Indie film of the day: ‘Range Runners’
Range Runners premiere
April 26
Artemis Women in Action Film Festival
Santa Monica
Range Runners is a psychological thriller that tells the story of a woman thru-hiking an isolated trail who runs into trouble when her pack is hijacked by two men hiding out into the woods, desperate and on the run. Stranded and left for dead to fend for herself, she has a choice: crawl back to her normal life in defeat or push forward and take back what was stolen from her.
Range Runners, a riveting and exhilarating thriller, will make its world premiere at the opening night of the 5th Annual Artemis Women in Action Film Festival at the Monica Film Center in Santa Monica, CA on Friday, April 26, 2019 at 7:20 PM.
The film will headline opening night festivities as the Feature Narrative. Range Runners stars Celeste M. Cooper (Sense8, Chicago PD), is directed by Philip S. Plowden, written by Devon Colwell, and produced by Christian Crocker, RoseMary Prodonovich, and Christopher Ganze. Fatal Funnel Films served as the production company.
A Q&A will follow the premiere.
Range Runners is an exciting and inspiring survival story set along an isolated and wooded 2,200-mile-long hiking trail and follows endurance runner Mel (Celeste M. Cooper) as she attempts to complete the trail alone.
Running in the woods, Mel pushes herself to the limit daily with nothing standing in the way but her own will – until she encounters two strangers along the trail who claim to be day-hikers, but she sees they have been out in the wilderness much longer than they claim.
After her pack is taken, Mel is left with no food, a dwindling water supply, and no hope of rescue. Stranded, she is forced to make a choice: give up on the trail and backtrack to find help, or follow her attackers further into the woods and take back what was stolen.
Armed with nothing but her wits, a will to survive, and a hardened resolve bestowed by her overbearing father, Mel must find a way to push past her body’s physical limitations and persevere in the face of overwhelming odds.
“The role of Mel is the definition of a determined, powerful woman,” describes Celeste M. Cooper. “She is never going to back down and be controlled. She is determined to preserve and take back what is rightfully hers. Her entire life has been about taking back her power.
“I loved playing such a powerful action woman and I am thrilled it is being premiered at the Artemis Festival alongside so many other films focused on powerful women.”
Range Runners was produced by Fatal Funnel Films, founded by Range Runners director and executive producer Philip S. Plowden, and writer and executive producer Devon Colwell. This is their first feature.
An additional screening of Range Runners is set for Sunday, April 28, 2019 at 2:00 PM.
“We’re honored to be premiering Range Runners at the Artemis Women in Action Film Festival,” says director Philip S. Plowden. “We wanted to create a film that engages audiences with our main character’s journey while simultaneously showcasing the limits one can be pushed to in order to persevere through a harrowing survival situation. We’re thrilled to be in such great company among other films showcasing women in action.”
“Stories of survival have always had universal appeal, but we wanted to push the boundaries of how it’s perceived, even as the genre itself continues to evolve,” says writer Devon Colwell. “Artemis is the perfect fit for what we set out to achieve with this film, and we are proud to lend our voices to this amazing festival.”
Philip S. Plowden (director/executive producer)
Philip Plowden is no stranger to the importance of well-crafted imagery. A graduate from Columbia College Chicago, he co-produced the award-winning feature film Chicago Overcoat, which received a domestic premiere on Showtime.
Philip continues to work on a variety of projects, including seasons of NBC’s Chicago P.D. He is a member of the Director’s Guild of America and recently directed the award-winning short-length film, Cellar Door.
Fatal Funnel Films is an Illinois-based production company dedicated to the creation of independent feature films. Utilizing the increasingly relevant accessibility of digital filmmaking techniques and technologies, Fatal Funnel Films seeks to push the boundaries of filmmaking in order to tell unique and dramatic stories that will connect with audiences across the globe.
For more information about the film, please visit www.fatalfunnelfilms.com.
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