Local filmmaker paints the 'Town Red' at Cannes Film Festival

SUSSEX — With $2,000 in his pocket, a camera and the use of a New Jersey farm, High Point Regional High School graduate Ryan Geiger was able to transport viewers to the 1950s where a zombie virus has broken out in his film "Town Red."

The independent movie was recently recognized and accepted into the Cannes Film Festival in France in May along with three other festivals.

"I'm super stoked that my movie was played in a different country now," said Geiger, 27 who served as Director and actor in his film.

When he first was accepted to Cannes, he though it was a mistake. It didn't really hit him until he landed in France and arrived at the theater where the festival was taking place.

"When they handed me my badge that said 'Filmmaker' on it, I said, 'Wow, you have a movie! You are not just an attendee. You are not just a film-goer you are a filmmaker at the film festival and you have a film that is being screened here.' That was pretty exciting. That’s when it really hit me."

"Town Red" is Geiger's second film. His first, "Stealing God's Money" was created on a "shoe string budget" of $1,000 and it was accepted into the Garden State Film Festival.

Coming off the high of his first film, Geiger had driven by Conklin Farm in Montville where he was inspired by a red truck.

"During the daytime I would drive by and thought about cinematically how I can use it in a film," said Geiger.

Eventually Geiger touched base with the farmer who gave him full access to the farm, his shop where he fixes old cars and a bunch of period piece vehicles to make the movie. Thus Town Red was born with a bump in the budget to $2,000.

"I knew that zombie films are kind of popular right now with the 'Walking Dead' and 'World War Z,'" Geiger said. "But I wanted to expand that and have a film that had zombies but they weren’t the forefront.

"'Town Red' is really about racism in an apocalyptic time," Geiger continued. "It’s a film about a racist event that happens in the south in the 50s and there happens to just be zombies."

Along with directing, Geiger played the main character Patrick who stands his ground and refuses to leave his farm despite the illness occurring around him.

"Town Red" was screened at the Grand Rapids Film Festival in Michigan where it won Best in Show and Best Narrative Short. It also was screened at the Hoboken International Film Festival last weekend and will be screened at the Long Island International Film Expo on July 20.

Focusing the rest of the year to promoting "Town Red," Geiger has already submitted it to 35 more film festivals.

"I really don’t want to spend my own money," Geiger said. "The goal for 'Town Red' was to stop spending my own cash and start spending someone else's. And Town Red is supposed to be the proof that I am worth giving money to make a movie."

Geiger's passion for film started when he was a child and is something he hopes to continue on from the small screen to the big screen.

"I love making movies it’s a passion of mine," Geiger said. "Some people build cars, some buy boats. This is something I spend all my money on and I love it."

"My ultimate dream is to work in Hollywood and work on larger screen productions," Geiger said. "I grew up mesmerized by big Hollywood and I love Stephen Spielberg and I love grand, huge movies that break the box office."

For more information on the film visit TownRedFilm.com.