For the last three weeks of March, Roanoke will once again be home to an independent film that will shoot here. “Crossing Streets” is the brainchild of Linda and Barry Armstrong, the founders of Spirit FM and the Live the Life Partners Foundation. It’s billed as a buddy cop drama that will also highlight the work of the Straight Street ministry on Luck Avenue.
The independent film, that carries a reported budget of $100,000, will also be the model for a future fundraising method: all of the proceeds from any distribution and theatrical screenings will go to Straight Street, a Christian youth ministry that works with young people in a variety of capacities.
If it succeeds, Barry Armstrong and producer Marc Hutchins say it could be a prototype: produce a film to support a particular non-profit, with funds raised from backers who do not expect a return on their investment – a least not in terms of dollars and cents.
Armstrong, now retired from the radio business, said Spirit FM is known for supporting worthy causes, adding that this film venture “is an outgrowth of that.” Organizations like Straight Street never have enough funding, so producing commercially viable films to support those efforts may be a new approach.
Some of the story line will involve Straight Street; the Roanoke City police department will also advise on the film. “We’re hopeful [that the model] will be significant and sustainable. Once we do it the first time [hopefully] we’ll be able to duplicate that with other non-profits.”
Hutchins hopes to have a national theatrical release “with the right talent.” The Botetourt County resident has made films in the valley for more than 10 years. He said there are plenty of talented people locally, although many work other jobs and make movies on the side.
Director Joe Guelzo for instance, a Lynchburg filmmaker, just completed a self-funded project he worked on for over a year at night and on weekends. Some that have moved away to seek more film work “will be coming back to work on this project as well.” Daniel Bowden, another Lynchburg resident and Liberty graduate, wrote the script for Crossing Streets.
Five hundred would-be actors showed up last weekend at Green Memorial United Methodist or sent their resumes, hoping to be selected for the shoot scheduled for March 7-30. “There’s no shortage of creative talent in this area,” said Hutchins, “it’s just a matter of being able to bring that talent together.”
Hutchins called the Roanoke City police department “a major supporter of our film.” It features a Roanoke City detective and a Methodist minister who partner to solve a gang shooting.
Hutchins said he told Roanoke City police Chief Chris Perkins that he wants Crossing Streets to do for the Roanoke PD “what Top Gun did for the Navy. That’s the way he saw it too.” It’s a “positive recruitment piece…no dirty cops,” Hutchins promises.
It may take about a year before the finished product sees the light of day, which Hutchins labeled as typical, especially for an independent, small budget feature. The crew will work mostly on nights and weekends and they’ll continue to raise money while proceeding.
If they can find “substantial post [production] funding” it could be turned around in as little as 6 months – bringing the streets of Roanoke hopefully to towns and cities across the country. “I want to be able to do this again in the fall,” said Hutchins. “If we can pull this off successfully I think we’ll have another opportunity.”
Straight Street has a weekend drop-in center and works with kids that do not have a stable home life. It also trains teenage mothers on baby care – about 60 young mothers a week, said Armstrong. Straight Street provides chaplains for detention centers as well. Now Armstrong’s movie might help support that ministry.
“We’re extremely excited about it,” said Armstrong. “I see this as an accelerator – using the creative arts and significant community support to really do something that will be fun and exciting – and create quite the buzz.”
By Gene Marrano