From Dream to Screen: ‘Permafrost’
Utah, USA – The story behind the making of the independent film “Permafrost” is one of determination, creativity, and teamwork. Lenni Uitto, the writer, director, producer, and lead actor of the movie, recently shared insights with Warren Workman from the Utah International Film Festival, shedding light on the challenges and inspirations that shaped this post-apocalyptic tale.
Uitto revealed that the concept for “Permafrost” originated during the tumultuous days of the COVID-19 pandemic. He explained, “It started as a burning desire to create a movie during the COVID madness. Rachelle Hardy had expressed this story idea of a man saving a little girl whose parents didn’t make it.”
This idea led Uitto down a path of exploring post-apocalyptic worlds, influenced by series like “The Mandalorian” and films such as “Lone Wolf and Cub.” He recalled dreams that influenced the storyline, including a vivid dream about bounty hunters and a mysterious chain, elements that found their way into the movie.
Overcoming obstacles was a defining characteristic of the film’s production. Uitto emphasized the importance of viewing challenges as opportunities, not hindrances. He shared, “Blizzards were hitting on multiple days of filming, and we attacked it head-on, putting it to work in our film rather than waiting for it to stop.” He also recounted an incident where horses ran off during a crucial scene, necessitating a snowmobile chase to retrieve them. Post-production posed its own challenges, but Uitto praised his team, including composer Yann Latour and sound design/mixer/mastering engineer Jerome Boisvert, for their contributions.
One of the marvels of the film is the consistent visual style despite multiple Directors of Photography. Uitto humorously mentioned his stick figure storyboards and praised his skilled cinematographers for maintaining the film’s visual coherence.
The collaboration extended to the film’s music and sound design, created with a team working from another country. Uitto expressed how working with his post-production team was surprisingly easy due to their prior collaborations and shared understanding of the film’s needs.
A crucial aspect of the film was assembling the right cast and crew. Uitto stressed the importance of hands-on involvement and the significance of personalities meshing well. He noted, “The key is to get out on set and help out. You’ll run into people who are very good at what they do, you will also get to know if your personalities clash or match.”
Looking to the future, Uitto revealed plans for expanding the “Permafrost” universe. He said, “If not a Permafrost 2, a prequel to Permafrost and what led to this world of factions and corruption… Lucy definitely hints at it as the two knew each other previously and much of her war on the gulag and Jeremiah is because of what Jeremiah did to her father. So there is definitely a story to be told.”
As for the film’s fate, Uitto mentioned a combination of festival screenings and distribution, aiming to share “Permafrost” with audiences before the genre becomes oversaturated.
For those eager to follow Uitto’s upcoming projects and connect with him for future collaborations, he invited them to visit XelotFilm.com and follow his social media pages @lenniuitto and @xelotfilm on Instagram and Facebook.
*The story of “Permafrost” is not just a film but a testament to the power of persistence, creativity, and collaboration in the world of independent cinema, proving that with determination and a passionate team, extraordinary stories can come to life.*
