''At Last, Okemah!'' is a 2009 short film directed by

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

-based independent filmmaker Michael Glover Smith, based on an original screenplay by novelist

Adam Selzer Adam Selzer (born July 13, 1980, in Des Moines, Iowa) is an American author, originally of young adult and middle grade novels, though his work after 2011 had primarily been adult nonfiction. Biography Adam Selzer's first novel was ''How To Get ...

and Smith. The film had its world premiere at the

Chicago International REEL Shorts Festival The Chicago International REEL Shorts Festival is an annual short film competition and screening put on by Project Chicago. The festival was founded by Scott Rudolph and Nels Dahlquist. Held annually, this three-day event plays host to more than 1 ...

on Sunday, September 13, 2009, where it won an Audience Choice Award. It was also an Official Selection of the 2009 Asheville Film Festival, the 2010 Tallahassee Film Festival and the 2010 Chicago International Music and Movies Festival, where the film effectively "opened" a concert by cast member Jon Langford. This unique double bill was a "Recommended" screening by Cine-File, Chicago's guide to independent and alternative cinema.http://www.cine-file.info/list-archive/2010/MAR-10-2.html

Premise

''At Last, Okemah!'' is a comedic retelling of Don Quixote featuring Jeff-nominated actor Kevin Viol in the lead role of Winston Thomas, a former hipster who becomes the self-styled greatest, most authentic folk singer of all time. After a mystical encounter, Winston embarks on a journey to

Okemah Okemah ( or ) is the largest city in and the county seat of Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the birthplace of folk music legend Woody Guthrie. Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, a federally recognized Muscogee Indian tribe, is headquartered ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

to be anointed by the spirit of

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...

History

''At Last, Okemah!'' was shot on high definition digital video in 6 days in the spring of 2009. Most of the actors in the film are well known in the worlds of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

music, theater, television and independent film; in addition to Viol and Langford, the cast includes noted thespians Mia Park (host of television's

Chic-a-Go-Go ''Chic-a-Go-Go'' is a public-access television cable television children's dance show that airs on Chicago Access Network Television (CAN-TV). The show bills itself as "Chicago's Dance Show for Kids of All Ages". Show description The show invi ...

), Suzy Brack, Paul Perroni and Duane Sharp (star of

Zen Noir ''Zen Noir'' is a 2004 surrealist Buddhist murder mystery directed by independent filmmaker Marc Rosenbush and starring Kim Chan, Duane Sharp, Ezra Buzzington, Debra Miller, Jennifer Siebel and Howard Fong. Plot The story begins with a morose a ...

). "At Last, Okemah!" is dedicated to writer Miguel de Cervantes and musician

References

External links

* * 2009 films 2009 independent films American independent films 2009 comedy films 2009 short films American comedy short films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films {{short-comedy-film-stub