Filmmaker makes big impression
By Michael Picarella
pic@theacorn.com

PREMIERE-Actor Justin Allen, left, writer-director Marc Clebanoff, actress Ashley Jensen and actor Matthew Siegan, right, attend a recent 'Unspoken' screening in Hollywood.

Oak Park native Marc Clebanoff, 24, shot his first full-length movie over the summer with actor William Sadler ("The Shawshank Redemption," "Kinsey") and he just recently screened it in Hollywood before an enthusiastic audience of film industry people and others.

Clebanoff’s movie, "Unspoken," is a dark drama about five characters locked in a room together who prepare for their untimely end by revealing the darker side of their relationships.

"The whole movie basically takes place in one room," Clebanoff said. "It’s kind of like a stage play on film. It’s primarily dialogue-driven and it takes place in real time.

"Unspoken" is similar to Alfred Hitchcock’s "Rope," Richard Linklater’s "Tape" and Sidney Lumet’s "12 Angry Men," according to the filmmaker.

"I was a bit nervous before the screening," Clebanoff said. " ‘Unspoken’ isn’t really a mainstream film. It’s very much an acquired taste. The response, however, was overwhelmingly positive."

While the film isn’t typical Hollywood, Clebanoff said it touches on some very important issues. The young filmmaker’s audience embraced those issues.

"My two goals with the film were to make it disturbing and make it thought provoking," Clebanoff said. "People have been calling me for over a week afterward wanting to pick my brain for the meaning of the film. I think I achieved my goal to make a thought provoking film."

Clebanoff is now seeking distribution. He is courting distributors, including Miramax and Lions Gate Films.

"I’m confident in the film," Clebanoff said. "I’m not worried about selling it. I know I’m going to sell it. To me, it’s not just lining up a distribution deal. It’s a matter of lining up the right distribution deal . . . It’s going to be somewhat of a long process, but I think it’s important that we nail down the right company."

The budget for "Unspoken" was under $100,000. Clebanoff said he received funding from people he knew who believed in the project.

Those involved in the movie include award-winning director of photography Scott Fitzpatrick, who shot and edited the movie; Emmy-nominated composer Christopher Caliendo, who scored the soundtrack; Justin Allen ("Judging Amy"), Ashley Jensen, Matthew Siegan and Chase Mayo ("The Polar Express"), who starred in the movie; and Chad Everett ("Mulholland Drive," "A View from the Top") who lent his voice as narrator for the opening and closing of the film.

In April 2002, Clebanoff was involved with another feature-length movie called "The Distance." The thriller requires a bigger budget than "Unspoken."

The young filmmaker hoped to make "The Distance" as his first full-length project, but investors wanted him to try a smaller full-length project first.

Evidently, investors were happy with "Unspoken." "The Distance," with a $1 million budget, is scheduled to go into pre-production in April, according to Clebanoff.

Clebanof received a degree in the cinema-television program at University of Southern California in 2002.

During his college years, he worked at Fox and at USA Films under "Nurse Betty" and "In the Company of Men" director Neil LaBute.

Clebanoff has written, produced and directed several short films and has worked on other projects.

In 2004, Clebanoff established Odyssey Motion Pictures, an independent movie production company.

To learn more about Clebanoff, the future of his movie and other projects, or to see the "Unspoken" movie trailer, go to the Odyssey Motion Pictures official website at www.odysseymotionpictures.com.