Indianapolis filmmaker Sherman “Skee” Skinner is on a promising quest to share his acclaimed film “Pieces of a Dream” with the world community.
At the same time, he is reminding everyone who sees it that they too can successfully put together the pieces of their own dream.
“Pieces of a Dream,” a cinematic drama, has made its debut with special screenings in several cities across the country, from Los Angeles, Atlanta and St. Louis, to Chicago, Miami and Washington, D.C.
The film chronicles the lives of four individuals – an urban priest, a single mother, her son and a reclusive artist who search for truth, redemption, acceptance and love in a story that combines elements of drama, romance, violence and humor.
“All of those themes intertwine to ask the age-old question, ‘Does sin have weight?’” said Skinner. “What the film tries to drive home is that when you turn your back on God per se, you get exactly what you ask for. The characters seek answers in a man or a woman instead of God, with bad results.”
“Pieces of a Dream,” which was co-produced by writer Paul Branton and shot mostly in Chicago, features actors such as Harold Dennis, Ngina James, Joel P. E. King and Raz B, former member of the R&B group B2K.
“We want people to have healthy dialogue about the taboo issues that they see being presented on the screen,” said Skinner. “That dialogue can lead to healthy solutions.”
Skinner’s company, One Way Productions Inc., is currently conducting an international marketing campaign to sell DVD copies of the film and its CD soundtrack. Nearly 40,000 products have been sold since they were first placed online in December. That’s not bad for a local independent filmmaker with an in-house distribution division.
“We’ve been successful so far,” said Skinner. “We’re near where we want to be. All I’m about at the end of the day is getting the right numbers to show people they can do whatever they want and be positive. You don’t have to take the low road to have success.”
Tyrus Lewis, assistant director for “Pieces of a Dream,” agreed that a significant part of One Way’s goals is to inspire viewers to reach for their dreams, especially youth who are interested in producing films someday.
“We wanted to show youth that they can also do this,” said Lewis. “You don’t have to sell drugs to get ahead. On the positive side, it’s not just about being an athlete or rapper. That’s all good, but those are not the only avenues that one can use to be successful. You can do anything, even produce films, with hard work and dedication.”
Skinner and Lewis are definitely in a position to offer advice about success.
Since its debut, “Pieces of a Dream” has been praised by some of the most influential figures in the film industry. Roger Ebert of “Ebert and Roper at the Movies,” described the film as “An extremely interesting movie” that viewers must see.
The late Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, once called the project a “dynamic” presentation that “shows the repercussions and ramifications of every choice a person makes while capturing an entire culture on film.”
Skinner, who has been involved with film production since a young age, said distribution companies came forward with deals since its limited theatrical release. However, he and his team chose to distribute the film independently.
“We want to get the film into the hands of the people directly because it is a tool that can be used by organizations and individuals to create that healthy dialogue with youth, adults, singles and couples.”
