More than a Bargain:Award-winning short film "Yard Saleing" uncovers a diamond-in-the-rough talent i
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SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. - Californer -- You've no doubt heard the story about the ambitious would-be filmmaker who grows up far from Hollywood, but manages to put together a short film project that launches an exciting new career. For screenwriter Michael Tove, that's only part of the story - because his big break came well past most people's retirement age, and is proof positive that there is no expiration date on your dreams.

Tove's debut short "Yard Saleing," a Hitchcockian thriller about a couple whose bargain purchase leads them into a dangerous mystery surrounding a decades-old jewelry heist, has been wowing festival audiences and earning praise. Directed by veteran Tom Logan, and featuring actors Eric and Eliza Roberts in key supporting roles, "Yard Saleing" is the culmination of years of persistence and faith. A lifelong resident of North Carolina, Michael Tove always wanted to be a storyteller, whether it was finding achievement in writing short stories in creative writing classes, or, after graduating college with advanced degrees in biology, finding frequent work as a regional actor and film extra (his first gig was the original film adaptation of "The Handmaid's Tale" way back in 1990).

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Years of patience, false starts, and strategic networking with fellow North Carolinians in the film industry - like former studio exec and veteran producer Thom Mount - would prove fortuitous and Tove continued to work on screenplay ideas while making a living as a financial adviser. Meeting director/actor and veteran acting coach Tom Logan would eventually lead towards a workable production schedule and budget for "Yard Saleing," which was shot in San Diego. No matter that both Tove and Logan were past their 70th birthday when the cameras started rolling: for Tove, it's only the first of many steps towards what promises to be a brand new life in filmmaking.