When I was little, I used to make my younger brother Kyle (begrudgingly) perform skits with me.  “It’s called theatre, Kyle,” I used to say as I rolled my eyes with cultural superiority.  “Hello.”  Of course, I wrote the script, was the star, and always brought down the house (read: the living room couch lined with stuffed animals).  Anyway, one of my recurring characters was a fortune teller with a crystal ball who predicted the future in incredible detail.

I bring this up because today I’d like to play “fortune teller” once again; my prediction is that my college friend and movie buff Andrew Kightlinger will soon be a famous screenwriter/director/producer/creative force in “all things film.”

And here’s why: Andrew, who earlier this year received his Master’s in filmmaking from Boston University, has just finished filming an independent film, You Don’t Know Bertha Constantine.  The film, which was shot in the Badlands of South Dakota in June, has already put a few awards on its shelf, including the “Short Screenplay Award” at the 2010 Honolulu International Film Festival, as well as the “Most Original New Screenplay” at the Newport International Film Festival.

Bertha, whose lead character of the same name is actually played by our college theatre professor, Dr. Julia Bennett, follows the story of “true love and the outrageous things it will cause us to do.”  (Read the full synopsis on the film’s website here.)

Watch this trailer below, and get a taste of Andrew’s creativity, as well as Julia’s acting prowess.  I salute you both!

And, for the record, Kyle went on to star in an annual play sponsored by our church’s youth group.  (I credit those very early acting lessons. Wink, wink!)