Viewers across the world were swept up in the whirlwind of excitement that surrounded the Academy Awards this past weekend. But behind the effortlessly graceful façade of every great film is the grit and grime of the arduous production process that it must endure prior to release. The local independent film “April Showers” started its rags-to-riches journey as the collaborative idea of three strangers sitting on a frameless futon and brought together by a craigslist ad.

“April Showers,” which was shot in Omaha and Plattsmouth, premiered Sat. Feb. 21 at the Omaha Film Festival. It is an independent fictional film based on the Columbine High School tragedy that occurred a decade ago in Colorado. The film’s writer and director, Andrew Robinson, was a survivor of the school shooting and, with the expertise of producers April Wade and Jenna Edwards, decided to make a feature film based on the atrocity. Robinson’s emotional intimacy with the film’s story line is what has propelled the low-budget indie film over many hurdles during production and has made it a main attraction at the film festival.

“What we did right was we found a story that people could really grab a hold of,” Edwards said. “It’s not your typical movie. The story was so true to Andrew’s heart, which helped us a lot in making it.”

This is the mantra that all three filmmakers embraced when discussing the creative and technical development of their film during an Omaha Film Festival panel held at Creighton University on Saturday. Robinson, Edwards and Wade have all been involved in different areas of the entertainment industry, but “April Showers” has given them recognition in the film realm. In the spirit of the festival’s exposure of local film projects, the panelists shared their own words of wisdom for aspiring filmmakers.

“Ask yourself, ‘Does it pass the litmus test?'” Robinson said. “Just be honest with yourself. Be realistic with your goals.”

The panelists agreed that facing the reality of a film’s potential is the biggest challenge for any filmmaking team. The heavy financial demand of making an independent film lacking major studio support forced Robinson, Edwards and Wade to look to alternative sources of funding, particularly real estate investors. Planning and preparation were essential components of the production process, since the team was constrained by a limited budget and a strict time deadline. The distribution of resources depended on compromise between the writer and producers.

“There is always a middle ground as long as you have an end game in mind,” Robinson said. “Always be open to crazy ideas.”

These crazy ideas often morphed into decisions that contributed to the successful completion of the film. Robinson advocated the film’s crossover into a digital media format, as opposed to a purely theatrical format, so it would reach a broader audience. Out of this understanding of technological trends in film sprung Robinson’s own production company, Pure Motive, which is set to release “April Showers” as well as other feature films. Robinson said the filming process has taught him to take risks, while also evaluating which risks will be the most beneficial for the film.

“If you don’t have a career to lose, what’s there to lose?” Robinson said. “You have everything to gain.”

Most of the risks Robinson and his producers took paid off, especially when it came to casting for the emotionally-charged teenage roles. Despite the grassroots character of the indie, “April Showers” has a strong up-and-coming cast led by Hollywood names like Daryl Sabara, Kelly Blatz and Ellen Woglom.

The film has come a long way since the day when Edwards and Wade peddled the movie to the film’s executive producer in the lobby at the American Film Market nearly two years ago.

“We ended up coming out on top of a bunch of bad decisions, but we made the best decision for the movie,” Wade said.

“April Showers” begins showing in select theaters in April of 2009. The Omaha Film Festival continues through March 1.