Movie will feature Youngstown

The script is based on the writer's family experiences.
By GUY D'ASTOLFO
VINDICATOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
First-time filmmaker Chris Rutushin loves the realness of Youngstown.
"Nothing looks like Youngstown," said the 29-year-old Boardman native, who will start shooting his movie, "Fine-Tune," in and around the city later this summer.
An Ohio University video-production graduate, Rutushin returned to his hometown in 2004 after spending a few years in Las Vegas, where he was a photographer and film editor for a television station. While in Las Vegas, he won an Emmy Award for a story he shot and edited about a drug dealer who learned to cook in prison and is now a chef in that city.
He wrote the script for "Fine-Tune," which, he said, is based on a true story. It is set in 1971-72 in Youngstown.
"It's based on family stories," he said. "I changed a few names, and the story evolved."
Rutushin said he has put his life on hold to make the movie and is devoting all his energy to it.
He enlisted the services of a Los Angeles script consultant to improve the work, and he's already lined up a few investors to help fund the project. Additionally, he is planning a fundraiser.
The plot
The story is about newlyweds Jerry and Marie, who return to Youngstown for a funeral and stay to take care of Marie's aging Italian grandfather -- who does not approve of Jerry.
The extended stay becomes a trying time for Jerry, who reconnects with Clay, a college friend. Together, they work out their frustrations by fine-tuning a 1985 Dodge Charger.
"It's a story about forgiveness and love, and talking out your problems," said Rutushin, who describes it as "real, but lighthearted." In addition to family tension, the script also touches on racial discrimination.
Youngstown, he said, is a character in the film. "It has an attitude and a faith, and I want to show that. I'm tired of the negativity," said Rutushin, who noted that there are no gangsters in "Fine-Tune."
Auditions
Actors from the area are being sought. "People from this area will communicate the roles better than someone from L.A.," said Rutushin. Auditions will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lemodeln, 7536 Market St., Boardman. For more information, call (330) 758-4417.
Actors will receive deferred pay, credit, copy and meals.
"I want [the movie] to be a launch pad for people," said Rutushin.
He is also scouting locations in the area that have an early-'70s look, and has already secured a few sites, including the Royal Oaks bar on the East Side, the Medicine Shoppe on the West Side and Dick's Pharmacy on the East Side, as well as a number of private houses.
The Mahoning Valley Car Club is providing '70s-era automobiles, and some area musicians have also contributed a score.
Shooting should wrap up in November, with "Fine-Tune" possibly ready for release some time in 2007. Rutushin said he plans to shop it to film festivals.
For more information, go to www.finetunethemovie.com. For audition information, see the Auditions list in this issue of Entertainment Extra.