Palatine director to debut indie film

It began as an ambitious, nine-part television miniseries starring all Northwest suburban talent.

Then, as key actors defected to paying jobs in Los Angeles and other places, director Jeff Greene realized that it made better sense to condense the nine TV episodes into a single feature film.

That's how "Off-Loop" came to be the latest release from CNGM Pictures, a group of young filmmakers who all graduated from Fremd High School and still get together years later to create independent movies.

"Off-Loop" tells the story of the trials and tribulations of twentysomething college grads who try to launch theater careers in Chicago. It's a role most of the actors have lived, and some of them will be there in person for the film's premiere at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at Cutting Hall, 150 E. Wood St., Palatine.

"This would have made a great television series," said Greene, a Palatine resident who moonlights as theater coordinator for the Palatine Park District. "We actually shot the pilot episode, which we tried to incorporate into the feature film, but that would have made it way too long."

The script came from a prolific playwright and screenwriter named Nick Izzo, who pounded out the first four TV shows in two days, then wrote the entire series in a week. He also wrote the final script to "Off-Loop."

"We had to devise a new story line for the film," Greene said. "Then we folded elements of the TV scripts into it."

Greene is also an actor, writer and producer who kept the now-defunct Famous Door Theater operating in Chicago for 20 years. How does he stay so committed to the arts?

"It's that old thing about I can't not do it," he said. "Every time I try not to do it, I can't. It drives me nuts. I can't stand idle time, and if you're in theater or film, believe me, you don't have any idle time."