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I love the 90s, UFOs, and rom-coms. The independent film UFO Club speaks directly to me, and I had the absolute pleasure of reading the original script and getting to see this movie go from the page to the screen. The flick’s writer & director Steven Tsapelas chatted with My Hollywood Dream to share more details on making the movie and how you can see it.

Who?

UFO Club was produced through the Long Island-based production company In the Garage Productions, run by husband and wife Ken Frank and Shawna Brandle; it was also made possible by film producer David Rheingold, who regularly champions independent film projects that he believes in. We have an incredible cast of younger actors, including Spencer Gonzalez as the lead William, Eloise Gordon as Alex, Paolo Kossi in the role of Johnny and Josiah Schneider as Chris. Our editor was the amazing Vaj Potenza.

Oh, and I wrote and directed it!

What?

In the year 1998, a nerdy high schooler named William has to strike up a friendship with an intimidating classmate named Alex because he believes she has a videotape that will not only prove the existence of aliens, but will also exonerate his recently incarcerated mentor, UFOlogist Dr. Peter Greenport (Jerry Colpitts). It’s a movie very much informed by my high school experience, combining my then love of The X-Files, with elements of some of my favorite time-appropriate teen rom-coms, like She’s All That and Can’t Hardly Wait. It’s a pure throwback, with a lot of heart, and a fun sci-fi element.

Where?

The film is set in a fictional town on Long Island, and was filmed in some really iconic Long Island locations: including All-American Burger in Massapequa, the Malverne Cinema, and my very own high school in Bethpage. However, we filmed most of the movie in Connecticut, in and around my home.

When?

We filmed UFO Club in the summer of 2021; for many of us, this was our first time back on set after quarantine and it was great to get together and make something. Truly, it was a communal experience. It is set in the year 1998, the year before I graduated high school, and there was something comforting about the nostalgia of “living” in that time period. In filming UFO Club, we really tried to evoke a sense of the late 90s: however, we made not sure to exaggerate that time period, instead trying to play it as real and mundane as the 90s actually felt to those that lived in it. Mostly, this was done through the removal of modern tech, along with the addition of some classic tech: cordless home phones, old tube TVs, and we even found a functioning payphone for one scene.

Why?

In high school, I was in an actual UFO Club in my high school. A guest speaker came to the class and raffled off a video of a purported UFO crash on Long Island; however, the raffle was won by a girl who drew her own name. My nerdy group of male friends knew we’d never see this tape, because a girl would never invite us over their house. I always thought that was an amusing idea: in order for us to see the tape, we’d have to get outside of our comfort zone and TALK to a girl.

This concept was in the back of my head when I met Ken Frank at the Long Island International Film Expo in 2019. He wrote and directed Family Obligations, which won Best Feature that year. We got to talking and found we had a lot of similarities. He had such a great experience making a movie that he convinced me I should do it, too.

Actually, one of the biggest reasons I wanted to make it is because I wanted to involve my family: my wife Ana, our kids Stella and Linus. I used to produce short films and web content with my friends when we were in our 20s, but had been so busy with my day job and raising kids, that I stepped away from it for a while. The opportunity to show kids that you CAN create something, from start to finish, was a major factor in my wanting to do this. And Stella & Linus were very involved. They act in the movie, helped create some props, and were just involved from the beginning to the end. We’re talking about making another movie now (Bigfoot Club) and, once again, the main reason I want to make it is to get them involved.

How?

We’ve had a very successful festival run: winning Best Feature at Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival; Best Comedy Feature and Best Writer at the Chain NYC Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Long Island International Film Expo. Because of that, we were picked up for distribution through My Spotlight Independent, a division of My Production Limited, and are now available on a few platforms: Amazon Prime, Tubi and My Spotlight Independent’s own streaming service. There will be more platforms throughout the year, and we’re excited that more people will be able to watch UFO Club!

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We are super excited to present our latest indie film spotlight for the crime drama Solid Rock Trust, from director, writer, producer, and editor Rick Ives (IMDb). Last month we took a look at the movie’s trailer and we are so happy to take a deeper dive into the indie.

Who?
This film is written and directed by me, Rick Ives. My directorial debut comes on the heels of working alongside top editorial staff, bringing household stories to life such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3(2023), Ms. Marvel (2022), and Loki (2021). I’ve also been editing low budget features for about 6 years, but it’s my experience on large productions is really what paved the way to the creation of Solid Rock Trust. The stars are Koko Marshall (A Perfect Host, The One You’re With) and Alexander Hearth, along with a deep supporting cast of voice actors. Koko really steals the show as a hacker with a library of languages and accents she uses to misdirect everyone she’s interacting with. The film is worth a watch just for the performance alone. Seeing her switch in and out of accents, characters, and emotions right before your eyes is a magic trick.

What?
Armed with only a laptop, a collection of cell phones and her own wits, hacker Maddie orchestrates a bank heist from an abandoned building. Guiding a team of strangers, she uses her repertoire of accents and personas to conceal her true identity. Inevitably, as things begin to spin out of her control, Maddie must fight to overcome an avalanche of double crossings and obstacles that escalate in complexity as time runs out! Set in an old condemned warehouse, audiences remain on Maddie’s end of the phone call, leaving them asking who they can trust, if not themselves? Part of the game I wanted to play with the audience was to meet every expectation someone will have for a bank heist film and show it to them in a way they’ve never seen before. We have everything in here, but in a way that feels fresh and plays with the tropes.

Where?
I’m in love with abandoned buildings and urban photography, so this film was set right in the middle of one. I also wanted something visually interesting enough to hold our attention for the length of the film but still represented the type of background our main character came from as well as how she felt inside. We searched all over the Atlanta area for properties that were film friendly and matched the tone we wanted, but ultimately found a location only 2 miles away from home. Many people have commented that it must have been a custom built set for the film, but the abandoned auto shop is completely authentic. The desk and computer monitor props were the only things that were not already there.

When?
This film was shot in 2021 and is rolling out now to various platforms. The time period it’s set in is another story. I wanted to keep it purposefully ambiguous, although based on the technology, it would be set some time between 2005 and 2023. I was tired of seeing so many hackers in movies with top of the line, futuristic technology and software. What would it be like to watch someone work who had to patch something together with second hand materials and low tech items that would be harder to trace?

Why?
This film was made as proof that a low budget independent feature can look and feel just as intense and professional as a studio release if the filmmakers have an exciting character driven script, and are smart about what to show and how to film it. We have an amazing lead performance that shows a talented, smart, confident woman who is also deeply flawed and pushed to her limits. Sit back and watch a plot unfold as it begs you to try and keep up with a twist and turn every 10-15 minutes from start to finish.

How?
Solid Rock Trust is available wherever Tubi plays for free as well as Amazon, Youtube Movies, and Google Play for rental. As of June 2023 it will be available worldwide on youtube with more platforms becoming available all the time.

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Wow, October and November flew by in what seemed like the blink of an eye. We’re going to try to get new interviews and movie spotlights up as we head into the new year.

A couple months ago we had the pleasure of connecting with Mara Lesemann, the writer and producer of the independent film Detours. She shares with us details on how the film came together, the awesome cast, and the real road trip that they needed to take to bring the movie together.

Who?
I wrote and produced the road trip comedy Detours, which is my 2nd feature. Robert McCaskill directed, and Christopher Eadicicco was our director of photography. I knew from the beginning that I wanted Tara Westwood (The Grudge, Triggered) to play the daughter who’s moving to Florida and convinces her depressed, widowed dad (Carlo Fiorletta, Available) to drive south from NJ with her. Tara had a major supporting role in my first feature, Surviving Family, and I loved working with her. She traveled with me on several festival road trips for that movie, and after brainstorming with her for days, I asked her to also come on board as a producer. That turned out to be the smartest thing I could have done. Tara and our casting director, Caroline Sinclair, put together an amazing cast for a low-budget indie movie. It includes the amazing Richard Kind; the late great Paul Sorvino; multiple TONY award winner Michael Cerveris; Deirdre O’Connell, who won the 2022 TONY for Best Actress; NY stage and indie film standout Debargo Sanyal; and Vanessa Aspilla (Only Murders in the Building). We worked with indie musicians to create a fantastic soundtrack, including the closing credits song “Down the Road” by country music singer/songwriter Lane Turner.

What?
Detours travels from New York City to Saint Petersburg, Florida with Jennifer Giraldi, a NY-based actress whose marriage has just ended and who has vowed to build a new life and a new career in Florida. It’s been two years since her mom- a successful writer- died suddenly and her dad is struggling with depression. Dan still has his late wife’s ashes in a coffee can in his kitchen because he can’t decide what to do with them. The father and daughter re-discover their shared joys while they examine their very different perspectives on the late mom (played in flashbacks by Kim Director). They both also dip their toes back into the dating pool, with humorous but sometimes contentious results.

Where?
We shot all the indoor scenes in New York City and New Jersey. Then we hit the road with a skeleton crew and shot the actual drive that Jennifer and Dan take in the movie. We went south on Route 95, cut east over to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, then continued south to Saint Petersburg, Florida. Our camera team did an amazing job. Most of the movie was shot on an Arri Alexa, but the road trip incorporates some scenes shot with a Go Pro from a moving car.

When?
Detours takes place in the present, except for a few flashbacks to Jennifer’s childhood. We shot the movie in late summer and early fall of 2014, and it premiered at the 2016 Sunscreen Film Festival in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Introducing our movie in the city where the action hits a climax- a scene shot on a boat on Tampa Bay with help from Eckerd College’s student Search & Rescue Team- was great. I’ve worked with FilmHub to get the movie out to a range of streaming services, and that’s been a very good experience.

Why?
I love telling stories about families- the good, the bad, and the lies. My first feature was about alcoholism, mental illness, and suicide, so I wanted to look at the lighter but still very imperfect things that we all go through. Having full control of my projects is a joy, even though that comes with a (very!) tight budget.

How?
Detours is currently streaming on Tubi, The Roku Channel, Plex, and Freevee.

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Learn more about the movie on its official website!

Hello everyone! We are back from our summer break with a look at a fantastic indie drama, Six Years Gone, by writer/director Warren Dudley. Dudley previously directed the indie sports comedy Prankz, and horror flicks Cage and The Cutting Room.

Who?
I am a filmmaker and screenwriter from Brighton in the UK. Six Years Gone is the fourth low budget movie I have written and directed. Another project, The Bromley Boys (with a more sensible budget!), I was very proud to have written the screenplay for. I have produced this movie with my wonderful executive producer David Fearn.

The cast and crew, led by the amazing Veronica Jean Trickettt, were largely found within a few miles of my home town. Six Years Gone has a truly low budget ethos. It’s been amazing to see the film, and Vee in particular, garnering some very kind reviews and continued festival success. The cast and crew worked so hard and I hope seeing all the love makes it feel worth it.

The film is being distributed by Indie Rights.

What?
Six Years Gone follows single mum Carrie Dawson who is living a very comfortable life with her eleven-year-old daughter Lolly… until the worst happens and Lolly does not return from school.

We then join Carrie six years later to find that her life has fallen apart. She has been left to look after her mum and now works as a cleaner at a local social club – her past life a distant memory. However as some clues come to light about the abduction, a desperate search for answers, and eventually her daughter, begins.

We aimed for Six Years Gone to be a gritty and powerful look at tragedy, love, and desperation, that will touch a nerve with all parents. Now it’s up to audiences to decide if we succeeded!

Where?
We made the film in and around Brighton, on the UK’s south coast. The film is set in the same area. We were very fortunate to find four or five amazing (and importantly, free!) locations.

We shot the movie in eleven days – not something I would recommend! This was largely made possible by the fact we used long single takes on many scenes. This means we only had to do one camera, sound and lighting set up on location for what could often end up being 4 minutes of screen time.

Saying all that, my amazing DOP Richard Osborne would, I’m sure, have liked a few more days.

When?
The film was written, produced, cast, crewed, shot and edited during 2021. I started with a blank word doc on January 1st and we’d finished by Christmas.

We then set about submitting the film to festivals, and have done better than we could have imagined. We have had wins in London (where we World Premiered), New York, Paris and many more. It’s been an incredible ride. After the festival run ended we released the film in May 2022.

Why?
I’ve spent the last ten years flitting between football-based comedy and the horror/thriller genres. It’s been a privilege to work on these projects with some brilliant, talented people. However, it’s been gnawing away at me that I have yet to make anything ‘real’. Something gritty and heartfelt that packs an emotional punch.

The idea for Six Years Gone had been floating around my head for a while. As the parent of a now thirteen-year-old daughter, news reports about missing children have always left me with chills, and I felt those feelings could be mined for a script. About two years ago I saw a Belgian film called The Unknown Girl, and it immediately made me think that a similar way of shooting could bring my new idea to life. I loved the ultra-real performances and greyness of the film. I aimed to get close to this with Six Years Gone.

How?
Six Years Gone can be seen on the streaming platforms Tubi TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube Movies and Google Play.

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Stay up to date with all of the ways to watch on the official website.

We recently connected with indie film producer Mark Stolaroff, who also happens to be the founder of No Budget Film School. He chatted with us about his latest flick, The Last Days of Capitalism.

Who?
The Last Days of Capitalism was written and directed by Adam Mervis, the screenwriter of 21 Bridges (which was produced by the Russo Brothers and starred Chadwick Boseman), and National Champions (starring J.K. Simmons, Uzo Aduba, Timothy Olyphant, and many others). Unlike those studio films, Last Days was made on a micro-budget ($40k) and produced by long-time indie producer Mark Stolaroff (the founder of No Budget Film School) and Kenny Harrison, who was a classmate of Adam’s at Florida State University. The cast of two is comprised of veteran actor Mike Faiola (Awkward) and newcomer Sarah Harper. It was shot by AFI grad Bethany Michalski and edited by filmmaker David Au. The music was scored and collected by Alexander Burke, co-founder of the band Magnolia Memoir. This was Adam’s feature directorial debut. It was released by Indie Rights Movies. 

What?
Last Days is about a wealthy man who has been holed up high above Las Vegas in a penthouse hotel room for nearly a month, clearly suffering from some unnamed trauma. His night with a mysterious young woman turns into several nights, as he discovers that she is more than a match for him intellectually. She, too, is intrigued and while she initially stays because he is paying her, the two begin a complex relationship that could turn into something more than just lustful desire. But both have secrets, and getting to the bottom of those—without the inevitability of money getting in the way—will be a challenge. Despite the title, Last Days is NOT a political film. 

Where?
Last Days was shot in 10 days in Las Vegas, entirely in a penthouse hotel room high above the city. We had no permits to shoot in the room, and somehow managed to sneak all our equipment up the elevator without anyone asking any questions. I mean, it’s Vegas, and a lot of crazy stuff happens there, so I don’t think anyone cared. The cast and crew drove up from Los Angeles, where everyone is based. We loaded Adam’s brother’s Suburban up with gear and caravanned to Vegas. 

When?
The film is set in the present and was shot in September 2019. It was completed in March 2020 and premiered at the Cinequest Film Festival, right before COVID shut everything down. It ended up playing a number of film festivals—virtually—winning several awards. It was released by Indie Rights Movies in November 2021. It is currently 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Why?
Director Adam Mervis got what he likes to call “The Typical Hollywood Screenwriter Treatment” on 21 Bridges, where the writer (and original creator) of the film has no control over the project. He wanted to make something that was entirely his own, so he adapted a play he’d written for the screen, something that could be made on a small enough budget that he wouldn’t get stopped from making it. 

How?
The Last Days of Capitalism can currently be seen on Amazon Prime, Google Play, and YouTube.  

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We recently connected with genre actor/producer Jeff Kirkendall on Twitter and were lucky to be able to chat with him about Return to Splatter Farm, an indie horror flick that he wrote and co-directed.

Who?
Return to Splatter Farm is a sequel to the 1987 movie Splatter Farm. That original film was produced by brothers John and Mark Polonia, along with their friend Todd Smith. I wrote the first draft of Return to Splatter Farm, and Mark Polonia added additional material which was included in the final shooting script. The two of us co-directed, while Mark handled the bulk of the camera work, as well as the editing chores. Prior to this production, I had appeared in numerous feature films Mark had directed for his company Polonia Brothers Entertainment (PBE).

The Return to Splatter Farm main cast was made up of many PBE regulars, including Danielle Donahue, Marie DeLorenzo, Nico Bryant, Tim Hatch, James Kelly, James Carolus, Ken Van Sant, Jennie Russo, Jamie Morgan, Drew Patrick, and popular model/scream queen Mel Heflin. I starred as (an older version of) the character Jeremy, who was the killer in the original 1987 film. The DVD and streaming distribution was handled by Wild Eye Releasing, a company that has released many past PBE movies.

What?
The original 1987 film was about twin brothers who spend a summer with their eccentric aunt on a rural Pennsylvania farm, unaware that her handyman Jeremy is a serial killer who stores the body parts of his victims in the barn. In Return to Splatter Farm a distant relative named Bobbi inherits the farm and travels there with some friends to determine what to do with the place. On the way they stop at a general store where some locals discourage them from visiting the place, calling it the “Death Farm”, referring to the unsolved murders which occurred there over 30 years ago. But the group doesn’t heed the warnings and continue on their way. Little do they know that a now grown-up Jeremy still resides at the old farmhouse, and that he has dispatched countless unlucky folks over the years. And keeping with his murderous tendencies, he now hunts down Bobbi and her friends one by one. Can the local sheriff save them? And will anyone survive?

Where?
As mentioned, the story takes place at a rural Pennsylvania farmhouse. Our goal was to find a place that resembled the location used in the original film as closely as possible. And fortunately, Mark was able to locate such a farm not too far from where he lives in Wellsboro, PA. The outside of the building was very similar looking to the one in the original movie, and also the owner hadn’t lived there in awhile, which suited our needs perfectly. And we had many other buildings (barns, storage sheds, etc.) and open fields to work with as well. For all but one afternoon (when we filmed the store scene) the cast and crew were at that farm location.

When?
Return to Splatter Farm takes place approximately 33 years after the events of the first movie. We filmed the sequel over a week during Summer 2019, and it was released in the United States on DVD and various pay streaming platforms in November 2020. Following this, it went on to play on the free streaming channel Tubi. There is even a VHS version available for collectors of that format.

Why?
I had previously directed several of my own short films and features, and as mentioned acted in many PBE movies. Mark Polonia and I were on a break during the filming of his feature Amityville Exorcism, and I asked him if he would ever consider producing a sequel to Splatter Farm. He said he would and shared some ideas. It turned out his ideas were similar to my own, so when I returned home from Pennsylvania I began working on a script. I surprised him with the finished draft a few months later and he really liked it. And a couple of years later we went into production together on it.

I was motivated to write Return to Splatter Farm because of my admiration for the first film. It has become an indie horror cult classic over the years, and I thought it was amazing that three teenagers with minimal resources could not only produce a feature back in the 1980’s, but also get it distributed nationally on VHS as well. Splatter Farm is a quintessential home-made, shot-on-video (SOV) example of what can be done with sheer determination and lots of imagination. And as for story, it is a compelling tale mixed with potent shock value that keeps one watching from beginning to end.

I wanted this sequel to be an entertaining standalone slasher movie, as well as a plausible continuation of the story. This was achieved by bringing a fun group of characters to the old farmhouse for a legitimate reason, where Jeremy is alive and well. For viewers new to the franchise it will be something of a mystery who the killer is, whereas fans will know his identity and have an idea what he’s up to. And speaking of kill scenes, I intentionally wrote each one to be as unique and different as I could in order to make the movie fresh and memorable. My personal favorite moments include one where Jeremy makes use of a flare gun, and a scene involving an 80’s boombox. And I would also mention there are several nods to famous 1980’s slasher films sprinkled throughout the movie. This was done because I’m a big fan of the genre and the films of that decade in particular, and I’m hoping other fans will enjoy these moments as well.

How?
Our film Return to Splatter Farm can be seen on the streaming platforms Tubi TV, Amazon Prime, Vimeo and Google Play, among other places. It is also available on DVD and VHS from various major retailers.

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We had the pleasure of connecting with Peter Kondra and Mikael Schallock, the producers and co-directors of the indie drama/dark comedy Good Old Friends. Learn more about their dark comedy/drama that took more than 4 years to make.

Who?
The independent film Good Old Friends was produced and directed by Mikael Schallock and Peter Kondra. It marks their directorial debut and first feature length film as producers. Kondra created the story and penned the script. Schallock tended to camera and editing. Andrej Vickers was cast for the third leading role playing Marc. Given our limited resources, we were constantly jumping back and forth from acting to directing. It was a minimalist approach that was at times overwhelming but also felt liberating.  Our cast was rounded out by the wonderfully talented actors Ronja Klatt, Marie Céline Yildirim, Haydar Türkoglu, Anna Rosa Braun and Martin Herden. The legendary actor/filmmaker Ulli Lommel, famous for The Boogeyman and his many collaborations with Andy Warhol and Rainer Werner Fassbinder, makes an unexpected voice cameo at the beginning of the film. Ultimately, after winning six awards at four international film festivals, we were delighted to find worldwide distribution with Indie Rights Movies based in Los Angeles, CA.

What?
Here’s the short synopsis: Mike (Mikael Schallock) is an actor from Los Angeles and visits his old college friends, the drug dealer Pete (Peter Kondra) and the office worker Marc (Andrej Vickers), in Berlin after five years. It quickly becomes clear how their lives have changed so much that they all can’t quite find their way back to each other. During the drug and booze fueled festivities at Marc’s apartment, a harmless prank devolves into the tragic death of one the friends. The remaining two have to figure out how to dispose of the body in order to avoid jailtime. They set out on a roadtrip driving a VW Beatle, with their friend’s body in the trunk, and scour the Berlin nightscape in hopes of putting their huge problem to rest. During their odyssey, what’s left of their friendship is put to the test.

Where?
Most of the film was made in Berlin. The intention from the beginning was to show as much of Berlin as possible. The film was shot mainly in two locations. The first half takes place in Marc’s apartment, which is really Peter Kondra’s place. The second half essentially takes place in Marc’s VW Beatle, which was actually Mikael Schallock’s mother’s car. The finale of the film takes place at a lake outside Berlin, but we actually shot this scene in Poland for practical reasons. The quiet location of the lake was extremely important to us and we found the perfect motif in the region of Borne Sulinowo in Poland.

When?
The first take was shot in Poland in the summer of 2016, where we shot the finale of the film first. Due to unforeseen interruptions, the shoot dragged on until the middle of 2019. For the most part, we were only able to start shooting in the evenings after our other commitments. In exchange, we started editing immediately afterwards and were able to complete it in early 2020. The film was immediately submitted to international film festivals. It first won an award in Prague in October 2020, followed by further nominations and awards in the USA, Cannes, Sweden, Japan and Slovakia. The VoD release for American audiences was in September 2021 on Amazon Prime, followed by Tubi TV, Google Play and Youtube. Additional releases on Amazon Prime have already appeared in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Why?
Mikael and Peter worked together as actors and assistant directors for the controversial filmmaker Ulli Lommel (The Boogeyman, films with Andy Warhol and Rainer Werner Fassbinder) until his unfortunate passing in Dec. 2017. Lommel encouraged us to make our own feature film. The idea for Good Old Friends was Peter’s brain child. He recalled from his mid-thirties how friendships at the time were falling apart. The film was supposed to portray the disintegration of friendships and the viewer is encouraged to think about their own friendships. The three main characters were meant to be as different as possible. Mike, the actor from L.A., is generally looked up to. Marc has a regular 9-5 office job like millions of others. And Pete portrays the drug dealer who manuevers on the fringes of society. Emotions like envy and jealousy play against the goodwill and joy you see in friends. In addition, it was important to incorporate the city of Berlin and its landmarks into the film. That’s why you see the Brandenburg Gate, Alexanderplatz, Potsdamer Platz and so much more of Berlin in Good Old Friends.

How?
Our film Good Old Friends can be found on the video on demand platforms Tubi TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play and Youtube. A DVD/Blu-ray release is currently not planned.

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