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The Way It Was

It's the 1930's and the streets of midwest America run with booze and blood. Factory owner James Eston navigates life in the Great Depression while clashing with the most dangerous crime boss in town. However, his attempts to help his community may just lead to the destruction of his family.

  • Jake Heelein
    Director
  • Jake Heelein
    Writer
  • Nate Kaiser
    Producer
  • Nate Kaiser
    Director of Photography
  • Project Type:
    Student
  • Genres:
    Crime, Drama, Historical Fiction, 1930s
  • Runtime:
    46 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    November 1, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Loras College
  • Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival (CRIFF)
    Cedar Rapids
    United States
    April 16, 2023
    Iowa
    Best Student Long-form
  • Iowa Motion Picture Awards (IMPA)
    Forest City, Ia
    United States
    May 6, 2023
    Best Undergraduate Student Film
  • Unspooled Film Festival
    Menominee Wisconsin
    United States
    May 12, 2023
    Wisconsin Premiere
    Best Student Feature Film
  • Student World Impact Film Festival (SWIFF)

    Honorable Mention
Director Biography - Jake Heelein

Jake Heelein and Nate Kaiser started working together in college and now work as a Director / Cinematographer pair. Jake is a writer pursuing a future working in comedy and narrative storytelling. Nate runs his own small production company, and freelances as a grip/cinematographer. He also is a professional wrestler and hopes to one day bring his own perspective of visual storytelling to the wrestling industry.

The two are now continuing to pursue developing their second short narrative script.

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