Psychological thriller 'The Fields' highlights Buffalo Niagara Film Festival (VIDEO)

By April MacIntyre Sep 23, 2011, 22:28 GMT

"The Fields" is based on Bruce Smith’s true life events that occurred in the fall of 1973. Smith is the film’s screenwriter.

"The Fields," a psychological thriller starring Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman and Tara Reid, will have its world premiere as part of the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival this Saturday, September 24 at 8pm at Buffalo Suzuki Strings, 4 Webster St. in North Tonawanda.

"The Fields" is based on Bruce Smith’s true life events that occurred in the fall of 1973. Smith is the film’s screenwriter.

A young boy and his family find the safety and solitude of their small farm shattered by a mysterious presence emerging from the vast cornfields surrounding their small farm. Violence escalates as they struggle to find out what comes for them from...the fields.

The Fields was shot in Kunkletown, PA, a place that literally has not changed in 60 years. Once a WW II boom town, the rails went away and the place fell into isolation as being known as the West End of the Poconos.

It is a community of farmers plain and simple. Choosing the town / shooting location was not hard, as screenwriter Bruce Smith lives and works there and knows almost everyone. Plus, it helped to have a local name like Smith, as he is related to some of the founders of the area and goes to the annual Smith Reunion which collects about 300 Smiths in one place.

The whole town of Kunkletown came together for this movie. The Fields got made through community effort, with literally almost everyone in the town coming together to welcome the celebs, cast and crew. Both Tara and Cloris had homemade meals tailored to their diets, all the vehicles were donated by individuals and the Kunkletown Classic Car Club, the local fire and ambulance crews, the town planners, the church, the pastor...you name it, they were involved.

Like a field, this was a cultivated project with high yield and great story of hometown America that you don't hear a lot about anymore.

"The Fields" is directed by Tom Mattera and Dave Mazzoni of the critically acclaimed The 4th Dimension. The film is produced by Faust Checho and Harrison Smith of Mr. Big Productions, George Englund Jr., Tom Mattera and Dave Mazzoni of MazWa Productions. Hollywood veteran Tommy Lee Wallace serves as associate producer. Fabrication Films acquired the film in 2011.

Additional information can be found here: http://mjkpr.com/The_Fields/

You may also visit the film’s official website, http://www.thefieldsmovie.com/#! to view a trailer and for additional information.

For screening information, please visit: http://thebnff.com/films/the-fields/