(Courtesy of Phoenix Eye Films)
Actress and producer Maria Tran is setting sights on new ultra-microbudget sci-fi action thriller, One Black Night. Tran is shepherding the project her Phoenix Eye Films label in association with Las Vegas-based Penn Talent Entertainment, which has signed on as the film’s Official Community Partner.
Development is now underway with the creative team holding early discussions with prospective producers, community partners, sponsors and industry collaborators as the project begins assembling its production team and support network ahead of filming, according to an announcement on Wednesday. Penn Talent will serve as the project’s creative hub, hosting script readings, auditions, rehearsals, workshops and community events going forward.
The collaboration also introduces a new Artist in Residence initiative, making Penn Talent the creative base for One Black Night as principal photography ramps up for an April 2028 start date.
Set in Las Vegas, One Black Night follows an overlooked immigrant cleaner who becomes connected to an alien consciousness. Tran is rejoined by her Echo 8 trilogy cohorts, Takashi Hara who will co-direct, and Elizabeth H. Vu who is penning the screenplay.
News of One Black Night comes following the growing success of Tran’s 2022 indie dystopian assassin noir, Echo 8, which was shot and produced in several phases with careful planning during the Covid-19 pandemic on a minimal budget. The film has since surpassed one million views across more than twenty streaming platforms, further cementing Phoenix Eye Films’ reputation for ambitious, community-driven independent action filmmaking as the company stays the course with the recent back-to-back completions of Echo 8: Five By Five and Echo 8: Beyond.
“Independent action filmmaking has always been about creating opportunities while telling stories people care about,” said Tran, director and producer of Phoenix Eye Films. “As we begin conversations with producers, partners and collaborators for One Black Night*, we’re excited to build another project that brings passionate creatives together from the earliest stages of development.”
Christina Penn, CEO of Penn Talent Entertainment, added “We’re proud to become the first acting school in Las Vegas to co-create a feature film from its development stage. This partnership gives our performers meaningful, hands-on experience while helping bring an original independent action film to life.”