CONTRIBUTED PHOTO — Writer/Director Jude Rawlins.

Jude Rawlins, a writer/director with the Marshalltown-based Bella Luna Productions, said he makes experimental films that blend genres and offer moviegoers a unique experience.

His movies, several of which have been shot in Marshall County, have received worldwide notice. “Mania,” filmed locally and in New York City, was recently screened in the non-competitive curated segment “Cinema of the World” at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI-55) in Goa, India.

“It was curated, not a competition screening, and that’s been happening a bit more for us,” he said. “I prefer that to festivals that are essentially just competitions. I think we’re in this zone now where we would prefer to screen films for people who want to specifically show the film, rather than filling quotas on festivals.”

Rawlins said a movie he made outside of Bella Luna Productions, called “Isolation,” received a budget from the Iowa Arts Council and the National Endowment of the Arts. It will be released in spring 2025, with some filming in Marshalltown, and stars Emily Kincaid, an actress that frequently appears in his movies.

“It’s a very experimental piece of work, and we want to show it with live musical accompaniment that’s different every time we screen it,” he said.

There would also be versions shot in color, black and white and both.

“I haven’t seen that done before and am hoping to debut it at the Orpheum, because they’re always really accommodating for us, and I always want to do things in Marshalltown whenever I can,” he said.

Now in production is “Three Witches,” which stars the actresses featured in “Little Johnny Jewel” — Rebecca Haroldson, Lisa Ann and Emily Kincaid — the first movie Rawlins made in Marshalltown.

The all-female movie features characters from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” He said the plot was inspired by Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” and the concept of “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” an existential tragicomedy that expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”

“I’ve long since now reached the point where I don’t want to make the sort of films everyone else is making, and I’d like them to stand out because they are different and interesting,” Rawlins said. “It plays with genres. It’s a bit Spaghetti Western and it’s a little bit English folk horror.”

Toyah Willcox, a well-known British entertainer, will serve as the film’s narrator.

“The top priority going into 2025 will be raising the funds to make ‘Three Witches,’ which will be about 50% shot in Marshalltown and some scenes in Madison County,” he added.

Bob and Linda Moore, who sit on the Bella Luna board, do more than look for funding sources, handle finances and vote on various aspects of filming. Their home has even been used as a shooting location.

“I have fun when they’re filming at our house. It has changed how I view films now: I look for different aspects of how they do that, because I’ve watched Jude in action so often,” Linda said.

Bob added that these movies would be classified as “low-budget,” around the ballpark of $100,000 concepts.

“It’s not the multi-million dollar operations,” Bob said. “Some restrictions can come with that: locations, actors, props. Independent filmmaking is an adventure.”

Rawlins is writing a screenplay now for a comedy set in New York City called “The Angel of Ridgewood” written with Steve Buscemi in mind to star.

The next project, “The Secret Life of Wanda Hasty,” will be set in Marshall and Tama counties 100 years ago.

“Marshalltown has everything that you need in terms of locations, the historical society have a classroom, they have a boarding house. You know, they have 1920s everything and I will probably be using Green Castle to sort of double for the Meskwaki Settlement, because it was very underdeveloped 100 years ago,” he said. “We’ve found most of the locations for ‘Wanda’ but I don’t expect filming to begin until 2026 (exactly 100 years after the movie is set).”

Rawlins said a film that costs $100,000 to make in Iowa would cost at least a half million dollars anywhere else.

“That’s never lost on me,” he said.

Linda added that she and fellow board members and stakeholders are there to support his endeavors.

“He’s quick to share with us what’s going on, the status of the films, contacts he’s made, and any screenings coming up. He does a good job of keeping us in the loop,” she said.

Bella Luna Productions may be reached at: admin@bellalunaproductions.com or by phone at 323-522-5822.