Colorado's film industry is experiencing a resurgence, and the recently wrapped independent feature "Welcome to the Fishbowl" is at the forefront of this revival.
The production, which chose to film entirely in Colorado despite modest state incentives, offers a glimpse into the potential future of filmmaking in the Centennial State.
A Homegrown Production
"Welcome to the Fishbowl" is a screwball road comedy that tells the story of a woman in midlife pursuing her dream of becoming a published author. The film was co-written with Donald Rae and directed by Sheryl Glubok, who moved to Colorado from Vermont several years ago.
"Denver and Colorado feel very much like home to me. I decided to set the film in Colorado because, in the back of my mind, I was like, maybe I would direct it and I would love to direct something where I'm living. And then the more we wrote the script and the more I lived here, the more I loved it. And so this sort of became a love letter to Colorado, though that wasn't necessarily the main driving force."
This personal connection to the state played a significant role in the decision to film entirely in Colorado, despite the challenges that come with shooting in a location without a robust film industry infrastructure.
Star Power and Character Depth
The film features Natalie Gold as Elizabeth Ford, the aspiring writer at the center of the story, and Jeremy Swift as Storm Grandquist, a narcissistic literary legend. Swift, known for his lovable characters in shows like "Ted Lasso," was drawn to the opportunity to play against type.
Swift describes his character: "Storm Grandquist, the character I'm playing in this movie is quite a raconteur. He's a narcissist and flawed. I'm trying to find his sweet spot as well in the movie. So it's kind of voyage of discovery for me and the character. And I have really enjoyed playing him because it's very rude in particular to Nat’s character Elizabeth. And we've had an absolute ball and particularly in the last two weeks playing the comedy in that."
The film's themes of midlife rediscovery may resonate with many viewers. Gold elaborates on her character: "Elizabeth is a woman in her forties. She's a mom, she's a wife, she's a writer. But at the beginning of the film, she's kind of lost and down. And so many women I think who are moms and wives and caretakers, they come to a spot in their life where they think, I've been doing so much for everybody else for so long. Who am I again? And what do I care about again?"
Choosing Colorado: A Strategic Decision
The decision to film entirely in Colorado was not without its challenges. Producer Iana Dontcheva explains the reasoning behind this choice: "We very early on decided that despite all the hurdles, we would like to shoot the film in Colorado because the story happens here in Denver and in the mountains, and it just didn't make sense to try and fake that somewhere else."
This decision aligns with a larger goal of revitalizing Colorado's film industry. Dontcheva adds, "Our company, By and Large Media Labs is building toward a scaffolding for the film industry here in Colorado. That is the point of it. We have many projects, this is the first one to come to fruition, but our goal is to build the film communities here in Colorado."
The New Colorado Film Incentive
The production took advantage of Colorado's new film incentive program, which offers a tax credit instead of the previous rebate system.
Donald Zuckerman, Colorado's film commissioner, explains how the incentive works: "It's a refundable tax credit, which means that when somebody like ‘Welcome to the Fishbowl’ comes here, they make an application, they tell us approximately how much they expect to spend and how many people they expect to hire from in-state and out of state."
Zuckerman also highlights the economic impact of film productions in the state: "Our ROI, our return on investment is 18 to one, and that is a real number, audited by our auditor here in the Office of Economic Development."
Eve Lieberman, executive director of the Office of Economic Development International Trade, emphasizes the broader economic benefits: "We work to attract and retain companies to Colorado and we offer financial programs, educational programs, outreach programs to help companies at every stage of growth. And our mission really is to empower all to thrive in Colorado's economy."
The Importance of Authenticity
For the cast, filming on location in Colorado added a layer of authenticity to the production. Gold explains: "Part of this movie, it's a road trip movie, and just to be able to drive those windy roads up in the mountains, I think Colorado is a character in this film. So to shoot here was incredibly important. It wouldn't have been the same and wouldn't have worked any other way."
This authenticity extends to the crew as well. The production employed many local crew members and cast several Colorado-based actors in supporting roles. Glubok emphasized the importance of this decision: "This is a homegrown film. This is a love letter to Colorado. So we want there to be roots and scaffolding and the building, it's here. So it was very important to me to always have as many Colorado crew as we can, cast as we can, and just build up the community here too is really important. We would like to see a boom in filmmaking here."
A Positive Experience for Cast and Crew
The decision to film in Colorado seems to have paid off in terms of the overall experience for the cast and crew. Swift shared his enthusiasm: "Just beautiful. Really. It's given me one of the biggest lifts of my life, and I can't overestimate how much I've enjoyed making this film here. The crew was so smart and there was just a top level of banter and warmth and commitment, and we loved finessing everything. It was hugely collaborative. It's one of my career high for me."
The filmmakers hope this production will inspire more films to be made in Colorado. They recommend future productions take advantage of the local talent. Gold advises: "I would say hire local crew because they're fantastic." Swift agrees: "Oh yeah, the best. Really talented."
The Future of Filmmaking in Colorado
State officials are optimistic about the future of filmmaking in Colorado. Lieberman notes the potential impact of attracting major film productions to the state: "Last year we saw for first time an extension of the tax credit for five years for this refundable tax credit, which helps provide that certainty for film production companies to understand that this tax credit is eligible for them for the next five years. And so that also contributes to having a consistent source of funding that they can leverage.
As "Welcome to the Fishbowl" moves into post-production, the team behind it hopes it will serve as a catalyst for more film projects in Colorado, helping to rebuild the state's once-thriving film industry. The production demonstrates that despite challenges, it's possible to create high-quality, star-studded independent films in Colorado.
"Welcome to the Fishbowl" is expected to be released next year.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect that "Welcome to the Fishbowl" was co-written by Donald Rae and Sheryl Glubok.
