"The Colonel's Bride" premieres at the Sarasota Film Festival, then wins in Nashville

[Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist]

The Colonel’s Bride had its first premiere at the Sarasota Film Festival. I spoke with the Nashville-based filmmakers, executive producer Jeff Williams, producers Brooke Bernard and Ryan Zacarias, and writer/director Brent Stewart. Their film tells a simple story about a retired military colonel who is down and out in his life, but finds redemption through a young Vietnamese mail-order bride. Stewart states they found a “simple way to tell a really simple story about two people at different points in their lives,” and “were able to do it with very limited means in a very beautiful way.”

Although the filmmakers would not reveal how limited their means were – stating their “agenda is not about the money, but about the quality of the piece,” Stewart says their budget was probably less than most film’s catering budget. Shot on 35 mm, another way the filmmakers saved money was by using leftover footage from Hollywood. The scraps included Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, My name is Earl, and GranTorino. Shooting was done in fourteen days.

Because the filmmakers wanted the actress to be authentic, they chose a non-actor to play the role of the mail order bride. Alicia Truong may have found a new calling; she liked acting so much, she wants to continue. Indeed, when I saw the film I was surprised at the feeling the novice actress displayed in a lead role that required very little dialogue.

Stewart’s short film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. His previous film projects include documentaries. The filmmakers left the Sarasota Film Festival to return to the Nashville Film Festival where they received an award for Tennessee filmmakers, the Ground Zero Tennessee Spirit Award for Best Feature.