Dave Boyle’s Man from Reno receives Independent Spirit Awards nomination

“Nobody,” came Dave Boyle’s response when asked who he was wearing this morning when news arrived that his latest film was recognized by the Independent Spirit Awards.

Man from Reno was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award given to the best feature made for under $500,000.

“The way I got the news,” said a beaming Boyle, “was when people started tweeting me congratulations. For this little movie to get such recognition is a real treat.”

Boyle attended the San Diego Asian Film Festival earlier this month when we spoke of the difficulties the director encountered while working hard to independently distribute his film. Tomorrow should see a brace of distributors pounding down his door. Boyle says, “Either way, it will help us get it out there. No matter which way it ends up going, this is a huge, huge, unprecedented boost.”

Boyle’s leading man, Pepe Serna, was thrilled to receive the news. The two have been talking on the phone today on how “It’s been such an unbelievable whirlwind. This movie started out as a genre picture, a chance to have fun and try a narrative format that I hadn’t tried before. To have people respond to it in the way they have has really been gratifying and at the same time bewildering, in a way.”

With an unblemished track record behind him, Boyle has been around long enough to know “how much of it is out of your control. You gotta keep digging the ditch, but if it doesn’t rain, than nothing’s going to grow.”

This time he struck pay dirt. Congrats, my friend. You’re one of those nicer guys they say it couldn’t happen to.

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