NL_111419

18 | November 14, 2019 | the new lenox patriot life & Arts
newlenoxpatriotdaily.com
LW Central grad in production for
mystery film ‘Silent as the Grave’
Carly Styka, Editorial Intern
Creative ideas can come
from all sorts of places,
even from long-lost family
stories.
Film producer Brad
Podowski, a Mokena resident
and Lincoln-Way
Central alumnus, has
started gathering funds for
his upcoming feature film,
“Silent as the Grave.” The
film is currently in preproduction
and Podowski,
a Frankfort native, said he
hopes to start shooting in
February.
The film follows a
documentary filmmaker,
Chris, who aims to get to
the bottom of his uncle’s
mysterious death. Chris
battles dark forces to bring
justice to his uncle and put
an end to the tragedy that
has plagued his family for
decades.
According to the website
for “Silent as a Grave,”
the film “explores the dark
side of the human condition,
while offering hope
in the midst of tragedy.”
Describing the film as a
mystery drama, Podowski
explained how he took
inspiration from events in
his life.
“Shortly after I finished
my first film, I was talking
with my aunt and she said
she had my next movie
idea,” Podowski said. “I
just kind of laughed.”
His aunt’s story ended
up being worth a listen.
Podowski’s uncle, as
a teenager, had died in a
freight elevator accident.
Although Podowski had
heard the story before, he
was surprised to hear that
there were conspiracy
theories and mysteries surrounding
the death.
“My aunt told me someone
had been putting flowers
on his gravesite for
decades,” Podowski said.
“No one in the family had
any idea who it was.”
His aunt had investigated
and asked many family
members for information,
but she never figured out
the person’s identity.
Initially, Podowski had
decided to film a documentary
on the situation,
but after failing to get interviews
with his own aunt
Kathleen Marie Weldin
Kathleen Marie Weldin (nee Embling) age 79, passed away peacefully November 6, 2019 in New Lenox at her home
surrounded by her family. Kathleen is survived by her devoted daughter Debra Dodds Piggott and son in law Craig
Piggott, nieces Diane (Jose) Carreon and Karen (Lu Nemanius) Hamway, great nieces Sharon (Joey) Kunz, Crystal
andAshley Carreon, great-great niece Makayla Cracco and grand puppy Reilly. She was preceded in death by her
parents John and Merlyn (nee Warning) Embling, loving husband of 33 years Guy Weldin and sister and brother in
law Norma J. and Robert R. Sparks.
Kathleen was born in Joliet, raised in New Lenox and was a lifelong resident with deep family roots in the
community. She was retired from Mahoney Enviromental serving them as office manager for 21 years. Kathleen
enjoyed travel and was proud of her dualAmerican and Irish citizenship. She especially enjoyed trips to Ireland and
the Christkindl markets inAustria and Germany with her daughter and sister and to Branson, MO with Guy. Kathleen
was a wonderful homemaker, cook and baker, hosting Friday night dinners for her extended family every week.
Kathleen was an exceptional, proud and selfless mother, adored by her daughter Debbie and was the cherished head
of family and mother to all. Kathleen was a member of Green Garden United Methodist Church and leaves behind
many good friends there.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Green Garden United Methodist Church.
Visitation and Funeral Service was held Saturday, November 9, 2019 at
Hickey Memorial Chapel with interment at Elmhurst Cemetery.
For more information and online register www.hickeyfuneral.com
or 815-485-8697
and mother, he decided to
bring the story to life as a
drama. The story will be
fictionalized but will keep
the same elements from
Podowski’s real-life family
mystery. The main character
will face opposition
and risk his life as he tries
to uncover the truth about
his uncle.
“I like narrative films
as opposed to documentaries
anyways, so I thought
maybe I should just make a
film about this,” Podowski
said.
The film is still in development.
Filming hasn’t
started, but the script is
written and cast members
are finalized. Podowski
recently filmed a proof of
concept trailer, which is
meant to showcase what
style and tone the film will
have.
Podowski recently
launched a crowdfunding
campaign online, where
those interested in the film
can become investors in
it. The film is tentatively
scheduled to be completed
in early 2021, depending
on how quickly they
can raise the funds for it,
Podowski said.
“I always tell people,
‘No money, no movie,’”
Podowski said.
Podowski’s production
company, BP Video Plus,
will be responsible for the
development side of “Silent
as the Grave.” In addition
to feature films, the
company produces promotional
explainer and corporate
videos for small and
medium-sized businesses
and has been doing so for
10 years.
Along with writing and
producing, Podowski will
co-direct the film alongside
Mokena resident and
Brad Podowski films a close-up of a gravesite for the
“Silent as the Grave” teaser trailer. Photo courtesy Rob
Benetti
Lincoln-Way graduate
Dan Gremley, who has
assisted with Podowski’s
other film projects. The
two were roommates during
college.
Podowski initially studied
animation at the Illinois
Institute of Art, but
after helping Gremley out
with a film project, he became
“hooked” on film.
“The next semester I
transferred to Columbia
College, changed my
major and never looked
back,” Podowski said.
Although Podowski
likes the technical side of
filmmaking and producing
videos for companies, his
“true passion” is film and
creative storytelling. The
directors that inspire him
most are David Lynch, Alfred
Hitchcock and Guillermo
del Toro.
Film is something
Podowski said he wants
to focus on more in the future.
“I wouldn’t regret not
doing corporate video
work,” Podowski said.
This passion has brought
him success. His first feature
film, “Redemption
Way,” released in 2017,
received world-wide distribution,
placed in two
film festivals and won an
award at the ICVM festival,
an international Christian
film festival.
“Redemption Way” was
shot in Frankfort and other
local towns. “Silent as the
Grave” will be shot in Chicago
and the surrounding
suburbs, most likely Mokena,
Podowski said.
“Redemption Way,”
which Podowski co-directed
with Gremley, is a faithbased
film that follows the
lives of two childhood
friends who grew apart.
One of them, a hospice
nurse, ends up becoming a
Christian. They meet again
when the other friend ends
up in hospice care where
the Christian friend works.
They explore their past relationship
as the woman
in hospice confronts her
beliefs.
Religion is a huge part
of Podowski’s work, and
he tries to incorporate it in
his films, Podowski said.
Although the focus of “Silent
as the Grave” is not
religion, it does contain
Christian ideas and imagery.
“I like exploring the
hard questions of life,”
Podowski said. “Hopefully
you take something away
from the film after watching
it and maybe you think
of something in a different
way.”
For more information on
“Silent as the Grave,” the
crowdfunding campaign
and Podowski’s work, visit
silentasthegravemovie.
com and bpvideoplus.com.