It started with a van–not just any van, but a 1976 Volkswagen named “Shorty.”

This van was part of the inspiration for the film Bass Ackwards.

Bass Ackwards is the brainchild and semi-autobiography of director, writer and actor Linas Phillips. In the movie, Phillips, who plays himself, has just experienced the end of a relationship.

“It is about a man whose life has no substance and embarks on a journey,” producer Thomas Woodrow said.

Phillips decides to take a road-trip in his van, “Shorty.” While on this road-trip, he makes a documentary of sorts.
The way Phillips went about making the film was in fitting with its title. He never created a script or did casting for the film, aside from finding people who looked interesting. According to Woodrow, they would walk into a bar, find someone who looked intriguing, get him/her to sign a release form and then begin filming. They shot for 10 days, put the footage together a year later and then filled in what was missing.

The title stems from the interactions Phillips had with homeless people. According to Woodrow, these homeless people used the term “bass ackwards” often.

“It ties in with the character … He is like a turtle without a shell, until he finds the van … He was homeless, in a way,” Woodrow said.

According to www.bassackwardsfilm.com, the makings of the movie began in 2008, when Phillips and his friend Todd Rohal were between movies. After Rohal found an ad for the Volkswagen van on craigslist.com, they decided to buy it, take a road trip and film it.      Woodrow became involved in the project after receiving a call from executive producer Mark Duplass, explaining Phillips’ idea. Woodrow had worked with Phillips previously on the set of True Adolescence. He described Phillips as a great actor, a talented filmmaker and an interesting guy.

“I did comparatively little … I helped them with the logistics,” Woodrow said.

The film will premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, which will take place from Jan. 21-31. Instead of going to the festival and trying to sell the movie, Woodrow said they will release it through a number of channels, including cable VOD and DVD on demand, in a distribution model headed up by New Video and Zipline Entertainment on Feb. 1.

“The normal approach was too passive … If something doesn’t work, try something else,” Woodrow said.

He explained that this decision was made because most films that take the normal approach go on a four or five month hiatus and lose momentum.

Woodrow said that Bass Ackwards would not hook audiences automatically, based solely on the kind of film that it is.
“You can’t just throw up the trailer and expect people to flock to it as if it were Lord of the Rings,” Woodrow said.

For more information about the film and its distribution, go to www.bassackwardsfilm.com.