Two former Columbia College students are making good use of their diplomas.
Nick Smith, who graduated in 2008, wrote and directed "Munger Road," inspired by a road in the St. Charles area that many people believe is haunted.
Fresh out of college with an extremely limited budget, Smith wrote the film in two years and then hired a bunch of fellow columbia college grads to help get it done.
They even managed to convince Academy Award nominee Bruce Davison to star in the independant film.
"He called me after he read the script and said it was the best script he'd read in 15 years," Smith said.
The film premiered in St. Charles last weekend, grossing more than $40,000, the highest-grossing theatre in the country over the weekend. The film expands to six more theatres on Friday.
"What's Your Number," which was released last week and stars actress Anna Faris, also has a Columbia connection.
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It's based on a book written by Karyn Bosnak, a 1996 graduate of the school.
"My UK publisher sent it to somebody he knew at 20th Century Fox, that person slipped it to someone who slipped it to someone, and my agent started getting all these calls saying they loved the idea,"
Bosnak said it never hit her until she saw the finished project on the big screen.
"I cried. It was really emotional, but exciting," Bosnak said.
The film finished 8th at the box office over the weekend, grossing $5.6 million.
