Blake Eckard

Since he was 18 years old, Blake Eckard has written and directed six feature length films in his hometown of Stanberry, Missouri (population 1186). Aside from a short distribution deal in Canada and a few festival screenings, his movies have largely gone unseen.

A movie by Jon Jost, who is the maestro of the American experimental movie world. The film tells us the strange incidents that happen in the ruined old village. Comparing to Jon Jost’s previous movies, this film has a clearer narrative and is more experimental with the structure as well. The essay film, which takes place in Missouri where they live an outdated lifestyle and where old culture still exists, confuses the boundary between fiction and non-fiction. The movie is based from a true story but instead of telling the exact story, the director casts real actors and gives a little twist to it. The actors explain about the inhumane incidents that happened in the village and while reviving it, they create their own narratives.

Empire Prairie, where Lonnie Enright grew up. He's headed home now, to see his ailing father and little brother. Bad things are coming.

A backwoods babysitter agrees to help an abused mother of two escape her lunatic boyfriend, but his psychotic brother is headed back to the area, and he has a fraught history with everyone involved.

Two backwater brothers become involved in the murder of their drunken stepfather.

A down-on-his-luck drifter, stranded without money in the place of his rural Missouri upbringing, hooks up with an old flame, and finds himself caring for his brother's infant child.

Sinner Come Home offers a bold examination of the perils of rural life, absent populist mythologizing or condescension. Insightfully and without judgment, Eckard perceives the poison in the sheer boredom and dissatisfaction of a small-town existence. -- Andrew Wyatt, Gateway Cinephile

When broke, constantly spieling drifter Chip has a chance encounter with Kent, a Bootheel resident who's up north earning money to send home to his wife and daughter, he mercilessly exploits their uneasy friendship. After Chip's intrusive behavior causes the pair to be given the boot from the farm where they're working, the odd couple embarks on a road trip that ultimately leads to disaster. Shot over seven days on 13 rolls of re-canned 16mm, "Backroad" was a true DIY production, with the writer/director rolling both camera and sound, and the two actors essentially serving as the entire crew. -- St. Louis International Film Festival program notes