USM graduate screens new movie on campus

USM will present a screening of “I Ran Against Us,” an original feature film by USM graduate N. T. Bullock Wednesday. The film blends the genres of romantic comedy and political satire to create a truly original experience.

“I Ran Against Us” will screen at 8 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center ballroom.

The film chronicles the aftermath of the failed relationship of Jon (Griffin Hood) and Sandy (Leanne Cochran). One day, Iran announces that they will attack the United States unless Jon and Sandy get back together and rekindle their love affair.

N. T. Bullock and his writing partner and producer Jared Hopkins wrote the script in Jan. 2008. They shot the film a few months later in June over the course of two weeks. Both writers will participate in a question and answer session after the screening.

Bullock initially set out to write a romantic comedy, but he soon realized he had become bored with their predictable conventions.

“I was doing a lot of research on North Korea and Iran, and I think that’s why that creeped in,” Bullock said. “It’s surprising, when we look at what was in the news in 2008...it’s kind of the same. It’s kind of odd that it’s still happening.”

Bullock has been making short films for ten years, and “I Ran Against Us” is his first feature. While his hopes have always been high for the film, he hides any hint of arrogance by being grounded in reality.

“We were fully prepared to screw it up and make asses of ourselves,” Bullock said. “We just did it for the experience. We’re still learning.”

Bullock is also aware of the limited commercial prospects of a black and white R-rated romantic comedy, but with the advent of online streaming, he believes that the best way to distribute the film is over the Internet.

“We’re looking into Netflix,” Bullock said. “We’re looking into Instant Play.”

Bullock is also in talks to get the film available for download on iTunes.