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Film Courage
Published in
5 min readJun 3, 2015

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How A Georgia Filmmaker’s Prison Fellowship Inspired A New Southern Gothic Movie — Kenneth Horstmann

Director Ken Horstmann, actors Jody Thompson & Mark Ashworth

KENNETH HORSTMANN

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/SCREENWRITER — HIGH COTTON

(Read more here)

“The story developed while listening to inmates tell their stories. I was active in a community outreach at our county jail for 3 years. Every Monday night we would lead the men in a 24-week program. The more I taught the more I realized I just need to listen. I was so intimidated to go into a place like that, but I quickly found out how much the men just needed someone to listen and be a good example.”

Film director, producer and screenwriter Kenneth Horstmann is currently crowdfunding via Kickstarter for HIGH COTTON. The film is a southern gothic feature set in Georgia. It’s shot and edited, now Kenneth and his crew/actors need your support to finish it.

Film Courage: Where did you grow up?

Kenneth Horstmann: I grew up in Portsmouth, Virginia. My parents divorced when I was young and we moved to Georgia when I was twelve. My dad’s in the industry and he always took me to work. I was exposed to studios, gear and the process at a young age.

Film Courage: Did your parents lend support toward creativity or encourage another type of career/focus?

Kenneth: Mom was always encouraging us to follow our dreams and my dad gave us great advice all the time. One of the best pieces of advice was to try out every job in production so I would know what I was good at. I liked them all, except sound — that’s alien to me.

Film Courage: Does the theme of revenge seem more prevalent in today’s society (not just storytelling) or less so than prior years?

Kenneth: It’s always been with us, ebb and flow. But with companies like SHIP YOUR ENEMIES GLITTER asking people to stop ordering, I’d say it’s here to stay, at least under the surface.

Mark Ashworth (as Bulldog)

Film Courage: Do you remember the day you felt compelled to move forward with writing the story?

Kenneth: I do. I was mentoring someone who wanted to make a film just like this and I told him I have an idea. That was Tommy Walton, one of the hardest working producers around.

Film Courage: Where did you write it?

Kenneth: In my office with Final Draft. The script came quickly, about 5 weeks in all for first draft. We visited locations with the two actors all through the writing process. Many of the actors’ life experiences are on the page.

Jody Thompson (Les) and Mark Ashworth (as Bulldog)

Film Courage: Why are you moved by stories about “second chances?”

Kenneth: We all get second chances, and none of us deserve them. I believe in grace and it has been extended to me so many times.

Film Courage: What are some of common misconceptions the public has which you can clarify and have witnessed firsthand about incarcerated men and women?

Kenneth: They’re just like you and me, but they do think differently than us. They feel like the rules don’t apply and that taking, no matter the form, is part of the “game.” We all know that they put themselves in there, but they refuse to admit that. They’re deeply wounded, most of them by a parent, a parent who was absent, or another parent that just wouldn’t let them grow up. They need help to see their lives in a new way.

ilm Courage: Part of the tag line for your prior film UPSIDE is ‘An inspiring reminder that when life gets you down, there’s always an UPSIDE.’ Have you always felt hopeful/optimistic most of your life?

Kenneth: I’ve always been hopeful. My hope comes from my faith in Jesus. I was taught to believe in myself when I was young, and I’ve discovered there’s so much more to believe in than me.

HIGH COTTON was shot entirely on location in Georgia

Film Courage: How do you envision your movies inspiring others? What is your core message?

Kenneth: I want my films to inspire people to action. Talk is cheap, we all have a personal responsibility to our families and our community. We have to take action to preserve this world and love each other, and serve each other. Not sure if I can get that across in a film but it would be awesome!

Film Courage: Do you feel Generation Y and Z are more hopeful than prior generations or less so?

Kenneth: I feel they are more hopeful. Opportunities are growing and changing so fast. It’s a great time to be alive and to be creating. The possibilities for creation and invention have never been more broad than they are now. (Read more here)

Elizabeth Ehrig as Hattie in HIGH COTTON

BIO:

Kenneth Horstmann is an film director, producer and screenwriter with extensive experience in camera techniques and post production. Kenneth was hired at Turner Broadcasting while still attending high school and moved on to be the youngest lead editor for ABC’s Wide World Of Sports at the age of 23 — garnering him a national Emmy nomination for sports/dramatic editing while working in Russia.

Kenneth founded Spyplane Films in 2008. Spyplane has produced two low-budget indie films since 2010.

The first film, UPSIDE, was written, directed and edited by Kenneth on a budget of $300,000 and was picked up by Provident Films. The film released in October 2010 to good reviews. Home video sales were decent while the film performed very well On Demand. Upside is about a young Lacrosse star who suffers a head injury and is forced to look at his life anew and decide what he really wants.

Kenneth lives in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife Johanna, a singer and voice teacher, and their two daughters, Wren and Lily.

via FilmCourage.com.

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