Producer and co-writer Trevor Tillman (left) and producer, co-writer and director Nicholas Gyeney stand on the basketball court, in the Highland Trails neighborhood of Mill Creek, where they began filming “The Penitent Man,” a story of a psychologist who reflects on his own life after a visit from someone in his past. The scene features a basketball match between actors Andrew Keegan and Lathrop Walker.
MILL CREEK — It took roughly five months for Nicholas Gyeney, 23, of Mill Creek, and Trevor Tillman, 21, of Seattle, to crank out a script laced with drama and science fiction and premiere their film in Seattle.
Their independent film, “The Penitent Man,” premiered earlier this month at the Egyptian Theater in Seattle. It is slated to be released in up to 20 theaters by the end of the year.
“I will never get over how overwhelmingly positive everyone has been,” said Gyeney, who directed and co-wrote the film. “I'm shocked by how much people are loving it.”
The film stars Lance Henriksen, (“Aliens,” “Terminator”), Andrew Keegan (“O,” “Ten Things I Hate About You”) and Seattleites Lathrop Walker, Melissa Roberts and Mick Gamache.
The plot centers around a young psychologist struggling to balance his career and family who begins to scrutinize his choices after an elderly patient, claiming to hail from the future, reveals to him the world is going to turn for the worse.
The friends finished the script within two weeks last summer with Gyeney pounding out dialogue on his laptop and assigning objectives for Tillman, who also produced the film, to meet while creating scenes.
“It was a great exercise in collaboration,” Gyeney said.
The writers said the film is personal to them on a few levels as parts of the story represent their thoughts about life, struggling to pay bills, corrupt religion and politicians with their hands in everything.
“It's a very militant film,” Tillman said.
“It was almost like writing a diary,” Gyeney added.
Only about five months passed between conceiving the idea and the film's premiere, with production lasting 12 days. Some of the scenes were filmed in Mill Creek.
Movies an escape
Gyeney made a no-budget film in high school that earned him a full-ride scholarship to attend film school at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. In 2006, his film “The Falling” premiered, which he made during the summer after his sophomore year at USC.*
Inspired by Gyeney's drive, Tillman enrolled into the film school at San Francisco's Academy of Art University.
As a child, Gyeney bonded with his father, Ors, while watching action movies such as James Cameron's “Aliens” and “Terminator” series and George Lucas' “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars” trilogies.
Movies shifted from a pastime to therapy after his father died when Gyeney was 12 years old. The films offered a place into which Gyeney could slip away to cope with the pain of losing his father.
“My imagination led me to this,” he said.
Friends met at movies
Gyeney and Tillman said they work well together because they want a quality film and support each other.
Some of his classmates at USC were superficial, arrogant and had a sense of entitlement, Gyeney said.
“They felt envy toward anyone with a little success,” he said.
That's not the case with Tillman.
“There's no envy or competition,” Gyeney said. “There's no secret entitlement.”
“We both know the focus is to put out good movies,” Tillman added.
The friends met during their late teens while working at the Alderwood 7 movie theater in Lynnwood where they debated movies during their shifts. In 2006, they worked together on Gyeney's “The Falling,” which was met with a standing ovation during its premiere.
“It didn't take long for us to realize we had nearly identical goals,” Tillman wrote in an e-mail. “The difference was Nicholas had the drive.”
Tillman said he dreamt of pursuing filmmaking after seeing Steven Spielberg's “Jurassic Park,” but dismissed the dream until befriending Gyeney.
“He was living my dream,” he said. “He gave me courage.”
“He's my bro,” Gyeney joked.
The friends started up an independent film production company, called Mirror Images LTD and located in Seattle, while working on “The Falling.”
‘Crazy ride' ahead
The powerhouse pair are not about to slow down. Gyeney said there has been buzz of “The Penitent Man” opening at the Seattle International Film Festival which begins this May. Last week Gyeney attended a screening of his film at his alma mater, Henry M. Jackson High School in the Everett School District.
There also are plans to hit up film festivals and flying to Los Angeles to talk with financiers.
“It's been a crazy ride so far,” Gyeney said.
The friends hope to continue to film more movies in the Seattle area to show audiences the region offers a worthy movie backdrop.
“Just as Seattle has a claim on many indie musicians, we hope the city will one day have the same reputation for independent film,” Tillman said.
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