Indie film maker brings Hollywood to Tupelo

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – An independent filmmaker based in Northeast Mississippi is set to release his latest full length movie.

The movie maker says the project is proof that independent filmmakers can overcome challenges and obstacles, if they are “Driven.”

For his latest movie, Glenn Payne tells the story of a cab driver who picks up a mysterious passenger and has an evening of adventures.

Payne is the director of “Driven.”

The full length feature film was shot throughout the Tupelo area and like most independent films, utilized a host of volunteers, along with professional actors.

Payne is one of the only full time independent film makers in the region.

He made his first independent film thirteen years ago and says he has learned a lot on his journey to making a career out of making movies.

“We have been fortunate in the past to get grants for different films, this one did not have one, but we put in some of our own funds and we had a few investors, after all the years of making short films with no money at all, we tried to hone the craft and learn out lessons, and we did some crowd funding with this, which really helped people get involved and they got perks for giving money to the film, so really, we used every avenue,” Payne said.

Payne says Mississippi’s rebate incentives for independent movie makers is still competitive, although there have been cuts in recent years.

However, he says there are still many opportunities for independent movie makers.

Payne says having a compelling storyline is key for any production.

Casey Dillard not only wrote “Driven” but plays a leading role.

“Technically speaking, I am one of the stars of the film and that mostly involved freezing a lot, but you’re not going to do one independent film and launch into super stardom, probably. But if you love it, it’s very hard to do anything else,” Dillard said.

Payne and Dillard encourage people who want to get involved in independent movie making to volunteer on projects, network with other filmmakers and don’t be afraid of hard work.

“Driven” also stars Richard Sp-eight Jr., who is well known for many television roles, including the CBS series, “Jericho.”

Driven premieres next Friday night in Tupelo at the Link Centre.