Introduction
When FBI agent Cole returns to his hometown during a bank robbery, he uncovers a conspiracy orchestrated by the corrupt mayor. The Omro Heist blends the tension of a heist thriller with the emotional weight of a family drama—filmed in a real Wisconsin town and created by a team known for their darkly entertaining indie hits, such as Stealing Chaplin and The Mouse Trap.
Interview
Cinema Scholars’ own Glen Dower recently sat down with the creative team (Jamie Bailey, Simon Phillips, Ken Bressers, and Anthony Crivello) of The Omro Heist for a lengthy roundtable discussion on the making of their new film. Below are some highlights from that discussion.
Lightly edited for content and clarity.
On the tone and visual style of The Omro Heist, director Jamie Bailey describes the film’s warm, rusty tones as intentional:
“I wanted a 1970s film stock feel—anchored in the past, but still very much in the present. We tried to world-build something that felt lived in.”
On the cast and their chemistry, many cast members had long-standing relationships. Simon Phillips, the film’s writer and co-lead, states:
“Jamie and I have done seven movies together. Ken and I, maybe more. And Anthony [Crivello]—well, he and Ken go way back to the ’70s.”
Ken Bressers, the producer of the film who also plays the corrupt mayor, adds:
“I found the old bank building in a sister town to Omro and called Simon. I said, ‘This is our next location.’ We reverse engineered the story from there.”
Phillips notes that, while the film has the trappings of a heist, it’s not about the money:
“This isn’t Ocean’s Eleven. The problem isn’t the robbery—it’s the father-son relationship. The heist just forces them back together.”
Anthony Crivello, who plays the town sheriff and estranged father, agrees:
“That emotional layering was already in Simon’s script. My character feels abandoned. His wife, Cole’s mother, died of illness, and the son left. There’s resentment. And then you add the town politics, the strained friendships—it’s rich material for an actor.”
Filming in Omro and surrounding areas brought unexpected magic. Jamie Bailey recalls:
“We were kind of the circus in town. A sweet older woman literally walked up and asked, ‘Can I be in the movie?’ She ended up staying three days and shot a scene with Ken.”
Crivello credits the town’s support and the production’s resourcefulness:
“Ken had relationships with shop owners, homeowners. We got amazing locations—diner, bait shop, even back alleys—because of community connections.”
Despite its layered feel, The Omro Heist stuck closely to its script. Bailey states:
“Very little was ad-libbed. Simon knew what he wanted. We introduced all the players early and let the situation unfold.”
Phillips further elaborates:
That introduction—particularly the dynamic between the sheriff and his FBI son—sets the emotional stakes. “There’s a flashback-style conversation we keep returning to. They’re talking, but they’re not really connecting. That sets the stage for everything.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISb09zA2-B8
Bressers approached the mayor as more than just a villain.
“He wasn’t in it for the money. He was motivated by power—by outsmarting people. He’s two-faced—one version for his secretary and inner circle, another for the public. His downfall isn’t about losing money—it’s that someone out-thought him.”
Crivello adds:
“There’s a great scene between the mayor and the bank manager, where they’re maneuvering like chess players. It’s tense, intelligent writing.”
Asked about the film’s realism, Phillips reveals a personal connection:
“My mom worked at a bank and was robbed by the IRA in the ’80s. She told me they had training on what to do—use the robber’s name, humanize yourself. Some of that found its way into the script.”
Still, the movie plays more like Die Hard than a procedural. Phillips elaborates:
“It’s not really about the cash, It’s about confusion and misdirection. You think it’s one thing, and then it shifts. I love that cat-and-mouse tension.”
Casting, like everything else in the film, was about relationships. Says Phillips:
“Tony recommended Mackenzie Jones for the female lead, even before he was cast himself. We like to cast people we’ve worked with. Non-union productions need reliable, talented actors—and when you’ve seen someone deliver on set, that trust is invaluable.”
After two preview screenings—one in Omro, another in Milwaukee—the team made changes based on audience reactions. Bailey goes on to clarify:
“We didn’t reshoot, but we tightened scenes, reshuffled a few things. One big change was starting the film with Simon and Damir’s face-off—it throws the audience right into the tension. That note came directly from the screenings.”
Bressers emphasizes the value of early previews:
“Filmmakers—screen your movie before locking it. Watch when people laugh, when they check their phones. The final cut of The Omro Heist is measurably better because of those notes.”
Crivello highlights the film’s grassroots success:
“We screened at the Milwaukee Independent Film Festival and won Best Feature. Jamie and Simon were nominated individually. That local love really matters—it helped get press, interest, and distribution.”
Jamie Bailey sums up the production experience simply:
“Any day I get to hold a camera feels like I’m 13 again, making movies with my friends. That joy doesn’t go away.”
Crivello adds:
“The layering, the complexity, the characters—this isn’t your typical indie heist film. It has depth. And it was made with heart.”
The Omro Heist, a wild ride of a high-stakes thriller that redefines the heist genre, is available on TVOD/Digital across all platforms now.
Read more Cinema Scholar interviews!
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