Runaway Pen Productions

Late last night, Runaway Pen Producitons learned that their short film, "Cold October" which was nominated for Best Horror Short Film at ShockerFest (which gave it an Honorable Mention) and was nominated for Best Screenplay at Terror Film Festival was indeed awareded the Best Screenplay award by Terror Film Fest. Director, Mikel J. Wisler, who was able to attend the screening of "Cold October" at TFF, was not able to be in attendance for the Awards ceremony this past Saturday night. Only yesterday evening were the awards officially posted to the TFF website, where screenplay co-writer and producer, Andrew Gilbert, spotted the announcement that "Cold October" was given the award and promplty called up Wisler, who was off working late on post-production for a project he's currently producing with Jedidiah Burdick. The screenplay for "Cold October" was written by Andrew Gilbert & Mikel J. Wisler.

Official awards page for TFF: http://terrorfilmfestival.net/_wsn/page6.html

Officia awards page for ShockerFest: http://www.shockerfest.com/2009/winners.html

Last Thursday, "Cold October" played a the 2009 Terror Film Festival in Philadelphia. It was really well received by the audience and festival organizers. Following the screening, director Mikel J. Wisler took part in a Q&A time. Questions ranged from the execution of special effects, size of budget, to story inspiration. "My favorite question," says Wisler, "was definitely the one about what inspired this story. It was pretty strange and exciting to explain to an audience at a horror film festival that my humble psychological thriller was really my means of exploring the question of what an Old Testament prophet might look like today? Would we just diagnose such a person as mentally ill? Would this person be too closed off to the possibility of a God who want to communicate with him?"

Several people paid high compliments to "Cold October" for it's achievements in cinematography, music, style, plot, and performances by the actors. "It was really humbling and exciting to be part of TFF," says Wisler, "and to be nominated for Best Screenplay. My thanks to everyone at TFF for making me feel so welcome. I'm looking forward to reading their press release of this years festival with the interviews of all filmmakers inattendance this year." Once that article is published, a link will be posted here on the Runaway Pen website.

Mikel J. Wisler at the 2009 Terror Film Festival.

In September, "Cold October" played at the 2009 ShockerFest and was nominated for Best Horror Short Film. Just recently, Wisler received his official certificate for the nomination since he wasn't able to attend the California based festival. "Cold October" also played last Friday at the 2009 Sacramento Horror Film Festival. Due to Wisler's attendance of Terror Film Festival and limited funds, he did not make it out to California for that festival as well. "I'm really honored to be part of both ShockerFest and Sacramento Horror," he explains, "and I really wish I could make it to every festival. But traveling isn't cheap, especially on an indie filmmaker's salery ... or maybe I should say, on a freelance videographer's salary--this indie film thing isn't paying yet. But one step at a time."

This week, "Cold October" plays at the 2009 Southern Appalachian International Film Festival in Tennessee. Wisler expresses his desire to attend the festival. Again, limited by budget, he will be unable to be in attendance for that festival.

The official certificate from the 2009 ShockerFest.

The most widely seen and talked about short film from Runaway Pen, "Cold October," will be playing at three film festivals in October. Just last week, producers Mikel J. Wisler and Andrew Gilbert learned that the film will be playing at Sacramento Horror Film Festival on Friday, October 23rd during the 3:30 PM Shorts Program 1. The festival takes place in the historic Colonial Theatre in Sacramento, California.

This was a pleasant surprise for Gilbert and Wisler, who were already quite exited about the exposure "Cold October" will have in the up coming Terror Film Festival (TFF) in Philadelphia and the Southern Appalachian International Film Festival (SOAPIFF) at East Tennessee State University. "Cold October" will be playing at TFF on Thursday, October 22nd during the 6:45 PM selection of short films, and will be playingat SOAPIFF on Thursday, October 29th during the 7 PM selection of short films.

For more info on these three film festivals, please visit their respective websites:

• Sacramento Horror Film Festival: www.sachorrorfilmfest.com
• Terror Film Festival: www.terrorfilmfestival.net
• Southern Appalachian Film Festival: soapiff.com

In the recent week, the Runaway Pen Productions short film, “Cold October,” directed by Mikel J. Wisler, has gained a quite a bit of film festival attention. “Cold October” will be playing at the 2009 ShockerFestin Riverbank, California on September 26th at 10 AM. In October, the film will be playing at two festivals. The first is the 2009 Terror Film Festival (TFF) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from October 20th to 24th. The second is 2009 Southern Appalachian International Film Festival (SOAPIFF) taking place on the campus of East Tennessee State University from October 22nd to 31st. “Cold October” will be playing at TFF on October 22 at 6:45 PM. SOAPIFF has not yet announced their screening schedule and nominations for awards.

As for award nominations, “Cold October” has garnered a nomination forBest Horror Short Film at the ShockerFest and Best Screenplay at TFF.Wisler and Andrew Gilbert, who also produced, shot, and acted in the film, conceptualized and wrote the script together. These two nominations represent the first nominations for festival awards for aproject by Runaway Pen Productions.

“It’s really surreal to suddenly have our film playing in three places and getting nominations,” says Wisler. “We’re very excited. These things take some time, and it can be really easy to lose the momentum while you spend a year submitting a short film to festivals. Lord knows we’ve piled up the rejection letters as is. But then, suddenly, it’s like the film finally finds its crowd, it’s fit. It’s also a little crazy to think that we wrapped shooting on ‘Cold October’ almost two whole years ago. I love this film; it’s really something special to me. And yet, Ido feel that we’ve really improved as filmmakers since making ‘Cold October.’ So it’s really cool to see it get all this attention at last,and gives me real hope that ‘Always Reaching’—which we are submitting to festivals now—and ‘Evaluating Kaitly,’ which we are currently cutting, will also enjoy some great festival exposure in the next couple of years."

Wisler plans on attending the 2009 Terror Film Festival. "I'd love to make it to all of them" he explains. "But I'm just not able to get out toCalifornia right now, and Terror and Southern Appalachian happen almostat the same time. Due to those factors and a tight indie filmmaker'stravel budget, I'm afraid I have to stick close to home right now.Regardless, we're all paying careful attention to what's going on ateach of these festivals."

Still frame from "Cold October." Matthew Eaton (left) and Brittany Baughman (Fried) (right).

RunawayPen Productions has been busy with the development of a new short film,"Evaluating Kaitly," which was inspired by a true story. The film,which Andrew Gilbert and Mikel J. Wisler have co-written and areproducing together, was shot on August 1st and 2nd. Gilbert is thedirector of the film, and Wisler, originally slated simply to produceand edit the film, stepped in as the cinematographer when the originalcinematographer had to step down due to an unforeseen conflict in his schedule.

"It was unfortunate to have this conflict come up," says Wisler, "but it was totally understandable. That's life for you. And actually, I lovegetting to DP good projects like this one. This was my first opportunity to DP a film with prime lenses. Plus, it was a great chancefor Andy [Gilbert] and I to work together creatively again on set. He's DPed a lot of films for me, so it was fun to reverse those roles."

Wisler worked with the Panasonic HVX200, the Redrock M2 lens adapter, and aset of Nikon primes and a couple of zoom lenses conventionally used for still photography. Wisler, who has been quite busy with freelance videoshoots and editing projects, is currently beginning the editing processfor the film. While the film was shot in South Bend, Indiana, Wisler isdoing all the cutting from his office in the Boston area. He and the director, Gilbert, are communicating via the Internet and phone. They hope to have a trailer for "Evaluating Kaitly" by this fall.

Starring in the film are Lisa Staples, Greg Teghtmeyer, and Tara Rusinack. Camera gear provided by Kyle Bainter at Overdun Productions, lenses and lens adapter by Jedidiah Burdick at Votery Films, with additional lens rental from Gene's Camera Store in South Bend, Indiana.