Phoenix film makers bringing positive messages to the big screen Special

Flashbulbs pop and the small crowd in attendance applauds feverishly, as the team owner proudly introduces his new star player to the home crowd and media attending the press conference.

This was no outing of the next seven foot star center in the NBA, however. This in fact, was a scene for a new independent movie being shot in the valley by Intrigue Films, based out of Scottsdale, Arizona. The press conference scene was actually being filmed in a back room at Grand Canyon University in west Phoenix, and the excitable crowd consisted of a couple dozen extras hired for the shoot. The movie, with the tentative working title ‘The Gladiators’ stars David Aaron Stone, and tracks the career ups and downs of a young athlete who encounters more than fame and fortune along the way. The tag line… ‘Finding God’s greater purpose in the midst of broken dreams’. Sound familiar? Gladiators, currently in production, is the first of many positive message movies slated for development by Intrigue films. Intrigue, who has partnered with Rising Sound Audio Production, also located in the valley, describes their movies as evocative, uplifting, and positive, with the stated goal of “Changing Culture Through Film”. In recent years, Phoenix has become a popular location for shooting feature films and television commercials, in part, due to the favorable climate and an ever growing infrastructure. The valley boasts a wide variety of scenic opportunities, from rugged desert terrain, to modern cityscapes. In addition, the Arizona Department of Commerce has made available $60 million in transferable tax credits for feature films as an ongoing part of the Motion Picture Production Tax Incentives Program. David Aaron Stone, also Executive Producer for ‘Gladiators’ is upbeat about the film’s prospects, as well as the valley’s future in the film industry. Stone has a vision, and very soon, we can expect to see his vision playing out on a big screen near you.