By the water, life is deeply considered

Josh Lucas, left, and James Cromwell, star as Young and Old Mariner in Santa Fe resident Chris Eyre’s latest film, “Hide Away.”

Eyre, the chair of Santa Fe University of Art and Design’s Moving Image Arts Department, is talking about his latest film, “Hide Away.”

“This movie is a throwback to ’70s and ’90s type of filmmaking,” he says during a recent interview. “It’s a character study at its heart.”

The film will have its first New Mexico screening at 7 p.m. Friday, July 20, at The Screen in Santa Fe, where Eyre also will participate in a question-and-answer session after the screening. It is part of SFUAD’s inaugural ArtFest12, which takes place from Monday, July 16, through Aug. 3.

“Hide Away” stars Josh Lucas, James Cromwell, Casey LaBow and Ayelet Zurer. Lucas plays Young Mariner, who is a successful businessman who moves onto a sailboat after a life-altering tragedy. While preparing the vessel for a sea-bound escape, he finds the surrounding community is filled with curious and adventurous characters.

“What drew me to this script is that it’s a story of healing,” Eyre explains. “It’s about Young Mariner’s journey to put his old life behind him and move forward. All he needs to do is find the courage to take the first step.”

Eyre came across the script when he met screenwriter Peter Vanderwall in 2007 while he was doing a screening of his film “Edge of America” in Oregon. He says Vanderwall told him that he had a script for Eyre, who told Vanderwall to send it to his agent.

“I got a call a couple months later and my agent asked me if I was going to get on board with the script,” he says. “I was amazed that she read an unsolicited piece of material for me.”

Eyre then sat down with the script, which was originally called “A Year in Mourning,” and it connected with him.

“What was powerful about this film is that there isn’t a lot of dialogue,” he says. “I had to read the script numerous times and with each read, I became emotionally connected to what Young Mariner was going through. I knew that this would be a film that makes you feel something.”

With the ball now rolling, Eyre and the financiers were looking for a location to film. The original script had been set along the Columbia River Gorge in Portland, Ore. Eyre says with Michigan offering a 42 percent film incentive, the script was changed to take place on Lake Michigan. In 2009, Eyre and his crew went to scout the film and found the perfect location at Bower’s Harbor near Traverse City, Mich.

“We found this sort of utopian area where the atmosphere was big,” he says. “We also were lucky enough to find the boat, which ended up becoming a big character in the film.”

The entire shoot was 21 days during November and December 2009.

“We did have to deal with daylight issues because we only had it from 8 a.m. until about 4 p.m.,” he says. “It was a very tight shooting schedule, but what we were able to capture has a lot of impact.”

Eyre credits cinematographer Elliot Davis with capturing the stunning footage and Lucas’ acting.

“Elliot is as good as they come,” he explains. “He’s worked on ‘Twilight’ and ‘The Iron Lady.’ He brought a lot of emotion to the film by just the way the shots were set up. That was important.”

The film has been entered in various film festivals since being released in 2011. It snagged the award for best cinematography (narrative competition) at South By Southwest in Austin last year.

“What audiences see in the movie is that it’s a movie of renewal and the audience can feel the character’s pain, and it’s not always comfortable,” Eyre explains. “This movie isn’t ‘The Avengers’ or ‘Iron Man 3.’ It’s a journey of a man’s meditation, living minute by minute, and his will for starting over.”

For more information on the ArtFest 12 schedule and its programming, visit www.artfest12.com.

SEND ME YOUR TIPS: If you know of a movie filming in the state, or are curious about one, email film@ABQjournal.com. Follow me on Twitter at @agomezART.

If you go
WHAT: “Hide Away”
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday, July 20
WHERE: The Screen, 1600 St. Michaels Drive, Santa Fe
HOW MUCH: $10 general, $8.50 seniors and children, $3 SFUAD student at www.thescreensf.com