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8-28-09 Independent Film Festival at the Marcus Theatres in Orland Park on September 20.12 Noon - BITTERBLUE (2007): A young girl's life and belief in God are changed forever when she befriends an emotionally disturbed boy who believes he has a guardian angel. Presented in 5.1 Surround Sound for the first time with extended scenes for this showing only. The film stars Ryan Sotzen, Therese Boyich, Matthew Vuckovich, Ellen Hogan, Maura Locke Antas, Chris Casper, Clayton Carr, Gary Gow and Katherine Trost. 2:30 pm - BARRYMORE'S DREAM - The Director's Cut (2005/2009): Michael Barrymore's life is turned upside down when he discovers he can see the future in his dreams and believes that the woman he loves will be murdered by her ex-husband. This is an ALL NEW remastered version of the 2005 version of this Award Winning film featuring a new edit and sound and music score remastered in 5.1 Surround Sound. The film stars Michael Stoskus, Jodi London, Gary Gow, Gary Sugarman, Samantha Kuebler and Dave Branigan. 5:00 pm - Robert Alaniz's THE VISION (2009): When an over ambitious reporter stirs up an old controversy surrounding a series of unsolved murders, a clairvoyant teenage girl and her friends enlist the help of a college professor with a plan to expose the identity of the killer, when it is believed that the young girl's reoccurring vision of the future may be the murder of the professor. The film stars Samantha Kuebler, Gary Gow, Jodi London, Michael Stoskus, Lori Duncan, Bruce Spielbauer, Nora Quinn, Ryan Vander Ploeg, Tyler Burke and Savanna Emmrich. 7:30 pm - TIMESERVER (2004): A man who believes he can travel through time falls in love with a handicapped woman and finds redemption as his past and future catches up with him. This is the Director's Cut of the 2004 version. This will be only the second time TIMESERVER has been screened since it's original release in 2004. The film stars Gary Gow, Jodi London, Riley Duhamel, Gary Sugarman, Katherine Reed and Marie Kukalis. Tickets are $10.00 per film or $20.00 for a Film Fest Pass to all four films. They are available at the box office (one hour prior to each showing) or can be purchased in advance on line. 3-27-09 Robert Alaniz's THE VISION at The Music Box Theatre on May 8.Following a highly successful World Premiere at the historic Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Robert Alaniz's THE VISION will have its Chicago Premiere at the Music Box Theatre on Friday, May 8, 2009. Stars of the film will be arriving by limousine starting at 7pm. Showtime is at 8pm. There will also be a Q & A session afterwards with the Director and cast. THE VISION is the latest film from Independent Filmmaker Robert Alaniz of Frankfort, Illinois who has been making films in the south suburbs of Chicago over the past five years. It is also Alaniz's return to the psychological thriller movie genre that he visited in his 2005 film Barrymore's Dream that won the Best Feature Award at the Route 66 Film Festival in Springfield, Illinois in 2007. Inspired by the events and characters in that film, THE VISION picks up three years later. Ellie Barrymore is now 16 years old and is trying to come to terms with the fact that she has psychic abilities. When an over ambitious reporter stirs up an old controversy surrounding a series of unsolved murders, Ellie and her friends enlist the help of a college professor with a plan to expose the identity of the killer, when it is believed that Ellie's reoccurring vision of the future may be the murder of the professor. "I love thriller movies from the 70's and 80's that are about people caught up in stories where they have powers that they never really wanted, but have to accept, in order to live a somewhat normal life," says Alaniz. "This movie is makes nods to films like Director Brian DePalma's Carrie, The Fury, and Dressed To Kill with a dash of M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense thrown in. But it also has many moments of comic relief in between the suspense and drama. It's entertaining." Tickets are $10.00 at the door that night or can be purchased in advance on line at www.thevisionmovie.com using PayPal. Check the web site for further information. 3-07-09 THE VISION Director and Cast talk with Count Midnight ®
Director Robert Alaniz and Cast members of THE VISION were interviewed recently by Cable TV Host Count Midnight ® of Monster Party which airs on Joliet Cable Channel 6. 
Count Midnight ® will also be attending the World Premiere at the Rialto Square Theatre on March 13th to interview the attendees. Watch for him (he's pretty easy to spot). Keep checking THE VISION web site for information regarding the Count and check out his web site at www.countmidnight.com!
1-30-09 THE VISION "On The Air" in Joliet
Director Robert Alaniz & Cast members from THE VISION will be featured on the Lynne, Mary and Natalie Radio Show on WJOL Radio in Joliet on Friday, March 6 from 9 to 10 am. The Director and Cast will talk about the making of the film and the upcoming World Premiere at the luxurious Rialto Square Theatre on March 13. "When she heard we were having our premiere at the Rialto, Lynne Lichtenauer contacted me," says Alaniz. "She asked if we would like to be on the show, and of course I jumped at the opportunity." This will be the third appearance for Alaniz on the show. The first was to promote his 2004 film Timeserver which also premiered at the Rialto. "It was a great experience and the three hosts were so interested and supportive of what we did," Alaniz continues. "I'm looking forward to doing it again. It's an informative and entertaining show." Listeners of the show that morning will be able to call in for a chance to win tickets to the premiere as well as movie souvenirs from THE VISION. Be sure and be tune in to the LMN Radio Show on WJOL Will County's Talk, News & Sports Channel 1340 on your AM dial 1-13-09 The Vision Comes True!Robert Alaniz's THE VISION will have its WORLD PREMIERE at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet Illinois on Friday, March 13, 2009. This will be the second time Sole Productions has premiered a film at the Rialto. Robert Alaniz's TIMESERVER premiered there on October 24, 2004. "To the best of my knowledge, there hasn't been a film shown there since Timeserver," Alaniz said. "I was told at the time of that premiere that the only other film to premiere there was THE BABE starring John Goodman, which was the film biography of Babe Ruth. I believe they filmed a scene there, which is why they did the premiere there. In a way, being that they don't show films there anymore, seeing a movie at the Rialto in the year 2009 is historic in itself." The Rialto Square Theatre opened its doors on May 24, 1926. Recognized as "one of the ten most beautiful theaters in the nation," the building reflects Greek, Roman and Byzantine architecture. It has a seating capacity of 1900. The premiere will be "Hollywood Style" complete with the stars of the film arriving by limousine, an introduction by the Director before the film and a cast and crew curtain call afterwards. Doors will open at 7pm. Showtime is at 8pm. Tickets are NOW ON SALE at thevisionmovie.com and can be purchased using PayPal. Tickets are $25.00 at the door or $20.00 in advance. Frankfort residents may also purchase tickets at two designated outlets in town (check the World Premiere page on the movie web site). Additional ticket outlets in other towns will be announced soon. There is a slightly new and updated trailer for the movie, which is NOW SHOWING on THE VISION's web site as well as YouTube. The trailer features new music by Doug Adams who is composing the music score for the film. 
Kallie Flynn Childress (one of the stars of the movie SLEEPOVER) has a featured song in Robert Alaniz's THE VISION. "Dirty Little Word" is an up tempo dance tune that is heard during a scene in the movie where high school kids are attending a cast party. The song is one on eleven songs that were chosen for the soundtrack. Other songs include "Burnin"" by Lorenzo Owens, "Game Over" by Snaux, "Darker Shade of Blue" by Tirk Wilder, "WNUA" by Tristan Geiger, "I Believe In This Man" by Karen Jacobsen, "My Angel" by Erin Mcnamara, "Never Forget You" by Badmouth, "Could You" by Jimmy Warren, "We've Got Tonight" by Nina Martinez and "Never Seems To Be Enough" by Jessica Shepherd. The producers are very excited to have such a great assortment of music styles and artists contributing to the film. Many of them will be attending the premiere so be sure to bring an autograph pen.
9-16-08 Post ProductionTHE VISION is now in post-production. Director Robert Alaniz is in the process of editing 42 hours of footage down to an acceptable running time of two hours or less. "I enjoy editing," says Alaniz. "Other filmmakers have told me that it's almost impossible to edit a film that you have directed, because you get so close to it. That's very true. But this is the fourth film I have edited and found ways to make it work. Due to the way my films are made at this time, I really can't see anyone else being able to edit what I've shot, because as the writer of the script, no one knows the story and film structure better than me." During this time, pick-up shots and minor re-shoots have been necessary, but mostly for continuity purposes. The trailer for the movie is NOW SHOWING on THE VISION's web site as well as YouTube. Overall reaction has been favorable. "One viewer commented that it reveals too much of the plot," Alaniz says. "Obviously, this viewer is not familiar with my previous films, especially Timeserver, which has so many twists and turns in it, you almost need a group discussion after each viewing." A huge fan of Directors like Brian DePalma, John Carpenter and M. Night Shyamalan, Alaniz enjoys playing with the audience. "Things aren't always the way they seem in my stories," he says. "I like it like that." A WORLD PREMIERE is in the planning stages. A representative from Sole Productions has been talking to the Rialto Square Theater in Joliet, Illinois as one of the possible locations. This is where Alaniz's first film Timeserver premiered in 2004. "I love the Rialto Theater," says Alaniz. "It is a beautiful theater and reminds me of the old Chicago movie theaters of the past…classy and elegant. I would love to premiere the film there." Another possibility is the Music Box Theater in Chicago, where many independent films have premiered. The possibility of multiple premieres is also being discussed. Now that the film is in post-production, a complete list of cast and crew (as well as general information) will soon be added to the THE VISION's listing on the IMDB. Director Alaniz is now looking for songs to be used as incidental music in a few scenes of THE VISION. Singers and musicians interested in submitting material for consideration should contact Sole Productions at solemovies@aol.com for more information. 7-1-08 Behind the Scenes with Director Robert AlanizI can't begin to tell you how many times, during the production of any one of my films, I've been asked "Why Frankfort?" I live in Frankfort, for one reason and it's convenient to film close to home. My first film Timeserver was filmed almost entirely in Frankfort using several spots around town that defined the area; the bike trail bridge that goes over Route 45 just south of Route 30, one of the older homes in the down town area, the train station stage on Breidert Green, and several local restaurants and hang-outs like the Bistro, the Creamery, Kansas Street Grill, Kosta's Restaurant and Café Milan. I filmed so much of Frankfort that a local movie review complained about the town being over-exposed in the film. My next film Barrymore's Dream (2005) had a little less Frankfort in it (probably because I was conscious of the previous review) but in Bitterblue (2006), I decided to go back to Frankfort, this time using Frankfort Square as a background for many of the outdoor scenes. You really get a feel for the Frankfort area in Bitterblue being that 80% of the film was shot outdoors. In my latest film, THE VISION, I once again decided to use Frankfort backgrounds and locations, filming scenes in Café Milan, Empire Books, Kosta's Restaurant and Nancy's Pizza. New locations include Beacon Hill Antique Shop in Orland Park as well as offices at the Network Real Estate Group, LTD. in Tinley Park. Some of these locations will double for ones in the story. For example, the New Lenox Village Hall will double as a courthouse in the film. It's also great to incorporate real places into the script to add authenticity to the story. One of those places was the 22nd Century Media offices where the local Frankfort Station Newspaper originates. I am very grateful to them for letting us use their name and location in our storyline. Be sure and watch for Editor Lauren Traut in a brief cameo! THE VISION is my return to the psychological thriller movie genre that I first explored in Barrymore's Dream. After I finished Bitterblue, I was sure that I would never do another film. But when Barrymore's Dream won the Best Feature award at the Route 66 Film Festival in Springfield, Illinois, a few people who wanted to invest in my next project (whatever it might have been) approached me. This made another film possible. I chose a story that has been following me around since 2005, that was more or less a sequel but doesn't need the other story to stand on its own. The story picks up three years after the events that took place in Barrymore's Dream. Ellie Barrymore is now 15 years old and has to come to terms with the fact that she has psychic abilities that enable her to see into different futures, her own included. She is haunted by a future vision of what she believes is someone committing a murder to which she is an eye-witness. I love movies from the 70's and 80's that are about people caught up in stories where they have powers that they never really wanted and have to accept in order to live a somewhat normal life. Films like Brian DePalma's Carrie, The Fury, and Dressed To Kill, come to mind. THE VISION's storyline was greatly influenced by these types of films. We are nearing the end of principal photography. Then it's on to post-production, where the movie is really made. 4-28-08 In Production Robert Alaniz's THE VISIONLocation, Location, Location Recently, filming took THE VISION production crew to Palos Park. "It was a sheer delight going back to the mansion where we had shot Barrymore’s Dream", said Director Robert Alaniz. "We were thrilled when the owners agreed to let us film there again. Being that THE VISION is a follow-up to Barrymore’s Dream, we had hoped to film a few scenes there to link the stories together visually." New locations include Beacon Hill Antique Shop in Orland Park as well as offices at Network Real Estate Group, LTD. in Tinley Park. "So far, locations have not been a problem," says Alaniz. "There will be many locations that will double for ones in the story. For example, one of the characters is a college professor and there are three scenes that take place in his office. We couldn’t come up with an actual college teacher’s office, so we are using offices at a facility in Tinley Park. No one will ever know the difference." With the start of spring and the end of winter weather conditions, the production will move outdoors for several scenes to be shot in the south suburbs of Frankfort and Chicago. The production crew will face the usual outdoor obstacles such as rain, sun and clouds but the biggest challenge will involve unwanted sound such as airplanes, lawnmowers, barking dogs, and the occasional drive-by heckler. Behind the Scenes with the Cast "Filmmaking always has moments when something magical happens between the director and actor," says Alaniz. "As a writer, you create a character and you have an image of what that character looks like and acts like in your head. When an actor is cast and flesh and blood is added to that character, the result can be quite amazing." Alaniz is working once again with a few of the young people from his most recent film Bitterblue. One of those actresses is Maura Antas of Wheaton, Illinois who played a "boy crazy" pre-teen named Delaney in Bitterblue. "Every now and then you come across someone who has a natural born talent that they, themselves, are not even aware of," says Alaniz. "Maura is one of those natural talents that has yet to discover the potential of that ability." Maura plays a very dramatic role filled with sensitivity and emotion quite different from the Delaney character she played in Bitterblue. "I shoot a lot of takes," Alaniz adds. "But when the camera rolled and Maura did Take One, there was no real need for a second take. She nailed the character and drama in the scene in one take. She was amazing." A newcomer to Alaniz’s films is Chicago resident Georgiana Jianu who plays the wicked Stepmother in the story. Originally from Romania, Georgiana’s nationality puts an interesting spin on her character. "When I wrote the character of Victoria (the Stepmother) I never saw her as being from another country," says Alaniz. "When Georgiana auditioned for the role, her accent took me by surprise. At first, I thought it might not work, but Georgiana’s beauty and acting were so engaging that I decided to adapt the character in the story to fit Georgiana’s background." Twists and Turns The story behind THE VISION has taken on a life of it’s own as the production continues. When the first draft of the script was finished, writer Robert Alaniz knew that it was going to go through many changes on its journey to the big screen. "What I didn’t expect was that as we filmed, the script began to reveal itself to me in ways that I couldn’t see on paper," Alaniz says. "As the story came to life, so did possibilities in the storyline, which is going to change the way it plays out. As a result, the new twists in the plot are surprising even me." In the original script, a series of murders are being committed by what appears to be one person. But as production continues, the murders and the reasons for them have changed. "No one will know who’s killed who and why until the film is finished," Alaniz adds. "Not even me." 03-15-08 On Location with Robert Alaniz's THE VISION
Robert Alaniz's THE VISION moves into its second month of production. As with any film, there have been a few set backs, but for the most part everything is going well and the production is on schedule. The film will be shooting once again in Sole Productions' hometown of Frankfort, Illinois. Locations Filming began on February 7th at a home in Mokena, Illinois. The house used will be the setting for the lead character's place of residence. A total of seven scenes will be shot there. Other homes in the south suburbs of Chicago will be used (two of them in Frankfort and one in Manhattan, Illinois). "Shooting in someone's home can be difficult," says Director Robert Alaniz. "The crew has to be very careful not to disturb anything in the house and be sure that we leave the home at the end of each shoot looking the way it did when we came in." The indoor scenes have proven to be a challenge in another sense. The story takes place in the spring and summer, so windows showing the recent cold winter weather had to be avoided. "During one shoot, we could hear the cold winter wind blowing through the walls of the house where we were shooting," says Alaniz. "It was a creepy sound and actually added to the scene's atmosphere." In an independent film it is not uncommon to find crew members taking on more than one role. This is Jessica Styzinski's second role as Assistant Director (she was also the AD on Bitterblue). In THE VISION she is also Director of Photography and principal camera operator. An aspiring young filmmaker, Jeff Andre, acts as an additional camera operator but also takes on various tasks as each shoot warrants. Yasmeen Haleem, a high school student with a passion for the technical aspects of the production is working with Alaniz on sound. "Yasmeen is a quick learner and very dedicated to this production," says Alaniz. "She takes a lot of pride in her work." THE VISION marks Alaniz's return to the suspense thriller genre that he explored in Barrymore's Dream. In this follow-up, the production levels have been raised to try and accomplish a more stylish look to the film. Camera work and lighting effects have become a priority at the filming of each scene. "This is a low-budget film and we only have so much to work with," says Alaniz. "So since we don't have CGI and all the facilities available to a Hollywood production, we have to concentrate on the story that's being told. If the story's good and the audience get involved, they forget all about the budget and the special effects. Because when you get right down to it, it's the story that counts the most in a film. Or at least, that's the way it used to be."Working with the Cast Samantha Kuebler leads the cast as the troubled teenager Ellie, who (along with all the normal anxieties of adolescence) must deal with her psychic ability to see into the future. This is Samantha's first leading role in one of Alaniz's films. "Samantha is amazing," says Alaniz. "She has a commitment to acting that is above and beyond any I have ever seen for someone her age. She understands what it takes to achieve the believability of each and every character she plays." Alaniz first met Samantha back in 2003 when she auditioned for his first film Timeserver. Samantha was 10 years old at the time. Alaniz was impressed by her talent and gave the role of Casey, a role, which close to 100 children auditioned for. Since then, Samantha has appeared in all of Alaniz's films. Also returning for the fourth time in an Alaniz film is Gary Gow, playing an absent-minded professor of sorts, who has trouble believing in the paranormal. Like Samantha, Gary met Alaniz when he auditioned for Timeserver in which he ended up playing the leading character. Alaniz, like many Directors, enjoys working repeatedly with the same actors. "I'm not trying to compare myself to a Hollywood Director, but I can see why Directors like Tim Burton has done so many films with Johnny Depp, or why Martin Scorsese made so many films with Robert DeNiro or lately, Leonardo DeCaprio," Alaniz says. "When you find an actor or actress who you work well with, you always try to find roles for them to play in every film you do." "With each film, it becomes easier to read Robert's mind," says Gow. "Understanding how he thinks and what it is he is looking for makes it easier for me to find the character he envisions. The deep mutual trust and respect which has developed over the years has provided an increasingly collaborative environment to the Director-Actor relationship." Jodi London, who plays a millionairess with a questionable past, is another actress who has become a familiar face in all of Alaniz's films. "THE VISION ties together all the successful components of Robert's previous films," says Jodi. "My belief in his polished development as a Director/Producer has motivated me to become a producer of this film. The script allows me to expand and challenge my abilities as an actress. I am very excited about working with the seasoned cast and crew together again as a team of focused and creative professionals." 01-15-08Robert Alaniz's THE VISION goes into productionPre-production for the next SOLE Production is wrapping up and production will begin in February. Recent auditions yielded local actors from the Frankfort/New Lenox area as well as several actors from Chicago and the south suburbs. I am very pleased with the cast we have selected, says Director Robert Alaniz, Our Casting Director, Marie Berner was very instrumental in the casting process. Because I had previously worked with so many of the actors who auditioned, she kept a fresh perspective in the casting process that was necessary in selecting the actors best suited for the roles. The production staff is now in the process of scouting locations for filming which will include Frankfort, New Lenox, Palos Park and Chicago. We have several locations locked in, says Producer Max Nayden, but we would like to include parts of Frankfort and New Lenox in this film that weren't used in the last three. Frankfort has been featured in all three of Robert Alaniz's previous films. My stories take place in the suburbs of Chicago for obvious reasons,ť Alaniz says, the most obvious being convenience. But my stories involve ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances and you can't get any more ordinary than the south suburbs of Chicago. Shooting will be complete in July 2008, when THE VISION then goes into post-production. Scoring the film will be Music Composer, Tyrone Lancaster, who previously composed the scores for Timeserver and Barrymore's Dream. Tyrone is an accomplished musician whose love for movie scores propelled him to contact Alaniz back in 2004, when he was interviewing people to score his first film Timeserver. When THE VISION first became a possibility, Alaniz approached Lancaster about doing the music. Even though Lancaster now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada (he was living in Indiana during the production of Timeserver and then Joliet during Barrymore's Dream) the distance presented only a minor inconvenience and the two artists agreed to work together once again. The Producers of THE VISION are still interested in working with film enthusiasts and those wanting to be a part of the production. Our crew has doubled since we first announced the project back in September of 2007, says Nayden. Everyone involved with this film is excited, motivated, and focused on making a great film. You can contact SOLE Productions at "solemovies@aol.com" for further information. 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