Colony grad sees early film project success

ANCHORAGE — Actress, director and film producer are just a few of the titles 2011 Colony High School graduate Kitty Mahoney can claim.

After starring in multiple plays as a high school student — such as Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” and Neil Simon’s “Rumors” — Mahoney assumed she would continue play-acting in college at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Soon after she arrived, however, she enrolled in a two-day “acting for camera” workshop where she met “a bunch of people in the filmmaking community” who changed her mind.

Through that experience, she landed a role on her first film set with director Quinton Oliver Smith, who is studying at the University of Mississippi “Ole Miss,” but was staying at his Eagle River home that summer. The film was about 15 minutes long, titled “Edit the Sad Parts.”

“Acting on that set is when I saw how everything worked in film,” Mahoney said. “I liked how all these different people were creatively contributing to one idea.”

That change in perspective not only sparked a greater interest in film than theater, but made her decide to “get behind the camera instead of in front of it.”

“It opened a whole ’nother world,” she said.

Now approaching her final semester at UAA, Mahoney has starred in multiple films, including Smith’s “The Ruthless Rhymer” and another production called “Exes.” She also has her own “makeshift major” called “film production and performance,” a conglomeration of communications, theater and journalism classes recognized by the university’s Interdisciplinary Bachelor Program. The project, titled, “I Want You to Know,” is her third as director and will be a short film, approximately 15 minutes long, judging by the 18-page script.

It may not sound like much, but Mahoney has learned over the years that longer is not necessarily better.

When she showed up for her first filmmaking class at UAA, her script was about three times longer than that of the other students, and she ended up with the biggest cast. After filming, editing and producing was all said and done, her movie, “Hooked,” was 57 minutes long.

“It was a huge ordeal,” she said. “It was kind of life-ruining and the most amazing experience at the same time.”

‘I Want You to Know’

Despite the fact that her first production class was the main contributor to her “hardest semester of college ever,” it also gave Mahoney the drive to create her “makeshift major” and pursue her coming capstone project.

“I Want You to Know” is the story of a young man “in turmoil over the death of his father,” for which he feels guilty, Mahoney said. He is moved to “such a state of depression” that he considers taking his own life, but not before addressing the three most important people in his life, in the form of flashbacks.

“The film reflects on the fact that even in the darkest parts of a person’s thoughts, loved ones shine a powerful light,” reads the synopsis on the Indiegogo page, in part.

The idea for the movie, Mahoney said, started with a mental snapshot she captured of a fellow university actor crouching onstage, facing away from the audience. Later, it was revealed that the character was tying a noose.

“I get ideas for movies based off of like, 10-second experiences in life,” Mahoney said.

And though the final script is much different than the original, Mahoney said she’s happy with where the movie is going, though she, Smith and Charlie Sears — her producers — won’t start filming until mid-August.

To raise money for the endeavor, Mahoney, Smith (Landsick Films) and Sears (Portal Productions) set up an Indiegogo account with a budget goal of $500. The money would provide for production, permit fees and food for the cast and crew on set.

The moviemakers surpassed their goal within the first two days with support from eight donors. Now, the film has 17 funders, and the crew can afford boat rental, lens rental and music licensing necessary to make the movie that much better.

Cast and crew

Raymond Chapman of “Moose: The Movie” fame — he’s a part of Sons of Winter Productions and played Rupert, the sidekick of redneck “mortician” Jed — will play the lead role as Peter in “I Want You to Know.” Delana Duncan plays Nat, Peter’s potential girlfriend; Rebecca Barker plays Rachel, Peter’s sister; and Cecil Brown plays Jake, Peter’s best friend.

Based on the actors and actresses specifically invited to auditions, Mahoney had “a very different idea” of what the cast would look like.

“A lot of people just showed up … and they knocked it out of the park,” Mahoney said. “I was really excited to have fresh people that I never met before wanna be a part of this project.”

Smith shared that excitement, and was eager to work with Mahoney and Sears again.

“Charlie and I are buddies and if I’m up here (in Alaska) I’ll work on whatever he’s doing,” he said.

As for Mahoney, “I know she has a lot of talent with acting as well as directing,” Smith said.

Into the world

Upon completion of the film this December, Mahoney, Smith and Sears have high hopes for “I Want You to Know.” In addition to getting a lot of screen time in locally hosted international festivals, Mahoney in particular hopes the movie can be of use to suicide prevention groups.

“I’d like as many people as possible to see the movie because I think it does have a really strong message, and I think that organizations like that will be able to use it,” Mahoney said.

Smith agreed.

“I definitely see this film as an opportunity to help people,” he said.

Contact Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.