A new movie filmed in Montana, starring local faces, could hit the silver screen late next year, providing the group behind it can overcome the obstacles of producing an independent film and getting accepted to a national film festival.

Martin Rogers, a former Carroll College student and co-founder of Dream Team Cinema, said his new feature film, "My Favorite Movie," is gearing up for production next spring.

If everything goes as planned, Rogers said, auditions for small roles in the movie will be held at the Myrna Loy on May 30, 2008. Filming will begin the following week in Helena and Billings and last about two weeks.

Rogers described the movie as a dark comedy. The film portrays a man, played by Bryan Ferriter, who's been pushed around much of his life -- never mind his efforts to take logical steps forward, such as going to college and getting a job.

"The entire thing is just this comedy about Bryan's character -- doing the right things but always being miserable," Rogers said. "He has these crazy friends. They all work the stock market one day a week and do yoga the rest."

What happens next? As Rogers explains it, the main character falls in love with a woman who works for a rival company. As a result, he must keep his new relationship secret, which only perpetuates his problems.

"We started writing the script about seven years ago," Rogers said. "There are about 10 people in Dream Team Cinema working on the project."

Shortly after Rogers began writing the script, he and Chris Lorash joined forces to launch Dream Team Cinema, a Montana-based organization that bills itself as a creative resource and production firm.

Several others have joined the group over the years, writing plays, filming short features, commercials and documentaries.

"Seven years ago, we came up with 10 screenplays we wanted to do in the future," Rogers said. "We had a story board for this upcoming movie. We thought all our comedic life experiences would work well in this humorous life tale."

Rogers set the film's budget between $50,000 and $100,000. While it's not much in the way of a typical motion picture, even in indie film, he said investors, donors and far-reaching community support will help move the project forward.

"Most of it will be filmed in Helena," said Rogers. "Look what you have in Helena -- there's just a massive amount of creativity. It's the small arts town -- there's a reason for that. People are really donating time and effort toward this, and it's a great city for filming."

Dream Team Cinema will open the film in Montana once it's complete. From there, the group will submit the production to several film festivals across the country, hoping for wider exposure. The hope, Rogers said, is that "My Favorite Movie" will play for the right set of eyes at the right moment in time.

"You create your movie and then show it at one of the 50 major film festivals," he said. "You can push it to those festivals with money you've received from local cinema."

It's the nature of independent filmmaking, which has seen its share of successes in recent years, including "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," "Reservoir Dogs," "Run Lola Run" and "September Dawn," the latter produced by Helena native Scott Duthie. Sten Iversen, manager of the Montana Film Office, a branch of the Department of Commerce, said his office has been in touch with Dream Team Cinema and is working to send the group potential locations for its pending production.

Since the passage of the Big Sky on the Big Screen Act in 2005 -- improved during the 2007 Legislative Session -- production in Montana has increased nearly 34 percent. Right now, Iversen said, as many as 20 independent films are looking at Montana for potential shooting locations.

"We've probably had five independent features that have called in the last month," Iversen said. "They're calling to shoot in Montana. They may also be calling our competition in Alberta and Wyoming. The thing with independent film is they need to have their financing up and running before they shoot. It's the hardest part of independent movie making."

The past few months have been busy in the way of Indie shoots in Montana. Filming recently wrapped up on a new title dubbed "Fork in the Road," shot in Laurel and other locations around the state. The movie was shot by Jim Kouf, writer of "National Treasure," "Rush Hour" and "Con Air."

"This is a project he wrote for Montana and wanted to do here," Iversen said. "Some of the financiers were Montana based. He pulled in a top-notch team. The entire crew was Montana-based."

Other recent shoots have included Kevin Bacon's HBO film "Taking Chance" and "Layover," a movie about a couple stuck in the Belgrade airport for a night during a snowstorm.

"We have a lot of other projects on the burner," Iversen said. "The administration understands the benefit of film production in Montana, and that it provides good economic incentive."

The film industry, he noted, is a bottom-line business. Producers often opt for the cheapest location, so long as it's true to the movie. But for Rogers, using Helena and Billings as a backdrop for his proposed indie offers its own strong incentive.

"One of the great things about filming in Montana is that people really pull together for a movie like this," he said.

Reporter Martin Kidston: 447-4086 or mkidston@helenair. com