Glen Ellen actor Kevin Schuh indulges his indie-film ambitions

Filmmakers seeking community support for “Six Feet from the Edge”|

Help “Six Feet from the Edge” Take the Big Leap

Want to help Schuh and Winston complete their locally made film? Visit www.indiegogo.com and search for “Six Feet from the Edge.” There you will find a list of ways you can help, and an easy donation process, with lists of items, from T-shirts and caps to producer credits – and a clever way to have your name embedded in the actual film – available to all who make a donation to the project. For a full list of past and future projects, visit www.unboundedambition.com

Unbounded ambition.

Those two words are not just the guiding principle of Sonoma County filmmakers Kevin Schuh and Paul Winston. They also form the name of the film company Winston founded in 2008, and Schuh has now joined as a producer. Unbounded Ambition Films is a fiercely independent consortium of actors, directors and film artists, dedicated to making films with significant messages in and around the Sonoma Valley area and Sonoma County in general.

“We want to make films that are real,” says Schuh. “Films with something to say, that reflect the real world and the real people and problems involved with being alive today.”

The 48-year-old Schuh, originally from Wisconsin, is a former Silicon Valley marketing executive and sometime actor who now resides in Glen Ellen. He first met Winston when he auditioned for a role in Unbounded Ambition’s latest film project, a twisty drama titled “Six Feet from the Edge.”

“We clicked instantly,” says Winston, 34, of his rapport with Schuh. “He was really good, so we cast him in the role. And then, as we started meeting to discuss the filming, it became clear that Kevin had a lot to offer in terms of the business side of making films. He got involved as a producer, and instantly became a big part of the production. Now, he and I are pretty much the core team for Unbounded Ambition films.”

According to Schuh, “Six Feet from the Edge,” one of many projects the pair plan to make together, is a unique film about the shifts and surprises that happen right under our noses, while we are distracted and busy trying to just get along.

“It’s about people dealing with everyday situations,” Schuh says, “and how their lives can be turned upside-down at a moment’s notice.” He likens the collage-like storyline to films such as Cameron Crowe’s 2001 drama “Vanilla Sky” and Paul Haggis’s Oscar-winning 2004 drama “Crash,” both notable for their intertwining narratives featuring large casts representing a variety of races, cultures and identities.

The story follows 10 very different characters, who are connected by their relationship with one single person.

“That’s Jonathan, a guy who is writing a book,” says Winston, who plays Jonathan. “He has a mentor, played by Kevin, and April, played by Jazmine Pierce, is a young woman Jonathan is falling in love with. All the other characters are more-or-less fictional. They are people from Jonathan’s book, which we see unfolding before us as he writes it. What they all have in common, aside from Jonathan, is that they are all six feet from the edge of something important in their lives, and so is Jonathan, though he doesn’t fully realize it.”

The complexly plotted movie, made from a 136-page script by screenwriters Javron Conaway and Eric Egan, was filmed in two phases over several months last summer and fall, with principle photography taking place in Sonoma, Petaluma, Windsor and Santa Rosa. It was directed by Marques Pardue, and featured a cast of actors from all over the Bay Area. And though many of the faces on screen might not be familiar, Schuh and Winston predict that local audiences will certainly recognize many of the local landmarks displayed up on the screen.

“Several local businesses, and a lot of other supporters, have all been very generous to us,” acknowledges Winston, who grew up in Rohnert Park, and graduated from Rancho Cotati High School. “One of the gunfight scenes takes place in the new outdoor entryway at Hotel Petaluma, and some key scenes between Kevin’s character and mine take place at Boulevard Café in Petaluma. We filmed all over. A bunch of interior shots were filmed at private residences in Sonoma, which was also pretty cool.”

According the Schuh and Winston, the ambitious project is just the tip of the iceberg. Not only do they hope to open eyes with the finished film when they take it out on the film festival circuit next year. Their hope is to turn Sonoma County, and specifically Petaluma and the Sonoma Valley, into what Schuh calls, “A hub of independent film activity.” The pair envision a full-on studio, with production offices, indoor and outdoor filming lots, editing bays and in-house technical support.

“This is just such a perfect place to make movies,” Winston says. “There are talented people, technical people, and the landscapes are just beautiful. We have everything.”

But first, there’s “Six Feet from the Edge” to finish. To raise money for completion costs, the duo have recently launched a crowdsourcing campaign on the Indiegogo website, where donors can view a teaser trailer of the film, watch videos of Schuh and Winston discussing the project, and see a list of “perks” offered in exchange for donations at various levels.

“Now we’ve got all the pre-production work done,” says Schuh. “We’ve shot the film, and now we have to do the editing. That’s why we’re doing the Indiegogo campaign. We’re going to get this film done one way or another. But the amount of money we make from this fundraising campaign will determine whether we hire a college film student or somebody who’s worked on films for HBO or Showtime. Do we get to hire a composer to do something original, or do we buy something off the shelf? Those are the decisions we’re going to have to make, as we move into the final phase and see what our budget is.”

Now Schuh and Winston, who’ve committed $50,000 of their own money already, are seeking the help of the community they have so lovingly showcased in their film.

“It’s ambitious, I know,” says Schuh. “But then, ambition is right there in our name.”

Email David at david.templeton@sonomanews.com.

Help “Six Feet from the Edge” Take the Big Leap

Want to help Schuh and Winston complete their locally made film? Visit www.indiegogo.com and search for “Six Feet from the Edge.” There you will find a list of ways you can help, and an easy donation process, with lists of items, from T-shirts and caps to producer credits – and a clever way to have your name embedded in the actual film – available to all who make a donation to the project. For a full list of past and future projects, visit www.unboundedambition.com

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.