Utah filmmaker makes Sundance debut with family drama "Omaha"
State of play: The drama, " Omaha," the only movie in this year's festival filmed in Utah, centers on a father who takes his children on an unexpected cross-country road trip following a family tragedy.
It stars John Magaro ("Past Lives"), Molly Belle Wright and Wyatt Solis.
Zoom in: The self-funded flick, which explores fatherhood and masculinity norms, Webley told Axios, was shot mostly in Utah over 27 days.
For Webley, Utah played a larger role than just the backdrop.
"It was the workforce. It was the inspiration. We shot in places that I had shot in as a film student," said Webley, who attended Brigham Young University. "Its identity within this film is inseparable."
Between the lines: Utah director and writer Robert Machoian had written the film's script a decade earlier, when he showed it to Webley while working on another project together.
"This was the script that was really written for me to direct," Webley, who previously worked on hundreds of commercials and short films, said.
The intrigue: Webley joins a long list of directors who premiered their first movies at the long-running independent film festival, including Wes Anderson, Jordan Peele and Quentin Tarantino.
When asked if he plans to pursue directing another feature film, Webley responded: "Do bears s–t in the woods?"
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NBC News
9 hours ago
- NBC News
Vampires, romance and billionaires: The bite-size Chinese shows gaining U.S. fans
HONG KONG — As U.S. television series produce longer and fewer episodes, a new genre from China is gaining American fans by going in the opposite direction. Known as minidramas, micro dramas or vertical dramas, they are soap operas condensed into a minute or two per episode. Each show, reminiscent of a telenovela, is split into dozens of chapters, each about two minutes long and with all the soapy elements: cheesy romance, over-the-top drama and abundant cliff-hangers. 'The revenge ones, oh, my God, they're so good,' California-based retail business owner Jacarius Murphy told NBC News in a video interview. Murphy is a fan of the minidramas, known as duanju in Chinese, which focus heavily on romance, revenge and fantasy. The stories tend to involve wealthy characters such as a chief executive who's secretly a vampire or a billionaire living a double life — characters often played by American actors. 'People want this fast dopamine hit, and they can snack on it while they're waiting,' said Anina Net, an American actress based in Los Angeles who has worked on minidramas for the past four years. The genre originated in China, where production companies have tapped into the popularity of short-form, vertical-produced, TikTok-style video content. About half of China's 1.4 billion people consume dramas in this style, according to a report released in March by the state-owned China Netcasting Services Association. The industry made $6.9 billion in revenue last year, more than China's total box office sales. The shows are 'still quite limited in genre, mostly romance-focused, with sweet, domineering CEO tropes and modern settings,' said Kaidi Dai, a Shanghai-based minidrama producer. Now, having figured out the Chinese market, the same companies are expanding into the U.S., where minidramas are finding success just a few years after the failure of Quibi, a short-lived, short-form mobile streaming service. The shows are available on platforms such as ReelShort, DramaBox and GoodShort, which offers free episodes and in-app purchases as well as subscriptions. Minidramas cost far less to make than standard TV shows and can make millions of dollars in revenue through a combination of user purchases and advertising. But adapting them to the U.S. market takes some tweaking, said Chinese filmmaker Gao Feng, also known as Frank Tian, who has a minidrama production company based in New York. Rather than remaking Chinese shows, his company hired longtime U.S. residents to craft stories that would appeal to American audiences. 'I believe that scripts determine 65-70% of a project's success,' he said in an interview. 'Apart from werewolves, CEO romances and hidden identities, we should explore new genres.' While many short dramas have been based on successful Chinese stories, 'if a platform cannot innovate continuously, it will face significant challenges,' he added. Among the most popular shows is 'The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband,' which tells the story of a woman whose husband is better off financially than he appears. All 60 episodes can be viewed in less than 70 minutes on ReelShort, the California-based, Chinese-backed minidrama platform that released it in 2023. 'Hilariously bad, oddly addictive,' reads one IMDb review of the show, which had more than 485 million views on ReelShort as of Friday. The Chinese-backed short-video app has vied with TikTok as the most popular product in the entertainment section of Apple's U.S. app store. 'The short videos on TikTok have laid a solid foundation for the popularity of short dramas,' Yan Min, who helped organize an industry conference in China last year, said in an interview. Min said ReelShort and other companies were advertising on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok to attract new users, catering to the 'evolving viewing habits of younger generations, who have grown up with platforms like TikTok and are accustomed to short, engaging content.' U.S. entertainment companies have taken notice of the trend. Netflix said in May that it was testing a vertical feed made up of clips from its shows and movies, while Disney said last month that it was investing in DramaBox through its accelerator program. Though minidramas seeking U.S. audiences are increasingly using actors with American backgrounds, they often shoot in scenic Chinese locations like the coastal city of Qingdao, with its Western-style villas and architecture, for greater authenticity. 'We seek actors and screenwriters who grew up in the U.S. and naturally embody an American style. Then we incorporate some Chinese elements,' said Ann An, a Beijing-based freelance producer for several minidramas made for foreign audiences. Turnarounds are incredibly fast in the industry as producers strive to keep costs low. An said a show can finish filming in 10 days, with a budget of under $70,000. The biggest key to the success of minidramas, though, is the cliff-hangers, which push viewers to keep paying for the next episode. 'The scriptwriters know exactly where to place these cliff-hangers, and they execute them very well,' said Apple Yang, a minidrama director based in London. That helps explain the appeal of minidramas even if their overall quality is sometimes 'underwhelming,' said Ying Zhu, a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University's Academy of Film. 'Make the dialogue real and less mechanic. Make it funny when possible and biting when needed,' Zhu said. 'One minute can pack in a lot of info if done well.'
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Chicago Tribune
Blind models work the runway at fashion show for the visually impaired
Brenda Nicholson waited in the Nordstrom fitting room, listening intently as the staff described the colors, textures and cut of the outfits hanging on a rack. She typically gravitates toward clothing with pops of color, but this time Nicholson selected a gold, mesh-embroidered dress that cut down to her ankles. She chose the outfit based on the staff's vivid description and the way it felt when she touched the material. When a partially blind model's eyes can't help, she must rely on her other senses — touch and hearing, in this case — to help ready her for the runway. Nicholson was one of 10 visually impaired models who walked in the Beautiful Lives Fashion Show earlier this month at the CD Peacock Mansion in Oak Brook. The inaugural event celebrated the idea that everyone can enjoy clothing — even if they experience it in a different way than most. 'Good fashion feels like the textures that send tingling sensations through your fingers,' said Beautiful Lives Project co-founder Bryce Weiler, who has been blind since birth. 'Textures mean something.' The show's models were students at the Chicago-based Illinois Center of Rehabilitation and Education-Wood, which offers vocational and life skills training for blind and visually impaired adults. Students can receive instruction on everything from cooking and computers to reading braille and crossing eight-lane streets. The event gave many participants their first exposure to modeling — something several said they had never considered. 'Is the runway ready for me?' model Monty Rogers, who lost his sight more than three years ago, asked his fellow models. Rogers said he has always had a sense of style. Prior to selecting his runway outfit, he wore a patterned kilt with 'pride colors' and knee-high socks. A former telephone engineer and photographer, Rogers motioned to his outfit: 'I still have aesthetics,' he said. Rogers, who feels almost all his clothes before buying, selected jeans and a striped, navy blue sweater with a soft jacket. The sweater's collar, lifted and distinct from the sweater's main material, framed his neck, which was accessorized with a thin chain. 'I'm blind as hell and I'm still a fashionista,' he said. In a 'vacation vibe' salmon shirt with khaki pants, Lawrence Lacy made his runway debut alongside experienced model Jennifer Cruz, the reigning Mrs. Illinois International 2025. Moments before walking, Lacy, who's blind, gave Cruz tips on one aspect of runway modeling that she had never encountered: how to be his guide. On a daily basis, Lacy said he uses the application 'Be My Eyes,' to assist in planning outfits. The app helps users who are blind or have low vision by providing visual descriptions of daily tasks such as navigating unfamiliar surroundings and explaining the color of an object. From his clothing needs, Lacy uses the 'Be My Eyes' to match outfits to a hanger, including specifics, 'like the color (patches) on his socks,' he said. Prior to the show, runway walkers filled out surveys, describing the styles, textures, feelings and colors they wanted to showcase most. The show's organizer, 16–year-old Aria Holtzman, then worked with the Nordstrom staff to select outfits that matched the model's personal style. 'A lot of models wanted patterns,' Holtzman said. Holtzman also accessorized the outfits with shoes and jewelry, borrowed from CD Peacock, to complete the looks. The Hinsdale teen, who is beginning her junior year at Culver Academies in Indiana, came up with the idea for the show after attending a summer camp at Vogue's New York office. She came home inspired to make fashion accessible for everyone regardless of their abilities or medical conditions. With the support of her father — CD Peacock Chairman Steven Holtzman — she teamed up with Weiler and the Beautiful Lives Project. Along with Beautiful Lives Project co-founders Weiler and Michael Gudino, Holtzman worked with CD Peacock interior designers to make sure the event space resembled a runway and was clear of obstacles that could prove difficult for models and spectators as they moved around the mansion's first floor. She also ensured the 6-foot-wide runway was wide enough for both the models and their escorts. With just 39 days to put on the show, Holtzman wrote the script and served as the evening's emcee. She also encouraged the models to make their own personalized introductions before they headed down the runway. After Holtzman introduced Lacy, he took the microphone and offered a short message of appreciation. He thanked the ICRE-W program and the Beautiful Lives Project for 'transforming me into the person you see before you.' 'Just know that anything that you love, that gets a little help, you can be a part of,' he told the audience. Rogers, during his runway walk, sang a rendition of 'Feeling Good' to the spectators' delight. 'Monty lives his life knowing that the only thing he can't do is see, ' Holtzman told the audience. But Roger wasn't the only model with a talent to display. Nicholson, who lives in downstate Bellview, was the night's last model, concluding her walk with a dance to Rebirth Brass Band's 'Do Whatcha Wanna.' Before her stepping onto the runway, organizers reminded her of the song's six-minute duration, 'I can do it,' she said without hesitation. Nicholson substituted her white cane for a translucent umbrella as the music played. The audience rhythmically clapped to keep the beat. Although the music was cut off by applause before the full song could end, Nicholson said she 'was born dancing to this.' She could do it in her sleep, she said. The models kept their Nordstrom clothing, which had been purchased for them by the Holtzman family. Although this is the first fashion show the Beautiful Lives Project participated in, Weiler said he hopes for other opportunities like it. 'We are surrounded by people who want to help (others) live out their dreams,' he said. 'To help you to find employment, and to say that there are no barriers that can hold someone back with a disability.'
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Review: ‘East of Wall' a lyrical ode to the real cowgirls of the new West
Filmmaker Kate Beecroft points her lens toward the real cowgirls of the Badlands in the lyrical new film 'East of Wall.' The film, which won an audience award earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, blends fact and fiction to tell a story about the working women of South Dakota, skilled riders and trainers with ranching and rodeo in their blood who also can't seem to catch a break. There are a few Hollywood actors in the mix, including Jennifer Ehle ('King's Speech') as a hard living grandmother with a lifetime of regrets as well as some nuggets of wisdom and Scoot McNairy (' A Complete Unknown ') as an out-of-towner who wants to acquire the land, but most of the cast are non-actors playing themselves. At the heart of 'East of Wall,' now playing in select theaters, is Tabatha Zimiga, a South Dakota native whose ability to tame wild horses is the stuff of legend in the area. In the film, the horses she rescues and rehabilitates are sold at auctions and often accepted for far less than what they're worth. She needs the money. There are bills to pay on the ranch and many mouths to feed (not just her own children, but others from around the town who come to her for safety and shelter when their own caretakers stop providing). Tabatha is also living with new and old traumas, from the generational agony of abuse to the more recent death of her husband, the shocking circumstances of which are withheld for some time. But the effects of the loss are still felt, especially for their daughter Porshia (played by her real-life daughter Porshia Zimiga), whose grief is threatening to turn into hate of her mother. Teenage Porshia provides the poetic voiceovers, in which she talks about riding, her mother and, most effectively, the land. It's reminiscent of Linda Manz's narration in 'Days of Heaven' (1978). 'East of Wall' is best when it's capturing the landscapes and the girls in action, riding and filming energetic TikToks of their friends racing cars on horseback. Some have suggested that 'East of Wall' might have been stronger as a documentary. These women are vibrant and authentic and don't look like anyone we see in the movies these days, with real bodies and imperfect skin, heads half-shaved, tattoos everywhere and the ability to really, really ride — no stunt team required. And they have stories to tell, many of them unhappy, as we see in one of the most moving non-action scenes involving a group of mothers speaking candidly about their lives and their regrets. The real-life drama of financial instability is compelling and likely rooted in truth; however, the introduction of McNairy's suspect Texan feels like a narrative contrivance and drama for drama's sake. He offers to buy the ranch and let them live and work as usual, just for him now instead of themselves. These are the kind of scenes that remind you that the filmmakers, despite all their best intentions and care, are, in essence, also interlopers in this world. Beecroft's story of how she stumbled upon Tabatha and her cowgirls sounds like something out of a folk song. A native of Los Angeles who'd worked as an actress and production designer, Beecroft felt stalled and hopped in a truck with her friend and cinematographer Austin Shelton to find the stories of everyday Americans. A wrong turn, she said, led her to these women.
