After a minor glitch on Saturday, “When I Sing,” the independent biopic from Tucson Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Linda Chorney, landed on Amazon over the weekend, and by Monday had garnered some impressive kudos from buyers.
Among them was Tucson's singer-songwriter Heather Hardy, who wrote on Amazon that the movie shines a light on the hurdles and politics indie artists must overcome to break through.
"And why we need to keep supporting our independent artists and nurturing the great talent that is all around us ... loved it," Hardy wrote. Paul S. called the movie "an indie gem well worth your time," while Natalie R. Jean from Brooklyn, New York, wrote, "Everyone needs to see this movie " to understand "the pain, the struggle, and the join of being an independent artist."
Chorney held a virtual world premiere party Saturday to celebrate the movie only to find that a glitch through Amazon.com had delayed the film's presence on the platform, she said Monday.
"When I Sing" is an award-winning indie film that has collected a number of top awards in the film festival circuit. Chorney wrote and stars in the movie, based on the story of her improbable 2012 Grammy nomination and her 30-year music career that landed her a seat next to some of the biggest names in music at the Los Angeles Staples Center on Grammy night.
Robin Russin directed the movie, which Chorney wrote with Douglas Raine. It has Hollywood stars Chris Mulkey and Marion Ramsey acting alongside a cast of Chorney’s friends, family and neighbors mostly from Tucson. The bulk of the filming was in Tucson, where Chorney and her husband Scott Fadynich have lived for eight years.
“When I Sing” has won awards in nearly a dozen film festivals including beating out 80 films to win the screenplay and best film nods in the Borderland Film Festival in New Mexico last October. Other awards include the special jury award for best low budget theatrical feature film at the 51st annual WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival in April 2018 and the People’s Choice Award at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival in February 2018.
Meanwhile, Chorney has moved on to her next film project “Saving Bernie,” a mini-series centered on Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
