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[Good news! It looks like The Novice may get a theatrical release after all!]
Extract below; view the article in full; visit the official website (both open in a new window.)
“Telling our stories” is the mantra of the Crossroads Film Festival, a four-day celebration of independent film kicking off its eighth year today.
…Some films even make their debut at Crossroads.
“There’s quite a few that are Mississippi premieres and a couple of world premieres as well,” Snell said.
One film making its world premiere at Crossroads is The Novice, a film written and directed by Mobile native Murray Robinson, a graduate of Millsaps College who wrote the film’s script while living in Jackson.
The film tells the story of Peter (Jacob Pitts), a Jesuit seminarian whose path in life is altered when he falls in love with a flower child named Jill (Amy Acker). The supporting cast includes Oscar winner Alan Arkin as well as acting vets Frank Langella and Orson Bean, who all play priests.
The film was shot in Robinson’s home state of Alabama and financed by local money. The film was completed in 2005, and while Robinson has been seeking a theatrical release for the film, Arkin’s recent Oscar win has brought welcome attention to The Novice.
“When we cast Alan, Little Miss Sunshine hadn’t even gone into production yet,” Robinson said. “None of that could have been foreseen … we were delighted when he read the script and liked it and responded to it.”
EDIT: It looks like The Novice is premiering tonight @ 7pm but if you’re in the area, you can still get tickets — visit the website for more details. 
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