Y. film opening in theaters

Move over, Wolverine and the Starship Enterprise crew. You've got competition in theaters this week from — of all things — a Brigham Young University-produced theatrical feature.

The drama, "Fire Creek," opens this weekend at a handful of Cinemark Theaters locations in Utah. Cinemark's University Mall (Orem) and Jordan Landing (West Jordan) locations will play the new movie on a full schedule for at least a week. And the American Fork, Provo Towne Centre and Layton locations will show it in "split runs" with other movies.

The first theatrical movie release owned by BYU, "Fire Creek" follows a U.S. Army soldier, Jason Malek, who was wounded in Afghanistan and is now struggling with his faith. According to BYU philosophy and film professor Dennis Packard, the movie was produced in-house, using university students from various departments as the crew, actors and even its target audience.

"It's been a monumental undertaking," said Packard, who also doubles as the CEO of the BYU-centric Campus Studios, which is helping distribute the new film.

"Fire Creek" was actually shot in Utah in 2006, though it has taken three years to get it ready for theatrical release.

Target audiences were used in almost every step of production — including the final script rewrites, storyboarding, editing and post-production phases. "We wanted to make sure that we got everything right," he said.

Campus Studios' aim is to produce "thoughtful movies … (that) encourage better family communication, which will affect other areas of family life."

The films also have to please BYU officials. Especially since the university's Creative Works Office is helping fund the movies.

Packard said that precludes them from making R-rated fare, obviously.

However, when "Fire Creek" was originally submitted for rating to the Motion Picture Association of America, it received a PG-13.

That created further delays in the film's release, as director Jed Wells and others cut some content and changed other sequences. (In particular, Packard says some blood had to be darkened.)

The film now boasts a PG rating for "thematic material, some violent content, brief language and smoking."

At first, Campus Studios was hoping to get the film into theaters in the less-competitive spring months. Unfortunately, the delays prevented that from happening, and Cinemark Theaters, which had agreed to show the film, was overbooked with fare — including the animated kids film "Monsters vs. Aliens."

Consequently, the "low budgeted" "Fire Creek" now finds itself going toe-to-toe with some of the biggest summer movie blockbusters. "At this point, we'll take what we can get, and hope that audiences can find our film and that they will enjoy it," Packard said.

He and the other Campus Studios leaders have big plans for the fledgling production house. Packard says they'd like to help other universities organize their film and other departments in a similar fashion.

"And eventually, I'd like to do at least one or two movies a year," Packard said. "There is a lot riding on the success of this film, though."

Campus Studios does have several projects in various stages of production. One nearing release is "HottieBoombaLottie," a romantic comedy that was written and directed by "Fire Creek" star Seth Packard, who just happens to be the son of the studio CEO.

E-mail: jeff@desnews.com