One thing you can say about independent films is that they always have an interesting story to tell on and behind the screen.

This is no less true of “The Private Public,” a film written by former Iowa State students Justin Holstein and Chad Calek.

The movie, which will be filmed in the summer of 2000, will be partly shot on the ISU campus.

The film is currently in preproduction, while the producers work on the complicated process of financing. Details about the plot are scarce because the film’s writers are unable to reveal too much of the story yet.

What can be revealed is that “The Private Public” will tentatively star ISU graduate Tanya Miller as the female lead, Seattle “Real World” star David Burns, Los Angeles “Real World” star Glen Naessens, Bob Yapp of “About Your House with Bob Yapp” fame, and Penthouse model and actress, Melanie Stone.

The movie is about the formative years of two dissimilar college guys. It includes elements from Calek and Holstein’s college experience and incorporates scenes about relationships, freedom of expression and growing up.

The real story at this point is how two guys from Persia (the one in southwestern Iowa, not the Middle East) came to Iowa State, a school without a film program, and somehow managed to create their own opportunities.

“When you get to college, you don’t know what you want to do,” Holstein said. “Iowa State cut film three years before I got there and was cutting their journalism department down too. Since I was paying for my own college, I tried to make do.”

Neither of the aspiring filmmakers were limited by arbitrary social constructs. Holstein “made do” by trying to jump-start a film department and when that failed, took other routes.

“I did some short films and other productions of my own for money, which you aren’t really supposed to do, but I did it anyway,” Holstein said.

Holstein made money and built his resume by filming a comedy show at the Coliseum sports bar for a local comedian. After that, he worked on “Twister” with Dana Altman, grandson of famous writer/director Robert Altman (“Kansas City,” “MASH”), whose Omaha-based production company, North Sea Films, is handling all the pre-production financing for “The Private Public.”

“Our role is currently supportive development,” Altman said. “We’re analyzing the potential return of investment of this project and strategizing equity financing, packaging and other related elements that make an investor-friendly package.”

Besides “dry-side economics,” Altman’s life in film has conversely led him on a strange journey out of Los Angeles to the Midwest. Since he’s not surrounded by Hollywood industry types, he is able to operate effectively in an environment that welcomes filmmakers.

“It’s best to be as close to the industry as possible,” Altman said, “Since I’m far away, I can’t do meetings on a moment’s notice, but I can fly to Los Angeles or New York from Omaha.”

While the Midwest isn’t teeming with actors and production companies, Altman feels the advantages of doing film here are that people haven’t been burnt out yet on film and are eager for the big financial boost movie production can bring to a community.

“The whole state of Iowa is open to filming,” Altman said. “When I go to a town to do a $3 million film, 1.5 is gonna get dropped into that town. When you find a state like that, they do support it.”

And there are a few other benefits to working out of the Midwest.

“I also have four children, and Los Angeles doesn’t work for that,” Altman said. “I’m in an environment where people are eager about filmmaking; the people in those places are hardened by the issues. I want to stay here and make films.”

Many on the ISU campus know Calek as “Mr. Sensitive,” the controversial and oft-despised Daily columnist who is a devil with the ladies by day and a hard-rocking, Buckaroo Banzai-style bass player for 35″ Mudder by night.

Calek is a self-stylized Renaissance man with a variety of interests. Whether you love him or hate him, you can’t count him out.

“I’ve always been a writer; I’ve always written short stories and music,” Calek said. “Justin and I started writing this about nine months ago. I’ve known this guy since we were kids, and over the years we’ve become good friends.”

Calek and Holstein have formed True Player Productions, a film company they hope will one day be able to produce films on its own. With Calek’s energy and Holstein’s connections, the two began to make their dream coalesce into cold hard reality.

“Justin was working with EBI and met Dana before,” Calek said. “We approached him with our company. As time went on, the crew started to fall in place, and we found ourselves having a lot of established people wanting to get involved with this thing. We had letters of intent from MTV celebrities, and now that we have a better idea of what it takes to make this film, we’re excited.”

One exciting turn of events happened in Chicago when Calek first met Burns from MTV’s Seattle edition of “The Real World.” (You may remember him as the VMI cadet who had an affair with the show’s casting director.)

Calek and Burns hit it off in a bar one night, and when it came time to cast the lead role, Burns was the first one to come to mind.

“David Burns is incredibly real; he is so much like he is on ‘The Real World’ — he’s very cool,” Calek said. “This whole thing came from me meeting him at a martini bar one night.”

Chance or fate, one thing is sure: Holstein and Calek are two Iowa Staters who have taken their futures in their own hands. Expect to see them in the summer of 2000 when the ISU portion of the film is shot. And more than that, expect to be hearing about these two “true players” in the future.