Filmmakers release trailer for Fayetteville-made film, Gordon Family Tree
Movie poster
Courtesy
Last month, a group of filmmakers finished shooting a movie called Gordon Family Tree right here in Fayetteville.
A teaser trailer was released last week on YouTube (embedded below), and if you ask us, it looks pretty dang good.
Gordon Family Tree is a film written by former Fayetteville resident and current Hollywood writer/actor/producer Ryan Schwartzman and his wife and fellow writer/actor/producer, Jennica Schwartzman. After coming to town for the Offshoot Film Festival a few years ago, the couple decided that Fayetteville might be a perfect location to make a movie.
“I grew up around here, and coming back to visit family over the years, Jennica really fell in love with Fayetteville too,” Schwartzman said. “We were shooting in the early fall, and it really was just perfect.”
The film is the story of Freemont Gordon (played by Schwartzman), an architect from an affluent family in Seattle who quits his job suddenly to take a soul-searching road trip to find out what’s really important in life.
The Schwartzmans cast veteran actors Richard Karn (Home Improvmemnt) and Corbin Bernsen (L.A. Law) in the film, but they also utilized a lot of local talent.
“Right from the beginning, we said we wanted to use as many local people as possible,” he said. “We were very pleased with the level of talent from the area. Our cast is mostly Arkansas locals.”
Schwartzman said he thinks the project will lead more filmmakers to discover Fayetteville as a place to make movies.
“We have a couple stories that we’re working on, two different scripts, actually that we’d like to bring back,” he said. “Corbin Bernsen loved it in Arkansas, and he’s talking about bringing a film to town. A gentleman named David Hunt, who is an executive producer, is working on a film about Brandon Burlsworth there.”
Gordon Family Tree is currently in the editing phase of production, and the next step, Schwartzman said, is to take it on the road.
“We’re hoping to have a cut by early February, and then we’ll start going around the country to festivals and getting it in front of industry people,” he said. “We also plan to do a red carpet premiere there in Fayetteville mid-year next year.”
I recognize Bear’s Place and Rollin Pin.
I grew up in Saline County, where Sling Blade was filmed, and it’s always fun watching a movie or show that takes place in a familiar setting.
Very cool. I lived in Eureka during the filming of Chrystal and War Eagle and it was really fun having a film crew in town.
Is that also the park bench and green wall of Greenhouse Grille?
Nice. That’s definitely the bench at Greenhouse Grille.
I got word of a film crew at Greenhouse Grille one day using professional gear. They had also been filming around the Grey Dog and airstream food trucks area on College Ave.
Thanks for reporting on this developing film called Gordon Family Tree! Looking forward to watching the trailer and eventually the full movie.
A&P should be providing incentives for film production here in town. Ok, not this A&P, but the imaginary one with good taste and business acumen.