Locally shot: Feature film, The Artist, to premiere

Casey Stein stars as Rebecca, a woman with secrets, and Matthew Marcus, who wrote the screenplay, as the hero.
Publicity photo

UVA alum Kevin Bender releases a feature film this Friday, May 1. Entitled The Artist, it's an action/psychological thriller shot in and around Charlottesville and starring UVA students–- and the premiere is free.

Delusions unravel, and dreams are deferred in this 100-minute picture whose principal photography wrapped in February. The film was scored by Kyle Ringgenberg using the Vienna Symphonic Library digital toolset and including an original vocal piece, 'In Any Way I Can," performed by Annie and Elyse Steingold.

Director Bender, whose day job is accounting in the Williamsburg area, is a 2008 graduate of UVA (magna cum laude according to his production company's site) with some prior film credits.

The free premiere takes place at 8pm May 1 in Culbreth Theater on Culbreth Road with free parking at the new garage there. More details Monday.