Richmond filmmaker screens 2009 film starring VCU alum

Samantha McCartney
Staff Writer

Richmonder Joseph Wiendl was working in a restaurant in Tennessee when a normal night of waiting tables turned into a brainstorming session for what would ultimately fulfill his dream of making a feature film.

Over the past few years, Wiendl entered “Antihero,” an independent film shot in Richmond, into several film festivals. The film was most recently accepted and shown at the Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville. According to Wiendl, the general crowd reaction was positive.

“The caliber of talent that I’ve been able to work with in Richmond far exceeds anything that ever happened to me in Memphis,” he said. “A lot of great stuff is going on in Richmond because of VCU and its reputation as a great school of art.”

Initially shown at the Byrd Theatre in 2010, “Antihero” is now set to premier a second time at The Criterion, Bow Tie Cinema’s new theater designed specifically to serve as a place for independent movies that normally would not be shown at major movie theaters.

Wiendl believes that the re-opening of “Antihero” has satisfied what he hoped for when he first conceived the idea for the film in 2009.

“I had realistic expectations when I made this. I knew the odds were slim that it would turn a profit,” Wiendl said. “I refocused my priorities. I’m going to make this movie to learn things, make mistakes and use it as a learning experience. I’m human; I dream.”

Wiendl did not quit his job at the restaurant to live his dream. He continued to work and create his fim.

“It’s my brainchild. I decided to work in a restaurant so that I’d be able to pursue my artistic interests. I wanted to be a filmmaker … and by the end of that night back in 2009, we had a concept for a film,”  Wiendl said.

The movie tells the story of Pork Rind, a Richmond native who discovers that he has psychic powers. With these powers, Pork Rind and his best friend Weezie intend to become better thieves but become accidental heroes.

According to Wiendl, the film was meant to have a local vibe and bring the everyday life of a local Richmond citizen to the big screen.

“It’s a very VCU film, even though I’m not associated with VCU,” Wiendl said. “When I came up with the concept and when I wanted to make the movie, from the very beginning I knew the budget would be super low.”

“Antihero” was made for less than $8,000. The low-budget film was filmed in the summer of 2010 and written by Wiendl to not only fulfill a dream of his own, but also to represent the lifestyle of downtown dwellers, noting that there was a specific divide between those who live in the suburbs of Richmond and those who live in the city.

“This movie is made for the folks who go to Belle Isle with their PBRs, ride their bikes with their tank tops, just not giving a care,” Wiendl said.

Theatre VCU also had a hand in the creation of the film, offering actors and a casting director.

“There were no auditions; it was all referrals. I was lucky enough to have a casting director, who was referred to me by a friend. I talked to her about the story, went over the script and characters and she made recommendations about who she thought would fit into each role,” Wiendl said. “I was the outsider coming in, so as far as the casting was concerned, I handed over the reins when it came to choosing the actors.”

Wiendl chose to use the resources at hand to him, which included offering the chance to act in his film to VCU theatre performance students.

“I’d offer an alternative to theater students in summer, instead of working some crap job, you could get paid to do something actually having to do with your career. I had to make this with college actors in mind,” Wiendl said.