‘Winter Harvest’ Filming Ends as Iowans Head to Italy (AUDIO)

A filmmaker who was born in Italy and now calls Iowa home says the first round of filming on his latest film is scheduled to wrap today in Oskaloosa.

Max Leonida, film artist-in-residence at William Penn University, says after spending much of his life in his home country and then a decade in Los Angeles, he is thrilled to be directing his latest work, “Winter Harvest,” there to lead Hawkeye State, which he describes as a suitable location for filmmakers.

“Because we work in such a beautiful community where everyone is so supportive,” says Leonida, “we realized that we can basically film here even if there is no real tax incentive, and we can work on that in the future, “We can go there.” Lawmakers and try to rebuild some kind of film commission and tax rebate so we can attract other productions here.”

A film that cost $2 million to produce in Iowa would have grossed $15 million to $20 million in Hollywood, he says. Some scenes were filmed in Ottumwa, others in Des Moines, including at the Iowa Capitol, although the majority of the three-week shoot took place in Oskaloosa.

Leonida, 54, told Radio Iowa that they will be taking a break for the next few weeks and then continuing filming in Italy for another month or so. Many local students and staff from Iowa and William Penn are used in the film as actors, extras and crew members.

“Some of them were so dedicated, so passionate and ambitious on set that we decided to take some of them to Italy. How about this?” says Leonida. “How many universities can claim that they make a feature film and send students abroad not for an internship but for a real job? I think it’s pretty cool.”

Leonida is excited about how he and his wife became U.S. citizens in Iowa in 2022. He says he plans to return to Oskaloosa with his team to begin editing and producing the film.

“Students will be exposed to some highly skilled professionals working on editing and usually post-production. “The whole process takes two or three months, so let’s say January, February, March,” says Leonida, “so by April we should be ready with the first good final cut.”

Set in the early 1980s, the film tells the story of an American military general who is kidnapped by an Italian terrorist group. Leonida has directed 28 previous films and says he came to the cinema as a 10-year-old boy in Milan with a Super 8 camera.

“Actually, it wasn’t even a movie. It was like these were my shitty things that I did, of course because I loved the job and was ready to be a storyteller,” Leonida says with a laugh. “So I got all my friends and my sister involved and did some very poor and bad stuff, but that’s really where I started.”

Leonida plans to present “Winter Harvest” at various international film festivals, including Cannes, and aims to have its world premiere in Iowa in mid-2025.

Listen to Matt Kelley’s full interview with director Max Leonida below: