Fremd Grad to Premiere Latest Film Article by P.S. Colbert September 8, 2005 dailyherald.com What if one day Mom went out for a drive and never came back? The random violence of fate is never more cruel than when it strikes down a loved one in the prime of  life and leaves the victim’s survivors to grapple with that maddening, unanswerable question: Why? So begins “Uninvited,” the haunting, meditative film premiering at 8 p.m. Friday at Cutting Hall in Palatine. Shot entirely on locations throughout the Chicago area, “Uninvited” is the latest release from CNGM Pictures, the Palatine-based, student-run film studio that scored a resounding commercial success with last summer’s indie-horror flick, “The Legends of Cuba Road.” For 20-year-old writer-director Michael P. Noens, “Uninvited” was a chance to prove himself capable of delivering something other than teen-scream entries like “Legends,” and “Sleep To Dream,” which won the “Best Horror Short” award at last year’s MicroCinema fest in Rapid City, S.D. “I was looking to do something more suspenseful than horrifying this time around,” said Noens. “I wanted something more mature and character-driven.” Because the majority of CNGM cast and crew members are under 21, the filmmakers had to go outside their ranks to find age-appropriate actors for key roles. “We’d never held auditions for our films before,” Noens said. “I’d never directed anyone I didn’t already know. This is the first CNGM production that has more adult actors than teenagers, and I’m happy about that.” Palatine resident John Anthony, 41, plays the recently widowed Ray Ashby, who forsakes his own grief in a misguided attempt to put up a brave front for his anguished children. “I was really impressed with Mike’s vision and his ability to communicate what he wanted to me,” said Anthony, a personal finance adviser who’s “been acting off and on since high school.” “The crew was a lot of fun but very professional and always ready to give the director what he needed in a timely manner. I’d love to work with them again.” For the brief but pivotal role of Ray’s late wife, Beth, Noens tapped his former English teacher, Judy Klinger, who directed him in numerous stage productions during his days at Fremd High School. “I think he just called me because he needed somebody old enough to play a mom,” Klinger said, laughing. “Seriously, these kids, who aren’t actually kids any more, but young adults, really know what they’re doing, and they’re really going to get somewhere with their talent and drive.” Next stop for Noens is Columbia College in Chicago, where he’s pursuing a filmmaking degree beginning this fall. << Go Back to Press