Film Crew Puts Clifton in the Spotlight

It’s lights, camera, Clifton in the spotlight as a film crew has taken over the tiny town over the last few months in what only can be described as a labor of love for the all-volunteer cast and crew.

“We’re weekend warriors,” said Darrell Poe, the film’s producer who lives in Clifton. “We’re excited that all these people have donated their time and resources. It all speaks to the power of the story we are trying to tell here. We are very hopeful about the project.”

A crew of five actors and up to 20 camera people have been filming the independent film “The Quantum Suicide of Sophie Miller” since February. The project was undertaken by the Northern Virginia-based RiverBend Films, LLC., owned by director and editor Kevin Bender.

Though the cast and crew have decades of experience in both film and stage productions, the project is being done on an entirely volunteer basis as most of them have day jobs. Poe works as a sales representative and while Bender works as a financial analyst. Most of the filming has taken place all day on Saturday and the occasional Sunday.

To raise funds and ensure they’re able to keep on filming, the crew has set up a fundraising website. So far they’ve raised about $6,000 worth of the $8,000 they need to complete the project.

“The funding site has been more successful then I was expecting it to be,” Bender said. “It’s been mostly friends of the cast who have been supporting us. And the big draw to it is that you eventually will get a DVD of the film.”

The story they are telling is adapted from an award-winning stage production by the same title written by local playwright Matthew Marcus, who knew Bender and Poe through community theater circles. It is described by producers as a sci-fi drama that tells the story of a physics professor who is driven to prove a theory of quantum immortality after experiencing various emotional issues.  

“All of that science and all the theory is the backdrop for the emotional journey,” Poe said. “What it proves is the only scientific theory that supports the theory of everlasting life.”  

The crew began casting for the role last fall, bringing on Alexia Poe, who had played the lead character in the stage production, to reprise her role in the film. Poe, who is Darell Poe’s wife, has been involved in community theater in the area for decades.

“The cast is a combination of people we knew and a casting call,” Bender said.  “We had some extensive call back auditions and spent a few weeks reviewing the tapes before deciding.”

The group has filmed in the parking lot behind the post office in Clifton on Chapel Road. They’ve also filmed in wooded areas around town, in addition to locations in Manassas.

“The biggest challenge of any low-budget movie is finding locations to film for free or very little,” Bender said, adding that they have been fortunate enough to find that many local businesses had been willing to cooperate.

Filming itself has its ups and downs.

“One of the hardest things is how long it takes,” Bender said. “There are so many things to do to make sure it’s right. Overall we’ve gotten more efficient in every part of the process. Every one has gotten good at knowing their role on set.”

Despite that, the crew has been enjoying the experience.

“I’m having the time of my life,” Darrell Poe said. “For me it’s more of a dream, I know I need a day job to keep the bills paid. But who knows.”

They hope to wrap up filming in June before heading into post-production and eventually distribution in August.

The crew is planning on submitting the film to as many festivals as they can.

“We are submitting it to Sundance,” Poe said. “The average budget of a Sundance film is a million and our budget is $8,000. But my philosophy is that the only to guarantee it way it won’t shown at Sundance is if we don’t submit it.”

To find out more about the project and how to support it, visit the group’s website, Save Sophie.