Help bring dramatic World War II short film “A Christmas Night: 1944” to fruition

Help bring dramatic World War II short film “A Christmas Night: 1944” to fruition

While a lot of patience, persistence, and even a little luck factor heavily in to bringing a movie of any size to fruition, what it truly takes most of all is hard work. And filmmaker Dan Fowlks is no stranger to hard work. In fact, the “strong work ethic” is a code this local artist lives by when it comes to most facets of his life, be it fatherhood or storytelling.

Fowlks has been an admirer of cinema and the art of filmmaking since he was a child, and as is the case with many filmmakers, he cut his teeth in the early days by rounding up friends in the neighborhood and putting little short film projects together through any means necessary. Of course what started as a hobby and a passion has gradually transitioned into a career oriented goal.

Over the last decade or so, Fowlks has worked hard to make a name for himself and has garnered a great deal of respect for a myriad of reasons. From acting in numerous commercials (check out is brilliant work in the latest ad for “Skoon” Cat Litter) to his roles in feature length films (“Immortal Wars” and “The West and the Ruthless”) to his appearance in a viral video (check out a much talked about and undeniably adorable clip in which he sings to his infant daughter) to his skill as a writer, director, editor, and DP, Fowlks has emerged as a one-man wrecking crew.

In addition to having a hand in the making of multiple awarded winning films over the last five years (“A Tale Told Heart,” “Life Support,” “Seventy Times 7,” and “The Hit” among them), it should be noted that Fowlks also has several other projects in various stages of the process, and he’s poured his heart and soul into all of them.

One of those projects is a short film called “A Christmas Night: 1944.” Inspired by a true story, this inspirational, emotionally charged drama finds soldiers on both sides of the fence attempting to put aside their differences and come together at the height of World War II.

This is a project that is very near and dear to Fowlks’s heart, and he’s managed to round up quite the impressive cast and crew to bring this project to life. Included are producer Jason Muller, director of photography Matt Black, associate producer Austin Schadwald, and cast members Chanley Gledhill, Stephen Harr, Jadon Webster, Ashton Een, Josh Ford, Isaac, Jessop, Coby C. Oram, Will Haley, Trey Paterson, and Barb Christensen, just to name a few.

“A Christmas Night: 1944” is in the midst of production, and if you reside in the southern Utah area and you spend any time on various forms of social media, you’ve probably seen production stills, on-set diary excerpts, and small clips from the project. A great deal of the film is being shot in southern Utah locales, and Fowlks and crew have done everything they can to make this project is as authentic as possible.

And in fact, at one point during location scouting, Fowlks found a perfect isolated spot to film, But it required a historically accurate set, so he and his crew opted to build a 10-piece facade and carry it out to the location on shooting days. Under any circumstances that would be a major undertaking. But factor in a low budget, a snow-filled Pine Valley backdrop, and sketchy weather conditions and such a job immediately becomes considerably more difficult.

Yep. Hard work.

That said, no matter how chaotic the scheduling, no matter what the weather conditions, and no matter how many other bumps in the road there are along the way, it’s rewarding work. Ask any passionate storyteller and they’ll tell you that the struggles that come with putting together a film are generally well worth it.

“A Christmas Night: 1944” should be completed in time for this holiday season. If you want to learn more about the genesis of this project, or if you simply  want to lend a helping hand, visit the Cypress Rock Productions Facebook page or check out the recently launched Event Bright “A Christmas Night: 1944” campaign.

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