SBIFF: OKIE, starring Scott Michael Foster, Explores What We Owe to Our Hometowns

While most people wouldn’t dream of working with their spouse, filmmaking duo Kate Cobb and Kevin Bigley actively sought to do so on their film OKIE. Bigley, known for his roles on “Upload” and “Animal Control“, penned the deeply personal script while Cobb made her feature directorial debut. Perhaps more impressive than the fact that they’ve remained married after making an indie film, is that OKIE premiered last week at the  Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF).

OKIE tells the story of Louie (Foster), an acclaimed writer, returns to his hometown after his father’s death. Confronted with a host of people from his past, Louie must reconcile with the stories he’s stolen, misrepresented, or downright exploited for profit.

In addition to conceiving of the project, both Cobb and Bigley act in the feature as well. When asked about balancing the many hats they wore when making OKIE, Cobb said the following:

“We work really well together as partners, we have for a long time. We’ve also been together for fifteen years…you kind of have a shorthand with each other which makes the communication easier on set when we have to divide and conquer. But I think that that’s the key, we weren’t trying to direct this movie together and I wasn’t trying to write this movie. We were working in our own respective branches and so in a lot of ways we were able to hand things off to each other that needed to be delegated more. And I think it’s a lot of trust in having the same vision.”

WATCH OUT INTERVIEW WITH KATE AND KEVIN

The pair describe OKIE as a “stubbornly independent film born from a love of blue-collar filmmaking and moldering Americana.” Inspired by directors like Jeff Nichols and Sean Bakers, Bigley looked to his hometown in Northern California for the basis of the story.

“We both grew up with chips on our shoulders — both blue-collar upbringings — [regarding] whether or not we were going to ‘make it’,” shared Bigley. ” If you have that chip on your shoulder, you want to come home and you want to be like ‘Yeah, see! I’ve done it!’ But who is that to? Who is the audience?”

Cobb jumped in with an equally resonant insight about the film, “OKIE’s about someone coming home to their hometown and dealing with the ghosts of their past and reconciling their behavior toward the people that they used to know. It makes you consider your relationship to your hometown…you wonder what you owe to your hometown.”

In Santa Barbara, lead actor Scott Michael Foster (C.razy Ex-Girlfriend shared he was looking forward to seeing OKIE in a theater. “We’ve seen it on computer monitors and our own TVs, but to see it at the festival on the biggest screen is going to be exciting.”

WATCH OUR INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT AND KATE

Cobb, Bigley, and Foster were all exuberant about OKIE and the recognition it’s received from SBIFF. “We all worked so hard, and it’s just a group of really talented people who brought their own thing to it,” mused Cobb. We hope that OKIE won’t be the last feature she directs, since it’s clear Cobb has more stories to tell.

Our interview with Kate and Kevin was filmed at Kiva CoWork Downtown Santa Barbara. Learn more about Kiva’s coworking spaces in Santa Barbara and how to become a member on their WEBSITE.

More about the Santa Barbara International Film Festival

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and educational organization. Over the past 35 years, SBIFF has become one of the leading film festivals in the United States. The festival attracts 100,000 attendees and offers 11 days of 200+ films, tributes and panels. It strives to fulfill their mission to engage, enrich, and inspire people through the power of film. We celebrate the art of cinema and provide impactful educational experiences for our local, national and global communities.