By Andy Sullivan

Forgive Kristen Zaik and Monica Green if their schedule is a little hectic. These talented ladies, producers of a production company (Sixunder7 Films in Los Angeles, CA), are hard at work on their first independent movie. After months of planning, filming is only a few weeks away. While a lot has been accomplished, there is still plenty left to do.

“It’s been a little bit of a rush, but everything is exciting right now,” said Zaik.

After discovering an unfulfilled script, Green and Zaik were able to get the rights signed over to them. Following a long process of changes and re-writes, “Cruelty” was born ~ a horror/psychological thriller. In October, Palmer native Zaik and Sutton native Green will be returning to the area. Coming back home to shoot the movie was an easy decision.

“Whenever I was reading it, I could only visualize places I knew in Sutton,” said Green. “We started brainstorming all the places that would fit these locations. It made the most sense. We didn’t even need to look elsewhere.”

Zaik and Green have been making the rounds with town officials in both Palmer and Sutton. Pulse Magazine was on hand for their presentation in Sutton. With an appealing confidence and a well-organized plan, gaining support for the project was easy.

“To have the support of the towns behind us is great because they will step forward and offer us locations,” said Zaik. “It’s really great for us because it enables us to make an amazing looking film for a very small amount of money. Every single little bit helps too.”

The process has been a long one. While the support from the towns has been a welcomed help, the team still needs assistance with funding. Such is the life of independent filmmakers. Businesses that have helped have benefited from free publicity for their involvement.

The help has been greatly appreciated.

“It’s really good that people are interested in working with us,” said Zaik. “So much excitement has gone on [in Sutton and Palmer] having to do with this film. When people hear about this project and it’s by local people, then they got excited and want to work with us. That’s really cool.”

It’s been a learning experience.

“There’s so much that goes into it,” said Green. “‘Ironman’ was such an awesome movie. At the end of the movie, when the credits were scrolling, it was almost as long as the movie. There are so many people involved in making a film like that. Kristen and I are doing everything pretty much on our own.”

As for the film, it should be a crowd pleaser. Zaik and Green wanted to make a film that spoke to the audience.

“It’s a story about fate, consequences and karma,” said Green.

“We are making a film that is going to make you think about your own actions. It’s going to make you think about life. We’re trying to be a little bit more realistic.”

With the start of filming coming up soon, it’s hard for the team not to anticipate the future.

“A lot of people that we know who have been out [in L.A.] for much longer and have way more experience, have never been able to get to the point that we are at right now,” said Green. “To have a finished copy in my hand ~ there would be no other accomplishment in my life that I would be more proud of than the finishing and completion of this.”

There have been talks of working on a comedy for the next project, but for now all the focus is on “Cruelty.” It’s the first project of what is sure to be a successful partnership.

“We’d love to turn this into our full time job,” said Green. “This is where we both want to be spending the majority of our efforts for the rest of our life ~ making films and being creative and trying different things.”

For more information about the movie, log on to www.sixunder7.com. Log on to www.myspace.com/sixunder7films to donate money for the film.