Wouldn't life be perfect...if we weren't at its mercy?

In a working class Connecticut town, 19-year-old Peter's monotonous life is about to end. During the day, he tends to a sick mother and a wheelchair-bound father. At night, he fends off advances from his boss at the local convenience store. The nights pass and he finds himself slipping into an uneasy relationship with an engaged co-worker. One night in the cellar, lit by a dangling bulb, something emerges to take his life. A dark man creeps beneath the light. His wiry hair hides his glossy eyes, bony face, and a pair of fangs beneath his lips... In his debut, Director Roger Ingraham breathes new life into what a vampire film can be. The innovative, richly textured and highly realistic "Moonshine" will haunt moviegoers long after they leave the theatre.

I wrote and created “Moonshine” at 19-years-old from a deep place of wanting to break out of my hopeless small-town mold, and embrace my creative powers. Growing up in rural Stafford Springs, Connecticut, I didn’t know many people who had high dreams or high esteem for themselves. And I felt destined to fall into a self-loathing life of 9-to-5 compromises. After my year studying film in Los Angeles, I drove back across the country to my hometown with a very hopeful notion, "I wonder if I could borrow a little money, convince a few friends to help me, and make my own film." With only $9200 of college funds and family donations, I never imagined the film would get as big as it did. The town’s support was incredible. The local town police donated their cops cars, uniforms, and yellow tape. The film’s 3 car accidents were staged using locally-donated vehicles. People three times my age were working on my film for free! Over 300 actors auditioned in New York, and extras from my hometown poured in for the larger scenes. My sister played the lead female role, and my parents moved out of their house for a month, so we could use it as a location. As the production continued, I felt less and less confined by the small little town I had grown up in… Now does art mimic life or is it the other way around? Moonshine’s 17-year-old Peter longs to break out of his hopeless small town life, and seize his deep dreams of the moment. The vampire fable of Moonshine is, at its core, a unique twist on a coming-of-age love story. The final act of the film leaves the realm of reality and embarks into an unlikely fantasy of vampiric desire and mayhem, where the main character is finally released from the limiting confines of family and society. After the film’s completion, my life began to mimic my art. Several unlikely events occurred, one of which was very momentous for the film. Moonshine was discovered online by an agent at William Morris. He submitted us to Sundance, and almost abruptly, the news spread that our little film was officially selected for the dream festival, making me the youngest feature filmmaker in Sundance festival history! A dramatic number of my cast, crew, and supporters travelled out as my entourage to Park City, Utah, cheering this moment for everyone in our little town. I’ve heard people describe filmmaking as a form of intentional sorcery. It’s funny because this first film fulfilled everything its story promised. As a sorcerer-director, my spell for Moonshine was more like a recipe…

RECIPE FOR MOONSHINE:
(WARNING: the following concoction can be dangerous when ingested)
An entire box of commitment, 1 big jug of youthful hope, a crew-ful of local support, and one stubborn kid to say, "Action!" The secret ingredient: a spoonful of wild fantasy.
Stir the mixture in a small town and cover. Chemical reaction takes 2 1/2 years. Remove seal and enjoy Moonshine!