Synthetic Cinema to Produce Original Movie for Chiller Television Network

"Steve Niles' Remains" to be Shot in Connecticut
ROCKY HILL, Connecticut, April 5, 2011 – Synthetic Cinema International (SCI), Connecticut's leading producer of independent horror films, has completed an agreement with NBCUniversal's Chiller Network to produce the Company's next original movie, to be shot in Connecticut, as one of the Network's first original films. Featuring survivors trapped by zombies in a Reno, Nevada casino, the film is based on IDW Publishing's graphic novel Remains written by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and illustrated by Kieron Dwyer (Captain America). Steve Niles' Remains will be shot in June 2011 on 35mm film in Mystic and Norwich, Connecticut.

SCI is in the process of casting the movie now with more than 300 people attending auditions for roles as featured zombies and extras held on Saturday, March 26th in Manchester, Connecticut. The stars of the film will be announced at a later date.

The movie is being produced by Andrew Gernhard and Zach O'Brien, written by John Doolan, and directed by Colin Theys. Gernhard, Doolan and Theys are all SCI regulars and Connecticut residents.

"Chiller has had a long history of acquiring movies from Synthetic Cinema that have rated very well for the network and we are excited to work with them now to produce one of our first original films," said Shane O'Brien, Director of Programming for Chiller.

"It's a really exciting and unique project with a great script," said Colin Theys, Director. "Knowing that it will be seen by a large audience of horror fans on Chiller led us to take the zombies in new and unique directions that have not been seen before in the genre."

"Anytime I hit a zombie cliché, I tried to find a turn to take on it," said Steve Niles, creator of Remains and the highly successful graphic novel and film 30 Days of Night.

"In the graphic novel, two survivors who hate each other are stuck in a casino hotel during the zombie apocalypse and I think we managed to capture these elements and create a frightening take on the undead that doesn't always fall within the genre's set zombie rules," said screenwriter John Doolan.

The production will be recreating the look of Reno, Nevada in Connecticut. The interior of the Silver Star Hotel and Casino will be filmed at the Ramada Inn in Mystic, through the special assistance of Edward Haberek, First Selectman of Stonington/Mystic. Exteriors will be shot in Norwich, through the special assistance of Mayor Peter Nystrom.

"The locations are perfect," said Producer Andrew Gernhard. "Connecticut is full of different styles, both geographically and architecturally and we'll be traveling to Reno soon to make sure we get the details right."

Ben Chester, who worked with SCI on Alien Opponent, and Assault of the Sasquatch, will create the ambitious special effects. Adrian Correia will serve as Director of Photography, and Melanie Gunn as Production Designer.

About Chiller
Chiller is the only cable channel devoted to delivering viewers round-the-clock scares. Chiller's eclectic slate of adrenaline-fueled, soul-stirring entertainment includes a broad offering of films, including feature-length premieres every Friday, international programming (Afterlife, Apparitions), documentary and reality shows (Fear Factor), anthology series (Masters of Horror) and some of the most thought-provoking and suspenseful series ever on television (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Darkside, Outer Limits). Chiller is currently available in over 40 million homes. To learn more, visit: www.chillertv.com. Chiller. Scary Good.

About Synthetic Cinema International, LLC
Founded in 2004 by Andrew Gernhard, Richard J. Lucas and Bonnie Farley-Lucas, SCI specializes in the production, distribution, sales and financing of independent feature films. The Company has produced eight independent feature films to-date and has distributed numerous other independent films. As a full-service independent production and distribution company working within an ever-changing domestic and international marketplace, SCI is dedicated to delivering quality film products that are highly marketable.

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Editors Note: Andrew Gernhard, Colin Theys, and John Doolan are available for interviews. Artwork, logos, and video clips are available for support.