Chronic Town

Directed by Tom Hines. Written by UAF Alumnus Michael Kamskey. Co-Produced by UAF Film Program faculty member, Maya Salganek. UAF film students worked on set with the Keys as mentors. Shot on-location in Fairbanks. 

Chronic Town is a bittersweet slice-of-life comedy about a cab driver with substance abuse problems who weathers a cold Alaskan winter with his cadre of friends and lovers. The film was directed by Tom Hines, and written by 鶹 Fairbanks (UAF) English MFA Alumni, Michael Kamsky. UAF Assistant Professor, Maya Salganek, co-produced. The cast features JR Bourne, Emily Wagner, and Dan Butler, but also includes Fairbanks locals Evan Harris, UAF Theatre faculty Carrie Baker and Dr. Tara Maginnis, and dog musher and Esterite Andrew “Druu” Heskin . Primary locations for the film included The Boatel Sleazy Waterfront Bar and the inside of an Alaskan Eagle Cab.

Under the tutelage of Salganek and the UAF Theatre and Film Department, nine UAF students worked on the film as production assistants, and dozens more were included as extras. The UAF production team managed Fairbanks pre-production, including securing locations, vehicles, props, and costumes. They conducted casting calls for actors, and helped run each set during the shoot. The Los Angeles based film crew spent 28 days in Fairbanks in March, when the average temperature hovered around -15.

 

 

 

Movie poster for Chronic Town.

JR Bourne as 'Truman' in Chronic Town. Photo from IMDb
IMDb
JR Bourne as 'Truman' in Chronic Town

Snowy Fairbanks scene. Photo from IMDb
IMDb
'Chronic Town' Fairbanks, Alaska
Two men at the Boatel Bar. Photo from IMDb
IMDb
'Boatel Bar' scene, Fairbanks, Alaska
'Chronic Town' Director Tom Hines, Director of Photography John 'Yianni' Samaras and Mr. Garry Marshall. Photo from IMDb
IMDb
'Chronic Town' Director Tom Hines, Director of Photography John 'Yianni' Samaras and Mr. Garry Marshall
Behind the scenes outdoor winter shooting of Chronic Town. Photo by Maya Salganek
Maya Salganek
Behind the scenes outdoor shooting of 'Chronic Town'
Tom Hines and JR Bourne. Photo from IMDb
IMDb
Tom Hines and JR Bourne

Cast

TRUMAN ...

 JR Bourne

ELEANOR ...

 Emily Wagner

BARTENDER AT LONELY LADY ...

 Carrie Baker

MAN IN BAR ...

 Ejay Buoncore

BLOW JOB ...

 Dan Butler

MICHAEL THE ATTENDANT ...

 Joseph Leo Bwarie

SENIOR HOME RECEPTIONIST ...

 Holly Clapham

ELEANOR'S FATHER ...

 Paul Dooley

ELIZABETH ...

 Alice Drummond

EMILY ...

 Stacy Edwards

MAX ...

Ian Gregory

MAJOR ...

 Evan Harris

FARADAY ...

 Jeffrey Scott Jensen

ROGER ...

 Rowan Joseph

WAITRESS AT HARRY'S ...

 Beth Kennedy

STRIPPER IN A KNEE BRACE ...

 Lauri LaBeau

KELLY ...

 Christine Lakin

JENNY ...

 Tara McGinnis

THE DOCTOR ...

 Garry Marshall

MAN IN BAR ...

 Michael A. Martinez

WAITRESS AT BOATEL ...

 Natalie Neubauer

NEWTON ...

 Robert Peters

MR. PETERSON ...

 Michael Peterson

JACKSON THE ATTENDANT ...

 Roger Ranney

MENTAL PATIENT ...

 Angelo Salvatore Restaino

NURSE ...

 Lin Shaye

MENTAL PATIENT ...

 Greg Wilson

PETER ...

 Christopher Wynne

BARTENDER ...

 Besart Taipi

Production Crew


Executive Producer ...

 Tim Farley

Producer ...

 Lauri LaBeau

Executive Producer ...

 Michael Peterson

Co-Producer ...

 Maya Salganek

Producer ...

 David Scharf

Associate Producer ...

 Sean Vawter

Writer ...

 Michael Kamskey

Music ...

 Ryan Raddatz

Cinematography ...

 John Samaras

Editing ...

 Clay Zimmerman

Production Design ...

 Tommy Estridge

Costume Design ...

 Wendy Willisr

Key Makeup Artist ...

 Jacqueline Zaizar

Post-production supervisor ...

 David Scharf

Second Second Assistant Director ...

 W. Harry Fortuna

Second Assistant Director ...

 Angela Mixan

Re-recording Mixer ...

 Gabriel Guy

Foley Mixer ...

 Shawn Kennelly

Sound Editor ...

 John Kwiatkowski & Charles W. Ritter

Foley Artist ...

 Laura Macias & Vince Nicastro

Foley Editor ...

 Nancy MacLeod

Boom Operator ...

 Matt McGowin

Production Sound Mixer ...

 Marcus Ricaud

Supervising Sound Editor ...

 Todd Toon

Assistant Sound Editor ...

 Mark A. Tracy

First Assistant Camera ...

 Paul Gonsoulin

Gaffer ...

 Greg Kern

Key Grip ...

 Billy Marr

Still Photographer ...

 Sean Vawter

Additional Editor ...

 David Scharf

Music Coordinator ...

 Brian Sapp

Script Supervisor ...

 Cammie Henderson

Production Assistant ...

 Jen Booth, Rose Cain, Chinonye Chukwu
 Wes Dalton, Ben Dominick, Evan Harris
 Ricky Dean Monsey, Kalesha Pearson, Angelo Salvatore   Restaino, Rosie Simko, Greg Wilson and Erik Zornes

Caterer ...

 Matthew Shopene

Awards & Press

Awards

Method Fest
2008 Winner - Festival Director's Award
Best Feature
Tom Hines

Ashland Independent Film Festival
2008 Winner - Gerald Hirschfeld A.S.C. Cinematography Award
John Samaras

The Hollywood Reporter


"Chronic Town"
Justin Lowe | The Associated Press
March 6, 2008



Variety


"Chronic Town"
Robert Koehler
April 8, 2008



Behind the Scenes 

Film is available online A behind-the-scenes look at the 2007 production of Chronic Town, a movie about a Fairbanks cab driver who is going through a rough patch in his life. Driven by his fear of being alone, he uses alcohol and drugs to distract him from the realities in his life. Go behind the scenes with Chronic Town cast and crew, including UAF students (featured 35 minutes in).