The creation of an independent film, in and of itself, is no less than miraculous. The making of WINDING ROADS was no exception -- a sheer act of faith, combined with a little luck, and just a touch of insanity.

After producing the independent feature, Park Day (winner of the Audience Choice Award at the 1998 New York Urbanworld Film Festival), an African-American family film set in the Midwest, producer Ted Melfi caught the directing bug and set out to find a project worthy of the silver screen. Partnering with wife and actress, Kimberly Quinn, the pair started to write a story about the very thing they knew best - love.

Director Ted Melfi blocks a scene for Winding Roads.

"We wanted to create a simple story, that anyone could relate to," Melfi recalls. "The decisions that lead to two people spending the rest of their lives together are truly monumental. We wanted to capture this roller coaster ride of emotions and reality with dignity and truth. The writing was a painful, joyful, frustrating and tender mission - and one I would do all over again."

Quinn adds, "As an actor one becomes accustomed to reading tons of mediocre material with no meaning, no message and no heart. This was a perfect opportunity to share a part of our lives that is very special. We set out to accomplish one thing with the screenplay -- one message: 'Don't settle for anything less than true love.' We focused on reality and tried to avoid any of the traditional fluff."

As students, Melfi and Quinn met at the famed Janet Alhanti Acting Studios. Ms. Alhanti's studio is known for cultivating up-and-coming actors and thus allowed the pair to befriend Katrina Holden Bronson and Rachel Hunter, who would turn out to be integral parts of WINDING ROADS. Well acquainted with Bronson's and Hunter's work on the stage, Melfi and Quinn knew they were perfect to portray the characters of Sam Stafford and Kelly Simons.

Katrina Holden Bronson was thrilled to be a part of the project, "The story is touchingly honest; these three women explore the gamut of human emotions before making such fate-changing decisions. It was immediately apparent that WINDING ROADS stood out as an exceptional script. It has something for everyone -- it's essentially a story of the human condition -- birth and death, joy and pain, triumph and loss. You can't help but be touched by that kind of story."

Rachel Hunter remembers, "I got a phone call from Kim one night and she was quite simple, 'We are going to write a film and you would be perfect as one of the lead characters, Kelly. If we write this for you, will you play the part?' I asked one question, 'What's the character like?' Kim said that Kelly was a complex and distraught woman, who had suffered the loss of her child and now her marriage was crumbling before her eyes. It sounded like a brilliant project. My reply was easy: Absolutely, I'm in."

Once the female leads were decided, the couple kicked into high gear, crafting the screenplay and dialogue to each particular actress. "I always find writing clearer when I have someone in mind - whether they're imaginary or specific," admits Quinn.

Upon completion of the first draft, the pair embarked on the fundraising mission. Melfi explains: "From my experience raising the financing for Park Day, I knew that this film would only be funded through the private sector. As we all know, the studios are not likely to fund projects with up-and-coming actors and a first time director. Kim and I are realists. We started raising money immediately."

To aid in the fundraising push, Melfi and Quinn enlisted the help of co-producers, Jason Askinosie and Gloria Calhoun. Mr. Askinosie worked closely with Mr. Melfi raising the funding for Park Day. Askinosie remarks, "Ted taught me filmmaking on a crash course, Park Day. We spent many a night courting potential investors and talking about film. When Kim and Ted approached me with WINDING ROADS, I knew I could add to the equation - Springfield being my home town. It would be a tough endeavor, but we had learned so much together on Park Day."

Mrs. Gloria Calhoun, a Springfield, Missouri resident, proved to be a brilliant addition to assist in the financing efforts. Her strong background in business and finance (Mrs. Calhoun is part owner in several apartment developments, a hotel, and various other businesses) proved to be irreplaceable in the financing efforts for WINDING ROADS. Mrs. Calhoun recalls, "I knew from the first meeting with Ted and Kim that this project was going to be successful. The whole team had such passion and determination - I was sure we would be crafting a great film."

Bryan Godwin, owner of Wooden Nickel Lighting and Camera and established director of photography, came on board to round out the production team.

Mr. Godwin started a camera and film equipment rental house in 1994, the main objective of which was producing independent film. When Mr. Melfi approached Godwin with the project, it was a natural step for the filmmaker. "Ted and I met on the film, To The Ends of Time, I as the second unit director of photography and Ted was an assistant director. He also rented much of my company's equipment for Park Day, and they paid their bill - which is always in question with independent film. I knew WINDING ROADS would be a project with integrity."

A month into pre-production, the funding process was at a standstill. A decision had to be made: shoot in Los Angeles or downsize and shoot in Springfield, Missouri. Melfi remembers, "We had a choice to make. Los Angeles, like all metropolitan areas is expensive to film. In Missouri you don't even need permits - just a blessing from the city. It was the natural choice to make and the locale would greatly enhance the vision - big choices... small town. It would be perfect, but only in the fall."

With October just around the corner, the production swung into full gear.

Dannielle Thomas of Handprint Entertainment was added as a co-producer, "After reading the script, I became so passionate about the project, I wanted to be a part of getting this story told on the big screen." Ms. Thomas' know-how and 11 years of experience in the film and television industry helped attract some important players...

Acclaimed Casting Director, Valorie Massalas, whose most recent work Gods and Monsters received three Academy Award Nominations, was attracted to the script but sold on the idea by close friend Dannielle Thomas. Valorie Massalas recalls, "So many lower budget independents don't stand a chance - WINDING ROADS felt different. The script was tight, a great read and the people involved were people I trusted. I knew actors would respond to the material, so I was on board."

With a rich and poignant screenplay, Ms. Massalas was able to attract a brilliant ensemble of fresh faces. James Marsters would be the rugged and simple, Billy Johnson. Adam Scott fit Sam's true love, Brian Calhoun, like a glove. Michael Weatherly would be challenged as Kelly's estranged husband, Mick Simons, and Carlos Gomez would portray Rene's passionate mentor and mosaic artist, Jesus.

With Los Angeles and Missouri casting in high gear and money slowly rolling in from the Midwest, it was time to set a date - October 12. Ted Melfi, on the significance of the date, "Kim wanted the start date to be special and suggested our wedding anniversary. Of course that's not what I expected for a celebration, but it made perfect sense. Besides, I knew we would get pushed anyway."

"I became somewhat obsessed with starting in October. If we were going to shoot in Missouri, we had to have the fall foliage at its peak. That's a three week window, so associate producer, Steve Corzan, squashed the shooting schedule to twenty-two days. It was perfect."

Two weeks before the pushed start date of October 20, the producers and a small crew caravaned cross country to Springfield, Missouri, in the heart of the Ozark Mountains -- eight days past the original start date. Oddly enough, due to a dry summer, the leaves were just beginning to turn. "We have God alone to thank. It just doesn't happen like that in Missouri," Quinn states.

WINDING ROADS had finally begun - but, the hurdles would be tall.

Aside from the obvious logistical complicates associated with location movies, the film started shooting with only twenty percent of its budget in place. "I've been down this road before with Park Day. It's sheer faith and a touch of madness. But there is something about the saying, 'If you build it, they will come.' They came (investors), albeit slowly and not often, but enough to keep the camera rolling," Melfi recalls. "There is no way to describe the pleasure and pain you feel when you want something to happen so deeply that you are willing to risk it all. We had a tiny fraction of the money we needed when we started shooting. It's called Divine intervention."

For twenty two days, WINDING ROADS was shot in the gracious and supportive community of Springfield, Missouri, with peak foliage providing a beautiful backdrop. Of the twenty two days, it rained only three times and all three times on the production's day off, Monday. "It's that Divine intervention, it seemed to follow us wherever we went," Melfi states. "The film was meant to be made. Everything that came against it couldn't stand. It had created its own energy. To say it has changed our lives would be an understatement. We only hope that it can change someone else's life."