An award-winning independent film produced by a Saipan-based lawyer will premiere on island in February.<\/p>\n
Attorney F. Matthew Smith, who co-produced the film, said \u201cBaptists at Our Barbecue\u201d will be shown at Hollywood Theater beginning Feb. 11.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a fun movie and everybody seems to want it. I think people in Saipan will enjoy it,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re planning a premiere and red carpet, if we can find it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBaptists\u201d is a romantic comedy about a 29-year-old single Mormon who finds love in a small town populated by feuding Mormons and Baptists.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the suspicious disappearance of half the Mormons\u2019 double-wide trailer\/church and rocks being thrown from heaven, to a mysterious humming being sounded off the mountains, \u2018Baptists at Our Barbecue\u2019 is a delightful parody displaying the absurdity of religious prejudice. \u2018Baptists at Our Barbecue\u2019 is a story for the ages, a reminder that people matter, whether or not their beliefs match your own,\u201d the filmmakers described the movie.<\/p>\n
Directed by Christian Vuissa, the film was based on a novel of the same title written by Robert Farrell Smith. The author shares credit with Vuissa and his brother Matthew for the screenplay. Their father, Farrell M. Smith, is the executive producer.<\/p>\n
Filmed all across Central and Northern Utah with a budget of about $500,000, the movie has won various awards in big and small festivals since it opened in Utah in October 2004.<\/p>\n
To date, \u201cBaptists\u201d has been awarded Best Picture in New Jersey\u2019s Hope and Dreams Film Festival; Best Picture and Best Screenplay in Hollywood\u2019s Arpa International Film Festival; Best Picture in Georgia\u2019s Dixie Film Festival; and Best Picture and Best Comedy in New Mexico\u2019s Fiery Film Festival.<\/p>\n
The film was produced by Blue Crow Productions, which was formed by the Smiths, and distributed by HaleStorm Entertainment.<\/p>\n
Principal cast members include Heather Beers, Dan Merkley, Frank Gerrish, and Duane Stephens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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