Cinema Insurit?, Fraud Film Wins Kudos

By Daniel Hays

NU Online News Service, Aug. 6, 3:39 p.m.EDT?Short subject films generally get limited play in arthouses and smaller theatres, but the makers of a not exactly cinemaverit? film about an insurance scam say they may have found aninsurance industry audience as well.

A publicity spokesperson for the film, "Blanston," said itwasn't created for the industry, but it was made with assistancefrom a technical advisor, David Beacom an investigator for XcelEnergy of Minneapolis and the script writer/ director Jamin Winanstook pains to make it accurate.

Double-Edge Films of Denver, the makers of the 29-minute movie,won four stars for their film from the Filmthreat Web site, whichcalled it a "taut, well written little film" and the Denver Postcalled it "visually crisp, beautifully shot."

Its technical accuracy has drawn the attention of theProfessional Investigative Engineers adjusting group and it isscheduled to be shown at the Sept. 11 Insurance Fraud meeting ofthe Rocky Mountain Property Claims Association of Westminster,Colo.

The plot of the film involves a scheme by a computer technician,Blanston, who teams up with an insurance investigator, an adjusterand a secretary to create a non-existent accident victim with a $10million claim against an insurer.

Wendy Manning, publicity director for Double-Edge said Mr.Winans had some knowledge of the insurance industry before he wrotethe script because his father had been in the business.

She said the company is now marketing the film to the industryto see if any more conferences are interested.