Tony Cross loves movies and loves the Quad Cities.

The thoughtful 27-year-old Rock Island High School alum featured the QC prominently in his new short film, “The King’s Eye,” which won two major awards at the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival earlier this month.

The 23-minute movie won both the Gold Eddy for Professional Narrative Short Film, and the Iowa Connection Eddy Award on April 15.

“It’s a beautifully shot film, technically superb; and the story is poignant and cohesive with minimal, efficient dialogue,” festival director Eric Dean Freese said this week by e-mail. “Its selection for Iowa Connection was not only because it was produced here by Iowans, but that the Quad Cities is an integral ‘character’ in the film. It is the ideal representation of Iowa filmmaking. Certainly one of the best films of the year.”

The festival’s Eddy Awards are named after Thomas Edison who, among his many other pursuits, was a pioneer in motion picture technology. The term “eddy” also is defined as “a current moving contrary to the direction of the main current.” That’s a suitable description for independent filmmakers, who often go against the current trends in mainstream cinema, according to the fest.

Cross (who now lives in Moline) has loved movies since he was little, and since picking up a movie camera at 7, he’s already written a couple of feature film scripts, made many short films, commercials, and one music video.

After Rocky, he attended Black Hawk College briefly, and now has two part-time jobs, looking forward to applying to film schools – including UCLA and Columbia College Chicago.

“I’ve always liked being able to pick up a camera and film things,” Cross said Thursday. “I’ve been using different cameras, better quality cameras, slowly picking up on things.

“I’ve always had a keen eye for storytelling,” he said. “There’s a lot you can gain from it, a lot of stories really connected with me growing up.”

His favorite filmmakers include the super successful Steven Spielberg and James Cameron.

“I was always fascinated not just with their filmography, but also how they started, how they came to be and where they began as far as filmmaking,” Cross said, noting many directors came from wildly different backgrounds.

“The reality is, a lot of ‘em just came from nowhere and they just started making movies and gone from there,” he said.

Making ‘The King’s Eye’

“The King’s Eye” is an example of a story that was personal and meaningful for Cross, that can resonate with many people because it’s relatable.

“For me, writing is natural, but you need that inspiration,” he said. “I’ll look at things in the world; I’ll watch other movies, get the ideas by basically absorbing whatever is around me at the time and working it into the movie.”

Cross summarized the short film’s story: “A man embarks on a scavenger hunt, left behind by his recently deceased father. On his journey, he’s given a chance to remember his past, while also embracing the prospects of his future.”

Its message is how a man overcomes his grief, of losing someone very close to him – celebrating the legacy of that person while being able to move forward, Cross said.

“That’s something a lot of people can relate to, having lost somebody that they loved and not being able to just move on,” he said. “The idea behind the movie is, you can cherish and celebrate that person’s legacy, but you need to be able to move forward and take with you the ideals and principles they leave behind.”

Cross was impacted by losing his grandparents, he said. “It’s very hard to be able to move on right away but then you think about the memories you had with them, and you’re able to process it better and accept it more. I think that’s a very powerful message anyone can relate to.”

The name of the film is what the scavenger hunt is called, but also embodies the theme of “being able to take in the sights and sounds around you,” Cross said. “Appreciate it and allow you to have a more positive outlook on things.”

It reflects the famous line in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” – “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Three years to produce

Cross got the idea for his movie after the COVID lockdowns of 2020, when life was uncertain and stressful.

“It took almost three years for this movie to come to fruition,” he said, noting he filmed across many of his favorite Quad Cites locations.

“I would just go out with my camera and take scenery shots in different spots of the Quad Cities,” Cross said. “A lot of the locations have some importance and meaning to me, since I’ve grown up here my whole life.”

He agreed that the QC is “an essential character” of the film. Cross hopes to submit “The King’s Eye” into more festivals across the country and have a QC screening at the new Last Picture House indie theater in downtown Davenport, scheduled to open this fall.

“There are so many beautiful shots of Davenport in the movie, I think playing it there, it would be really exciting,” he said. “I think a lot of people would really respond well to seeing their hometown on a big screen, in a movie like that.”

Surprised to win

Of the Cedar Rapids awards, Cross said: “I was not prepared; I was not expecting it to win. I have a lot of faith in the movie and confidence in the movie. I think it’s a very powerful movie – one that lets the visuals tell the story and not rely on dialogue.”

“It seemed like the audience there really responded to it well,” he said.

The lead actor is Aaron McElroy, who has moved to Atlanta from the QC.

“He’s a really good guy; he’s an amazing collaborator, and someone who’s very patient,” Cross said. “I was learning a lot as I was going on this movie. There were times I’d be going through so many takes and he was just so patient and understanding. He’s an artist as well, so he understands the time it takes to really get something right like that.”

He cast the film with people he knew, and was impressed by their work.

“I think there was a natural charisma and screen presence to the specific people in the movie,” Cross said.

The cast includes Nicole Jones and Kriston Thompson-Norfleet, with a voiceover by William Luther.

To see a trailer, click HERE.