6 I The Lovell Chronicle I June 26, 2014
Dirty Air Ducts:
Special
DAVID PECK
Cody- and Los Angeles-based filmmaker Patrick Mignano (center) poses with
Bill Greer of Hyattville (left) and Clay Gibbons of Worland (right) in the lobby
of the Hyart Theatre following the showing of Mignano's film "Absaroka" at the
Hyart Film Festival Saturday night.
'ABSAROKA' WINS FILM FESTIVAL
ming Community College
to play basketball but after
an injury ended his career
he switched to Montana
State University in Boze-
man, where he majored in
film and television produc-
tion. Actor Bill Pullman
was a professor at MSU, he
recalled.
Mignano moved to
Los Angeles to pursue his
dream and said he did
whatever he could to work
his way into the film busi-
ness. He caught his first
break when he was hired as
an assistant location man-
ager for "Thelma & Louise,"
which came out in 1991.
After several movies as
an assistant manager, he
said he got his first "union
job" as a full location man-
ager for the film "Starship
Troopers" (1997), which
was filmed, in part, at Hell's
Half Acre near Casper.
The location manag-
er identifies and research-
es locations for a film, then
makes all the arrange-
ments prior to shooting..
Mignano has worked
as location manager for a
number of popular movies
over the years, including
"Must Love Dogs" (2005)
and, recently, many Clint
Eastwood movies including
"Gran Torino," "Invictus,"
"Hereafter," "J. Edgar,"
"Trouble With the Curve"
and the just-released "Jer-
sey Boys," the latter as su-
pervising location manager.
He also managed locations
for "The Hangover Park II"
and "Need for Speed."
THE ABSAROKA SAGA
But Mignano never lost
his desire to write and di-
rect films, so with a little
money in the bank, he de-
cided "now's the time" and
he made "Absaroka," a clas-
sic western set in Wyoming
Territory in 1881 about
two cowpunchers who come
upon a covered wagon
which has been ambushed
by outlaws. The cowboys
learn that a family of four
was in the wagon and that a
mother and daughter have
been kidnapped by the ban-
dits. Lucius (Mignano) and
Howard (Rob Story) set out
to avenge the deaths of a fa-
ther and son and to rescue
the mother and daughter.
Old West justice comes
into play in what is essen-
tially a morality play, and
the movie carries the tag
line "The Right Thing is
the Only Thing to Do." As
Lucius and Howard de-
cide to set out in search of
the outlaws, Howard says,
"We punch cows, we're not
man-hunters." "We are to-
day," Lucius replies.
Mignano produced,
wrote, directed and starred
in the film.
Filmed up both the
South Fork (the T.E. Ranch)
and the North Fork (Wapi-
ti Canyon) west of Cody,
the film contains stunning
visuals of the Absaroka
Mountains, and during a
question-and-answer time
following the showing Sat-
urday night at the Hyart,
Mignano said the mov-
ie was shot in six days in
February. At one point the
crew barely made it out be-
fore a huge blizzard hit, he
noted.
There were some tough
conditions during the shoot,
Gibbons said, with raw
continued from page 1
weather conditions includ-
ing bitter cold tempera-
tures. He gave some in-
side information about the
shooting, noting that when
Lucius drops to his knees
in one of the final scenes
as if to say, "What have I
done?!" his pain is real be-
cause Mignano came down
right onto a rock when he
dropped.
"Absaroka: Sins" is set
in the days following the
events of the original mov-
ie and continues the sto-
ry of Lucius Blackledge
and Howard Prescott, plus
Sheriff Wilbur Crowley.
The sheriff is pursuing a
ruthless outlaw and enlists
the aid of Lucius, How-
ard and fellow ranch hand
Monty Wilson.
"I hope to make it a se-
ries," said Mignano, who
said he has written about
seven hours of screenplay:
"I want to tell a story but
keep it simple. There really
are no original stories, just
basic story lines• that peo-
ple respond to. I like it to
be simple but interesting,
about morality and lessons
learned."
One of the strengths of
Mignano as a writer and
filmmaker, Gibbons noted,
J U LY 7-1 i ,ii q, 9-1 1 A M
Ki ages 3-12
56 E. Main St., Lovell
needs to
the Christian
is that he can tell a com-
plete story in 20 minutes
of filming. Both of the "Ab-
saroka" films contain three
acts, Mignano noted.
"Absaroka: Sins" will
premier at the Buffalo Bill
Center of the West Coe Au-
ditorium Monday, June
30, at 7 p.m. and be shown
again Tuesday, July 1, at ii~!,~i~i
the Washakie Museum and
Cultural Center, also at 7
268 E. 7th St., Lovell
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