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A local producer wants your feedback on his new film.
"Sway," produced by Jim Klock of Stafford County, premières Tuesday at 7 p.m., at Washington's Visions Theater in Dupont Circle.
It revolves around Henry Driver, a man who decides to stand up for himself after a lifetime of being pushed around. In the process, he is persuaded to lead a group of prisoners to freedom.
"It's a crazy comedy," Klock said about the two-hour film, which was written, directed and co-produced by Los Angeles professor Sean Ireland. "It really is its own movie. It's like nothing that's out there."
Klock, 28, plans to solicit input from Tuesday's audience on how to tweak the movie before flaunting it for buyers at film festivals this summer.
In addition to co-producing the film, Klock, who is a detective in Stafford, claims a leading role as "Remington Nettles," a sheriff who attempts to coax Driver out of the jail. He also appears on screen wearing a dress and wig for a much smaller role as Sheriff Nettles' twin brother, "Transvestite Freddie."
Klock shot his first movie in middle school because it seemed easier than writing a report. Kudos he received for his acting at Chancellor High School in Spotsylvania County and Northern Virginia Community College encouraged him to continue.
His current work in law enforcement affords him the flexibility to pursue a career in film. The two professions, he said, actually complement each other.
"Producing a movie is so much like being a cop," said Klock, who recently moved back to the Fredericksburg area after living in Los Angeles for a year. "It's maintaining order all the time."
"Sway" cost only about $70,000 to make--a bragging right for Klock, who prides himself on the ability to do a lot with a little bit of cash.
His first full-length film, "My Turn," completed in 2001, cost just over $2,000. It made the Top 10 at Florida's Tambay Film Festival, where it competed with movies made on million-dollar budgets.
"Sway," filmed last summer inside an abandoned prison in Springfield, Mass., is Klock's second full-length flick.
His Stafford-based production company, Southern Gentlemen, also has produced a pair of short films, a documentary, a commercial and a training video.
Depending on the success of "Sway," he hopes to produce and direct a film here next summer. He'd like to eventually base his production company in Fredericksburg, with an office overlooking the Rappahannock River.
Klock credits his success in the film world, at least in part, to his down-to-earth personality.
"I think the biggest thing I keep is a level head in this business, and a humble approach," he said.
He concedes that "Sway" is a bit of a risk, since it doesn't follow a tried-and-true formula like other comedic films. But he's hoping viewers will keep an open mind.
If nothing else, Klock said, it's good for "a couple hours of forgetting who you are and being glad you're not this guy."
To reach LISA CHINN: 540/374-5424 lchinn@freelancestar.com