DAWNING TRAILOR
WINNER: ‘Best Picture’ – 2009 Rhode Island Int’l Horror Fest
WINNER: ‘Best Screenplay’ – 2009 Solstice Film Festival
WINNER: ‘Audience Award’ – 2009 Solstice Film Festival
-Joseph Maddrey (author/prod: Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film)
“This is by far one of the most terrifying movies I’ve ever seen and a true honest to goodness, no frills horror film.”- Planet of Terror
Letter From The Director
Gregg Holtgrewe
To put it simply, I love horror movies and dramas and I wanted to merge the two together. I have always wondered why, in horror movies, people don’t react to the deaths of the characters the same way as in a drama. Add to this my overall disgust at where horror films had gone after the early 1980’s, when they merged with action films and pornography, and it was a recipe for me to try and create something new.
I wanted to get back to the films which inspired me, especially films from the 1970’s like ‘Jaws’, ‘The Exorcist’, ‘Alien’, ‘Texas Chainsaw’, ‘Halloween’ and more. I also tried to draw from more dramatic and tense films, like Bergman’s ‘Winter Light,’ ‘The Silence’ and ‘The Virgin Spring;’ Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’ and films shot by Tak Fujimoto, specifically ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ and ‘Signs.’ The way these films and filmmakers use mood and atmosphere mixed with drama was important to my vision and process for ‘Dawning.’
Gregg Holtgrewe started his filmmaking career in 1990 and has since gone on to produce, direct and shoot over 25 Shorts, 2 Featurettes and 2 Feature films. This dedication to the pursuit of a life in filmmaking led him to collaborate extensively over the years, searching for others with a like-minded drive and passion, eventually forming WholeCrue Productions.
Cast Members Attending The Event
Najarra Townsend, “AURORA”
http://www.najarratownsend.com/
Najarra is an indie film veteran, having major roles in features such as the Cannes and Sundance smash “Me and You and Everyone We Know” with Miranda July. A native of Santa Barbara CA., she discovered her love of theater at the age of 3. With her passion for the arts she remained busy as a member of many musical performance companies and stage productions. Najarra’s distinctive acting style has brought her critical acclaim including 3 Best Actress awards for her work in Stewart Wades headline making teen drama “Tru Loved”. She currently has several films in pre-production and post. Najarra hopes to continue to devote her life to these things she loves and that inspire her – writing, theater and Filmmaking.
Danny Salmen “The Man”
This character actor has earned the reputation of playing dark, offbeat roles. A native of Minneapolis MN, Danny achieved athletic excellence early on, before attending Iowa State University where he played football for the 2000 and 2001 bowl champion Cyclones. Shortly thereafter, Danny enrolled in the Theatre and Arts program at the University of Minnesota. There, he performed in several plays including the award winning “Betrayal” by Harold Pinter and “The Laramie Project” by Moises Kaufman. Upon graduating, he was honored the “John Bittner Performance Award” for excellence in Acting. He continued his theatre work with such notable companies as Four Humors and Ten Thousand Things. Danny has worked on several feature films as both Producer and Actor including “Dawning,” “Holiday Beach,” and “13 hours in a Warehouse. He currently has several other films in development.
