By Christopher Graham
The recent success of LDS films such as ?Saints and Soldiers? and ?The Work and the Glory? have made local filmmakers speculate on the possibility of Utah becoming the crux of a new family friendly film locale. But in a town that?s more traditional than tinsel, the idea of a clean-cut ?Mollywood? could be many years away.
?The idea that a movie movement could emerge from Utah is completely plausible and relevant,? said Randy Davis, vice president of motion picture distribution at Excel Entertainment. ?If we keep making faith-based films and family friendly films as well as we make them now, Utah will become a production bastion and eventually even a beacon to the industry.?
Signs of the influence of Utah films can be seen with the prestige of the Sundance Film Festival and the success of recent films like ?Saints and Soldiers.? This film has been nominated for an ?Independent Spirit Award? and will compete against big-name films like ?Garden State? and ?Sideways? in February.
Davis said the possibility of Utah films competing with Hollywood films is likely. He said only a couple dozen big-budget movies are made each year in Hollywood, and most films are either small Hollywood productions or are made by independent film companies. With this in mind he said he thinks Excel Entertainment can compete just as well with these smaller films in the movie industry as any other film company. Excel and other companies just like it have seen success in the video rental industry, which is where most movies turn a profit.
?We are very relevant nationwide as a video distributor,? Davis said. ?We do just as well as a lot of the small studios if not better and have had more success selling videos than a lot of other companies.?
Davis said one of the main benefits of filming in Utah is the production quality available for a much lower price than in other states. Also, the geography of the state lends itself to many location possibilities with forests, mountains, lakes and deserts no more than a few hours away.
Davis mentioned a big-time Hollywood producer who had just finished working on a huge World War II picture for an independent movie house. Comparing his film to ?Saints and Soldiers? this producer told Davis, ?You just did for under 1 million what we spent 30 million to do a little bit worse.?
Davis said he hopes this kind of recognition from Hollywood bigwigs will increase as local filmmakers continue to put out the quality work they have put out so far. He said the Utah film market would gain more attention as production companies begin to veer away from strictly Mormon films and instead create films with a wider appeal to non-member audiences.
This shifting of gears for the ?LDS? industry is a refreshing change for many aspiring filmmakers here at BYU. Many of these students hope to use their talents to create films that adhere to LDS standards while not relying too much on Mormon culture references.
?Anything that tries to shove Mormon beliefs or culture down the throats of the viewers makes me cringe when I watch it and it makes me feel uncomfortable,? said Shark Gillins, a junior majoring in media arts studies. ?Whether is trying to be too preachy or is just pushing the Mormon culture so hard, there is something about it that makes me want to turn off the TV.?
Gillins said he thinks it?s going to take a little more time before Utah will get the same kind of attention that Hollywood gets. But he said that if filmmakers like Ryan Little, who directed ?Saints and Soldiers? continue to show their talents, there is a possibility of having a ?Mollywood.?
As for himself, Gillins said he is more interested in pursuing projects in places that are more established, but he is not opposed to taking part in the Utah market if the opportunity presents itself. Gillins said most early LDS films like ?God?s Army? failed to impress him but he also understands that later films like ?Pride and Prejudice? and ?Saints and Soldiers? wouldn?t have been possible without it.
?I appreciate the Utah film community and what they?ve done,? Gillins said. ?I don?t like a lot of the films that have been made, but I also recognize their significance because they are paving the way for more films to be made; films that will step up and be better than what their predecessors have done.?