Fort Smith woman co-produces film ‘Painted Woman’

FORT SMITH, Ark.—Priscilla Tran credits her work ethic and an “incredible” production team for helping get “Painted Woman” from the written page to the theater screen.

The Times Record reports that the 25-year-old Fort Smith resident worked as an associate producer for the new film, which features “Hunger Games” star Stef Dawson and was screened at the recent Bentonville Film Festival.

“It’s great that the end result of the film was impressive,” said Tran, who graduated from Southside High School in 2009 and obtained a degree in theater acting and directing from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith in 2013. “With most movies, they get made and you’ll see them in the theater two or three years later, but our movie was made back in October.

“We filmed for about three weeks in October,” she added. “It had a crazy turnaround time and got made.”

Co-written and directed by James Cotten, “Painted Lady” follows a woman named Julia Richards, who has been a “kept woman that has been controlled by others,” Tran said.

“Julia is a woman who has never been able to tell her own story or paint her own canvas,” she said. “In the movie, she meets other people along the way, like the cowboy played by David Thomas Jenkins.

“The woman then realizes that she can make her own

choices,” added Tran, who is the daughter of John and Quenna Tran of Fort Smith. “It’s a story that has all these elements—drama, romance, some violence and the Western era—tied into it.”

Filmed in Oklahoma City, Enid, Oklahoma, and Guthrie, Oklahoma, the original capital city for Oklahoma, back in October, the movie is set around the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and co-stars Matt Dallas, Monica Pena, Kiowa Gordon, Robert Craighead, Laurel Harris, Kristen Melling and Drew Pollock.

“Making it was amazing,” Tran said of the 105- minute “Painted Woman,” which recently was screened at the Benton ville Film Festival. “That’s my dream—to be a filmmaker.

“It involved a lot of hard work, hot days and very, very long hours, but I think we tied it together nicely,” she added. “Everyone who worked on it was a team, treating each other like family and with great communication. To see it get made, it was just movie magic.”

Cotten, also a Fort Smith native, called Tran “a gem” of a person who is “smart and funny, worked long hours and remained positive throughout the project.

“Priscilla is willing to put in the extra hours she needs to make something special; she worked so hard at every job we threw at her, and she made the set a fun place to be,” he said. “It was only right to raise her credit level to associate producer. I pushed for that. If there was anyone who deserved it, it was Priscilla, and I want her to do whatever she wants in this crazy business.”

For Tran, the fact that the movie never reveals the exact year or location of its setting adds charm for viewers.

Viewers will see Old West-style clothing, which will help make the viewing experience “unique,” she said.

“It was great because the reception to ‘Painted Woman’ at the Bentonville Film Festival was so well received, and we were able to get all of the actors to come to the festival, which was a really big deal,” Tran said.

“We had a full house at the screening, celebrating independent films, and we’re going to keep updating our fans on our Facebook page.”

Train’s love for film and live theater started to peak when she was a member of UAFS theater program. Bob Stevenson, UAFS theater director, and Pablo Guerra-Monje, UAFS associate professor of theater, offered great amounts of guidance and wisdom for students.

“The way I was raised, I have a hard work ethic, and the experience of being in the university’s theater program spurred that work ethic even more,” said Tran, who is a longtime fan of movie directors David Fincher, Christopher Nolan and Danny Boyle.

“People think that being in theater is really glamorous, but leading up to that glamour is incredibly hard work.

“It involves super long hours,” Tran added. “Bob and Pablo definitely prepared us students for that, and they made sure we took on many different roles. They wanted us to learn, and they made sure they also taught us a bit about film.”

Tran said she and Chasing Sunsets Productions producers Amber Lindley and Kari Whisenhunt are hoping the film will be screened at more festivals in the near future.

The team also plans to secure a distribution deal for Bluray and DVD releases of “Painted Woman,” as well as future online streaming possibilities, she said.

“There’s a lot of competition with movies now, but what is amazing about ‘Painted Woman’ is, it speaks out against abuse,” Tran said. “If anyone has experienced something traumatic, I think they will be able to relate to this.

“We hope this inspires them to have a voice and connect with other people,” she added. “It’s important for people to know that about ‘Painted Woman’—that it touches upon so many subjects.”