MANSFIELD — Two local individuals, with a bent toward entertainment, are playing key roles in the filming of a 40-minute movie titled “October Roses.”
The story, based on Stephen King’s 1978 short story “Nona” is being written and produced by 2014 Plymouth graduate Shelby Wyant, with Crestline native Robert Kurtzman serving as executive producer and special effects makeup artist.
“Through King’s Dollar Baby Program, which allows filmmakers to apply and purchase the rights to adapt one of his lesser-known works for $1, we were able to obtain the rights to work with this story,” said Brandon Lazenko, Director and Producer of the movie.
“The film is a horror, thriller, romance and we estimate it will be around 40 minutes long.”
Lazenko said filmmakers are preparing to begin filming in late August throughout Richland and Huron counties.
“We are interested in getting the word out about our film and to hopefully find people interested in supporting our film,” Lazenko said.
“Shelby Wyant, while visiting her parents (in Plymouth) found that the area perfectly fits the script. The crew is made up of Ohio filmmakers, mostly from the Stow area.”
Lazenko said the group first met during college at Kent State.
Bringing on Kurtzman was a coup for the team.
“We are very excited to bring on Robert Kurtzman,” Lazenko said. “He has worked on Hollywood blockbusters including “Haunting of Hill House,” “Gerald’s Game,” “Dr. Sleep,” and “From Dusk till Dawn” among other films.”
Some of the filming locations secured so far include Dynasty Lanes in Willard, Mansfield City Cemetery, and Carl’s Auto Body in Bucyrys.
“We are currently fundraising for our film, and will be launching our Seed & Spark campaign Wednesday, Jun 29,” Lazenko said. “Seed & Spark is similar to GoFundMe or IndieGoGo, but specifically for filmmakers.
“The interesting thing about Seed & Spark is that for every supporter, the cast and crew provides something in return. Some of our ‘thank yous’ include t-shirts, personalized artwork, invitations to table reads, and even invitations to attend film festivals.”
The group’s production company, 13th Floor Productions, was founded with the goal of connecting individuals through film and art.
“We want to provide the opportunity for people to experience film being created in their hometown and to find and support local filmmakers,” Lazenko said.
ROBERT KURTZMAN
“We consider it a lifelong dream to adapt a work written by the master of horror, and we are thrilled to be joined by another horror icon — Robert Kurtzman,” Lazenko said.
For over three decades, Robert Kurtzman has been a staple in the world of genre filmmaking — through writing, directing, producing and most notably — absolutely terrifying special effects make-up.
Kurtzman’s portfolio is vast, ranging from Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, franchises and television series. Kurtzman’s work can be seen in The Haunting of Hill House, Dr. Sleep, Cherry, Secret Headquarters, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey and the brand new Netflix series First Kill.
THE STORY
After escaping his rural hometown, a man finds himself confronted with the stark realization that history always repeats itself.
Adam, a down-on-his-luck college professor, is hitchhiking through Maine when he is forced to find shelter from a summer downpour. When he takes a seat at a roadhouse bar, an eerily familiar woman entices Adam to accompany her on her path for vengeance.
Adapted from Stephen King’s short story “Nona,” October Roses explores the strength of the ties that bind.
BRANDON LAZENKO
The team is led by director Brandon Lazenko. Lazenko is carving a name for himself in the horror/thriller genre. His latest film, A Serpent by the Nest, is a gritty thriller/noir exploring the horrific reality of human trafficking. This film was honored as Best Thriller at Paris Film Festival and has earned Lazenko numerous directorial awards.
DOLLAR BABY
Stephen King began the Dollar Baby program in the late 1970’s. Under this program, student and independent filmmakers can apply for the rights to adapt a King story. For more information, please visit: https://stephenking.com/dollar-baby/
WHY NONA?
“We combed through each available story offered through the Dollar Baby program and despite being inspired by many, ‘Nona’ was a clear favorite. It was almost as if we knew Adam by the end of the story, and we felt confident in our ability to bring him to life on screen,” Lazenko said. “We urge you to check out ‘Nona,’ first published in King’s anthology Shadows and later published in the 1985 collection Skeleton Key.
“While it was important for us to capture the essence of King’s writing — you know the one we search for every time we crack open a new horror novel — we needed to make this film our own.
“Our film expands on King’s Nona character by constructing her backstory and investigating her motives. In addition, our film makes full use of multiple timelines — allowing viewers to know Adam as he was before Nona and as he is after.”
WHY US?
The team is made of life-long horror fanatics and constant readers.
“We’ve spent much of the last two years cooped up reading, watching, writing and dreaming of being back on set,” Lazenko said. “We are incredibly excited to finally be back together bringing you disgusting, disturbing and bad-ass content.”
