A muddy soybean field with a clouded sunset behind the makeshift shed set served as ideal conditions for crews filming the independent film “Food” near Crowley Road Tuesday night.
The movie, written by Director Daryl Wein and Zoe Lister-Jones, follows a single mother (Lister-Jones) on a mission to find out the cause of her son’s mysterious illness, sparking conversation as to whether eating genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is healthy.
“Food” came to Central Illinois after Brett Hays of Shatterglass Studios was asked to line produce the film. Hays, who oversees the budget and crew, and manages the production, guided producers away from shooting the film in Chicago after he read the script.
Hays said the rural setting which includes a non-script university fit Champaign-Urbana better than Chicago. During their 28-day stay in Central Illinois, the cast has traveled from Champaign-Urbana to Rantoul, Philo, St. Joseph and Mahomet.
“Everyone in Champaign County has been very welcoming to the crew we hired from Chicago and the cast from all over the country,” Hays said. “Everyone has been very friendly and open to helping with the project.”
Along with Lister-Jones from “Friends with Better Lives,” “Food” stars Beth Grant (“No Country for Old Men”), Anthony Edwards (“ER”), Victor Garber (“Argo), and Nunal Nayyar (“The Big Bang Theory”).
