KNEE HIGH
After a beautiful 2.5 year journey from script to screen, this chapter has come to a close. Knee High is now available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime. This story isn’t possible without the amazing community that helped us bring this to life. To y’all we are eternally grateful. The film is yours now.
After producing the short film in 2018, the Melbourne story wasn’t done. In early 2022, the feature script was finished and pre-production officially began. A majority of the cast and crew from the short returned to produce the feature. Knee High was filmed over 15 days in Madrid, IA and the surrounding small towns. A screener is available for interested distributors. Keep scrolling to check out some behind the scenes images from the feature and watch the award winning short that inspired it.
Michael Ridley, Marissa Vonn, and Nick Ford watch the sunset from the picture truck.
Michael Ridley and Ben Bergthold on set with cattle in Iowa.
Cast and crew setting up shop in Madrid.
The workhorse C200 with Cooke Mini s4 lens capturing a sunny fall day in Iowa.
Marissa and Nick in the truck during a scene.
A majority of the crew of Knee High on Ben Bergthold's wrap day. Notably missing, the AMAZING AD, Tempest Montgomery.
KNEE HIGH SHORT
Set against the Iowa farmlands, KNEE HIGH follows Calvin Melbourne as he tries to balance parenting and taking over the family farm.
Produced in late 2018 in Madrid, Iowa with the DEFT team.
Knee High screened at over 40 festivals worldwide and brought home the following honors:
BEST IOWA MADE FILM - Snake Alley Festival of Film
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD - Snake Alley Festival of Film
BEST SHORT FILM - ABQ Indie Film Festival
BEST KIDS/FAMILY SHORT - Queen City Film Festival
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - Good Grain Film Festival
BEST EDITING - Good Grain Film Festival
BEST SHORT - Good Grain Film Festival
BEST PRO SHORT - Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival
IOWA CONNECTION AWARD - Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD - Shawnee Shorts Film Festival
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD - Mountain Tales Film Festival
Poster design by AJ Simmons, an Iowa based artist.
Bruce James Bales, Marissa Vonn, and Jeremy Andrews on set of KNEE HIGH. Photo by Ben Handler.
Marissa Vonn and her dad, Justin, on set. Justin has a speaking line in the film during the diner scene.
Part of the Knee High crew at wrap. From top left: Jeremy Andrews, Emily McCurdy, Marissa Vonn, Spencer Michael Smith, Michael Ridley, Matt Boyles. From bottom left: John Hennessey Baker and Bruce James Bales.
A scene set up for KNEE HIGH. Photo by Ben Handler.