A film that began as a Ballard High School student project will return to Ballard for its Seattle premiere this week.
“A Storm of Syndicates” will screen at Majestic Bay Theatres on June 18, following its world premiere at the Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood earlier this year.
According to a press release, the film was six years in the making and grew from a passion project among teenage filmmakers into a production that spanned the United States, Belgium, France, India, and Hungary.
The sci-fi film follows a young recruit whose syndicate is accused of staging a covert strike, forcing him to choose between loyalty and conscience amid a fragile peace between nine syndicates.
Director, writer, and producer James Brammer, founder of Seattle-based Infinia Productions, began working on the project at age 17. During his senior year at Ballard High School, Brammer collaborated with cinematographer Nash Pearson and the Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking Program production crew to film the project. The release states that the production underwent four years of post-production while the filmmakers were attending college.
The film was shot entirely on location in Washington, filmed in locations including Eastern Washington, Lopez Island, the Georgetown Steam Plant, and other sites around the region. The production worked with several organizations during filming, including the Seattle Office of Film, Seattle City Light, the Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission, the San Juan Islands National Monument Office, and the Ballard High School PTSA.
The cast includes Kevin Clevenger, David Jofre, Hallie Shepherd, John Fisher, Eric Colley, Kevin Leung, Tobias Yuodelis, Levi Erdman, and Will Shepard.
The score was composed by Timothy Shortell, whose previous credits include work for HBO, Marvel, and Sony Pictures. Portions of the score were performed by the Budapest Scoring Orchestra in Hungary.
The project also highlights the long-running success of Ballard High School’s Digital Filmmaking Program. The program has earned regional recognition over the years, including multiple Northwest Emmy Award nominations for student-produced work, and has served as a launching point for young filmmakers pursuing careers in the industry.
The Seattle premiere is scheduled for June 18 at Majestic Bay Theatres, located at 2044 N.W. Market St.