting selected for this just gave us this huge sense of relief, that we're finally a part of a community of passionate people, and we're helping build this climate that perpetuates really generous programs like this.

CCR: Anything you'd like to share about your experience renting or using your equipment?

Skinner: It's incredible how much of a difference upgrading your equipment makes. Thrillers almost always have a dimly-lit vibe, and filming "dimly-lit" is very hard. We wanted to make sure we had enough light for this and what the lights didn't do, the Sony FX3 more than made up for. I'm a sound engineer so I didn't know how I felt about the Zoom H5, but it was a really nice piece of equipment.

Check out Jon's socials!

Instagram: @gravysgoodtonight

YouTube: GravysGoodTonight

gravysgoodtonight.com

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A Cult Following by Dylan Bowe

CCR: Tell us a little bit about your film.

Bowe: A Cult Following is about a college student named Vanessa who is hired to housesit a home in a very wealthy neighborhood. After she invites a friend over to study, they explore the expansive house only to find that the family is in a cult that has targeted Vanessa. When members of the cult surround the home wearing cloaks and masks, Vanessa is forced to fend for her life in a slasher-style horror film!

CCR: How do you feel about being a selected filmmaker for this year's Rental Credit Grant Project?

Bowe: I was so excited and grateful to have been selected to receive a rental credit grant from CCR! We would not have been able to get access to professional camera equipment like this without the support of CCR. The grant absolutely elevated the quality of the short film which will make for an even better final product!

CCR: Anything you'd like to share about your experience renting or using your equipment?

Bowe: I feel like working with all of this advanced camera equipment can be daunting. However, as long as you give yourself time to learn it and surround yourself with a dedicated team of filmmakers to help, you can achieve whatever you set out to create!

Keep up to date with Dylan on Instagram (@dylanbowe99) and Facebook!

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The Alumni by Shawnee Idahosa

CCR: Tell us a little bit about your film.

Idahosa: Two Alumni from Kent State University go back to school to obtain their Masters in Physics. They get more than they bargain for when they somehow travel back in time to May1970, and they are on a ticking clock to figure out why.

CCR: How do you feel about being a selected filmmaker for this year's Rental Credit Grant Project?

Idahosa: We were so excited to be chosen for the grant. We were able to use everything , and get such great images on film.

CCR: Anything you'd like to share about your experience renting or using your equipment?

Idahosa: CLEVELAND CAMERA was so easy to work with, they were helpful and knowledgeable.

Keep up with Shawnee and The Alumni film on Instagram!

@ShawneeIdahosa

@nieceanderson

@TheAlumniMovie

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Rust by Kathleen Kelleher

CCR: Tell us a little bit about your film.

Kelleher: "Rust" is a "featurette" or "long short" film (just under 35 minutes) that takes place in Lorain, Ohio. It's a dark comedy, following a trio of friends who all seem dissatisfied with their lives in different ways. Central in the film is a character named Jimmie (played by Lorain native Pat O'Connor) who is struggling to understand what to do with his life as a mid-20s guy who feels "stuck" in his hometown. He has vague artistic aspirations and dreams of one day moving away, but he never actually seems to do anything. The stagnancy of Lorain's industrial past is thematically linked to Jimmie's own inactivity.

Our crew and cast were a mix of Lorain natives and Oberlin students, and we were very lucky to enjoy generous use of several locations in Lorain, including Scorcher's bar, Three Star Diner, and Chapman's Food Mart. Two of our four producers were Cleveland-area natives, and they helped me keep the film's vision true to their experience of their hometown.

CCR: How do you feel about being a selected filmmaker for this year's Rental Credit Grant Project?

Kelleher: I was shocked and overwhelmed by being selected for the rental credit grant this year — it made my project feel more possible, more tangible and real. My DP had told me about the grant just a few days before applications were due, and the timing was perfect as we were about to begin shooting. I had no expectations when I applied, but thanks to the grant we were able to afford a Teradek & Tilta Nucleus for scenes that we shot with the camera on a hood mount of a moving car, as well as Comteks for me to listen in while directing. If it hadn't been for the grant we certainly couldn't have afforded these even for a day or two on our small student/crowdfunded budget.

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CCR: Anything you'd like to share about your experience renting or using your equipment?

Kelleher: I spoke with Alex from our quote to every pick-up and drop-off, and he was super kind and accommodating to my weird and ever-changing scheduling needs as I tried to organize a shoot around the schedules of a student & volunteer crew. Alex was always generous and considerate of the long drive we had to make to get to CCR for pickups and returns, and I felt welcomed even as a young filmmaker with little gear experience & knowledge. I'm still really grateful to CCR for helping my film get made in the way I imagined it.

You can keep up with Rust and find out about any future screenings via Instagram, @kathleenmkelleher, or website, kathleenkelleher.co.