The Smoky Mountain News has the story:
Western North Carolina has seen its share of Hollywood productions. But unlike many of the other movies filmed here, “Road to Nowhere” features a story that is actually set in the area.
Very little had to be changed for the sake of filming, whether it was “Waynesville Police” emblazoned on cop cars that peel through one scene or the historic environs of the Balsam Mountain Inn.
“This is not North Carolina doubling for something else,” said Steven Gaydos, co-writer and producer for the film. “This is a story set in North Carolina.”
Gaydos joked that scenic backdrops here are so plentiful they could put up their fingers and frame a shot any direction they looked.
The movie began shooting in the area in early July and wrapped up in North Carolina this week. The filmmakers have shot scenes at Fontana Dam, Balsam Mountain Inn, Boyd Mountain Log Cabins in Waynesville, Doc Holliday’s bar in Maggie Valley, and the Jackson County airport in Sylva.
“Road to Nowhere” is working with a budget of under $5 million, all of which was raised privately. According to Gaydos, the rough plan is to submit it to a festival like the Sundance Film Festival or the Cannes Film Festival early next year. He hopes that the independent movie will be bought and released by fall 2010.