Filmmaking in Fargo-Moorhead

“The only reason I’m here is because I am madly in love with my wife, and I will follow her to the ends of the earth, even to Fargo, North Dakota!” Myers joked. “And so, it was a nice surprise to actually fall in love with our new home, and our new community so quickly.”

The big move from Tinseltown to the Red River Valley was directly the result of his wife, religion professor and award-winning author Dr. Jacqueline Bussie, who was recruited to become Concordia’s new director of the Forum on Faith and Life. Little did Myers know, Concordia would eventually play a pivotal role in the award-winning producer’s latest feature film, “Supermoto,” which had its world premiere at the 36th Annual Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival in April.

Cobbers who worked on the film as cast and crew members traveled to the Twin Cities to celebrate, pose on the red carpet, and experience the thrill of seeing themselves and their names on the big screen in front of a fresh, enthusiastic audience. Amber Morgan ’15 co-stars in the picture alongside Hollywood actress Jeannine Kaspar. Concordia alumni Benjamin Fink ’14 and Alicia Auch ’16 also have supporting roles. Michael Nunley ’18 and James Harvey ’18 worked on the film as production assistants.

Myers, a successful independent producer who has worked with Academy Award-winning actors, writers and directors for decades, says he was very impressed with the local talent the community had to offer.

“Ever since we landed here, it’s been my observation that the F-M area is simply bursting with remarkable talent in so many areas – performance, theatre, design, music, technology,” he says. “There is a special kind of creative, artistic energy here that’s truly engaging and inspiring.”

During the spring of 2015, Myers’ dream to produce a movie in the region became a sudden reality when he persuaded his longtime collaborator, award-winning writer/director Joe Maggio, to bring their long-gestating film project “Supermoto” – a story about female empowerment – to the prairie towns of North Dakota.

“When Matt first seriously encouraged me to direct this picture here,” Maggio says, “I immediately fell in love with the surrounding farmland near Fargo-Moorhead – the spectacular landscapes, grand vistas, the historic character of the towns. I’m stunned at how dynamic the sky is here – clouds dramatically shifting into that clear, endless blue.”

Myers immediately turned to theatre art professor and Director of Concordia Theatre Dr. David Wintersteen and his wife, Theatre B Executive Director Carolyn Wintersteen, and hired the couple to serve as the casting directors of the picture. Together, they scouted and auditioned the best local talent available in Minnesota and North Dakota.

“There is such great potential for filmmaking here, so we were thrilled that this project could provide a catalyst for a burgeoning film industry in the region,” says Dr. Wintersteen, who also has a humorous cameo in the film with his son, Cameron Wintersteen ’18.

Myers also hired associate professor of theatre art and professional scenic designer Christian Boy to be the production designer for the picture.

“One of the first things I asked Christian to do was design and build a homemade stunt rocket that one of the characters uses to launch himself over a cornfield,” Maggio says. “I don't think I've ever imagined something for a film that was realized so perfectly and so completely. Christian is an incredible talent.”

As part of his design work on the picture, Boy also scouted numerous small towns in Cass County to select specific locations for the film that articulated the director’s vision. The picture was filmed in Casselton, Wheatland, Buffalo and Tower City. A special interior jail scene was filmed at the historic Wheatland Town Hall and Jail at Bonanzaville.

The end result was a tremendous opportunity for Concordia faculty and students (along with their allies from North Dakota State University and Minnesota State University Moorhead) to perform in front of the camera or work as crew members on a full Guild feature film run by professional Hollywood cinematographers, stunt coordinators, assistant directors and production staff.

“Supermoto” will be commercially released later this year.

Guest post by Amber Morgan '15 and Matthew Meyers

^{Published April 2017}