Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, highlights of your career so far, how you got into this crazy business, and how you became involved with the movie.

         Cameron D. Cannon:  I actually got into the film business

         in Arizona, working on documentary projects. After

         watching so many film crews come to town from LA, I 

         packed up my stuff and moved to Hollywood in 1996.

In your own words, what is the film about?

CDC: I know everyone starts with the sci-fi angle but I always approached the movie as a love story and a story about owning up to your past.

What was it like working on a low budget film?

CDC: Most low budget films are barely controlled chaos at best but Howard had a detailed plan for this movie. His planning and the camaraderie of the cast and crew made this movie exciting.

Where there any interesting obstacles or/and creative quick thinking on the set?

CDC: I think the biggest obstacle was the short shooting schedule.  Until you actually try to make a feature in two weeks you’d never realize what it takes to pull it off.

Did you learn anything about yourself or others from the experience?

CDC: I learned that with the right vibe or working environment on set you get more from cast and crew, more nuance, more effort, more putting it all on the line for the common cause. It becomes a project that everyone is proud of as opposed to a paycheck.

My favorite moment was walking into the edit bay and seeing the images cut together on a big HD screen.

What does it mean to you to be infected?

CDC: We are out there and our numbers are growing… soon we’ll all be infected.

Interview with actress Alice Amter, an established film and television actress who has worked with 

George Clooney and Benjamin Bratt. Alice performs a cameo appearance in 9909 as a hospital attendant.

How did you become involved with the movie?

AA: I became involved after casting director Ricki Maslar had cast me in another horror film called Penance.

Tell us about your role in the movie.

AA: I play the role of the hospital attendant where Sarah Prescott (Kelly Pendygraft) resides.  I preform a cameo appearance in the film, appearing in only one or two scenes.  There's very little dialogue and my character is more of a looming presence, keeping a watchful eye on everything.  She represents the instutiuion, authority, possibly more.

What is the film about?

AA: I'm not at liberty to say, you will have to go see it.

What was it like working on a low budget film?

Low Budget is always tough but you just deal with it.  In a low budget situation I always try to help out by doing my own hair and/or make up or by providing wardrobe (which I did in this movie) and by being very involved in coming up with the look of the character, particulary if there's no or very little dialogue. In this film I wanted my character to look sleek and futuristic and just a tad memacing.  I think we succeeded in that.

Where there any interesting obstacles and/or creative quick thinking on the set?

AA: I just had the flu so really I felt lousy the entire time....

Did you learn anything about yourself or others from the experience?

AA: I'm sure I will when I see the film.  There's a lot of gren screen in it, so the FX will be interesting. 

What was you favorite moment working on the film?

AA: Mary Kate Schellhardt, who plays the Reporter, and I just kept cracking up in-between takes.  I dont even remember why.

I wanted the hero (Deke) to be the anti hero.  We have a character who just gets out of prison on murder charges and then decides to return to his home town where nobody wants him back.  After the meteor lands and starts infecting people, Deke is forced to stay and help the people who hate him.

Sarah:  I wanted Sarah to be strong, independent and witty.  Someone who can stand no matter what.  But she also had to have the girl next door small town charm.  Someone the whole town loves.  We've all had that girl in our town growing up.

Sheriff:  I wanted the Sheriff to be sarcastic and stern.  By the books and he absolutely hates Deke.

Billy:  Billy had to be everything Deke isn't.  He puts on a front, acts tough, but when it's time to man up, he cowers.  Desperately in love with Sarah and can't stand Deke.  (noticing a theme here?)

Stooley (aka James)  Stooley's nickname was given to him in high school by none other than Deke.  So naturally he dislikes Deke.  Stooley is madly in love with Sarah (another theme) which is the only reason he helps Deke solve the infection problem.

Jerry:  Jerry is the towns father.  He's the go to guy if anyone has a problem and the only one willing to give Deke a second chance.

The Deputy:  The deputy is also by the books, but not so quick to cross Deke out of the picture as the Sheriff is.

The idea to make a creature feature came in June, 2008.  It was me, my brother Mark, friend David Yates and our director Howard Wexler.  We wanted to make a film that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg, yet be interesting and entertaining to watch.  We knew the story had to be strong enough to forgive the commercial elements we knew wouldn't or couldn't be there.  So I came up with the title "INFECTION", I know.. original.

It took about three weeks to write the first draft.  Don't ask, because I don't know either.  Anyway after careful review and by review I mean harsh critique, we knew we had the backbone of the story, but elements were missing.

So on to the next draft, YAY!  Now the characters had more development and arcs.  I was also able to write subtle hidden meaning to life.  After the completed second draft I came up with the title 9909.  Not sure what inspired that.  I guess fate had bigger plans for our film.

Bryan Brewer

Working on the set of 9-9-09 was a real treat.  Howard and the crew moved with proficiency and aesthetics that now shows in the final product. I was in the diner scene, sitting at the counter between the two ACTORS .  A few takes, each one getting better, and I felt more comfortable. I tried to time my movements so they were the same each take, wow, that took some concentration! The script supervisor, taking notes on continuity to make sure things aligned for editing, reminded me to eat the fries with my right hand, and I did eat the fries, lots of them......Lawrence Rebeiro

Kelly Pendygraft plays “Sarah Prescott” as an octogenarianand as a young woman.

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, highlights of your career so far, how you got into this crazy business, and how you became involved with the movie.

Kelly Pendygraft: I’m originally from Louisville, KY and was involved in theatre throughout college. I moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of an acting career and became active behind the scenes as well as in front of the camera.  

I worked in wardrobe, makeup and craft services departments until I started developing my commercial resume.  I've had my fair share of managers and theatrical agents but only one commercial agent who is the best agent anyone could ever have.  I then started getting small parts here and there in bigger budget movies and landed a few lead roles in indie films.  I met my current manager while becoming involved with two other actors developing our own show called Watersigns. 

Tell us about your role in the movie. 

KP:  From the first time reading the script, I totally loved it.  I don't think that happens all the time.  I thought playing Sarah would be fun and such a great role for me.  When I found out I got the part I was elated.  Sarah is the storyteller; she gets to be a hero, falls in love, and finds new strength within herself.

What is the film about?

KP: Told from the future, the film is about a small town sixty years ago.  The government tried to cover up the fact that aliens have visited our planet and that these aliens are infecting and killing people. There are a group of people who save the town and perhaps the rest of the world with a simple antidote.  But soon the truth is uncovered.

What was it like working on a low budget film?

KP: Working on this film was fantastic.  Working on low budget films in general is great because everyone is there for the art and not the paycheck.  People come together to really make something happen and work really hard no matter what their job title is. 

Did you learn anything about yourself or others from the experience?

KP. I learned that I can sit in a chair for five hours at a time for makeup.  The days wearing old age makeup were difficult, really itchy.  I feel like I learn a little more about my art every chance I get to make a movie. Working on my own character and working off other actors is always a great experience.

How was the casting process?

KP: I had to read for Young Sarah, and Old Sarah.  I knew how important the Old Sarah audition would be so I really did some research on how eighty-year-old women move, sound, and look.  I wanted it to be as real as possible and I tried to stay away from any stereotypes.  I enjoyed reading with Bryan Brewer who plays Deke. And I really connected with the director, Howard Wexler, when talking about the young Sarah.  We were very much on the same page.

How did you work on the arc of your character?

KP. I wanted Sarah to come out of her shell. I had imagined Sarah to be someone who was never a girl with straight A's in school rather a little quirky and a bit rough around the edges. I saw her as never really seeing the rest of the world and just kind of stuck in her own head. 

I wanted to show the possibilities of Sarah being part of something bigger than her own life

DY: I couldn’t get the feel of the character for about a week, then one night when I was at Jumbo’s Clown Room, having a few stiff ones, the whole character finally hit me.  At that moment I became Murphy.  My friends thought it was funny for the first hour but everything I did for the next week until the shoot was Murphy.  I talked like Murphy, I walked like Murphy, I referenced Murphy’s friends, old girlfriends, everything.  I actually became Murphy, and I think it really shows in the film..

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, highlights of your career so far, how you got into this crazy business, and how you became involved with the movie. 

Ricki Maslar:  I was invited on to the film by the director, Howard Wexler and producer Bryan Brewer.  I have done numerous movies with Howard and I am looking forward to doing many more with Bryan. 

Tell us about your role on the movie.

RM:  I am the casting director. I am entrusted to find the actors that will breath life into the characters on the screen and bring the director’s vision to life. 

What was it like working on a low budget film?

RM: It is a creative process that unlike films with a full budget, tests your creative ability to work through problems rather than throw money at them, which in the end makes for a better product.

Did you learn anything about yourself or others from the experience?  

RM: I learned that friends are precious commodities and should be cherished.  As I called friends to audition for this movie, I found that they responded to the people involved as much as they did to the story that was being told.

What was your favorite moment working on the film? 

RM: When at first I was invited on the film by Howard Wexler and Bryan Brewer. It meant that they respect my eye and trust me with the project. 

What does it mean to you to be infected? 

RM:  Infected means ill, not normal, as was demonstrated in the film.

Once we had a breakdown of each character, it went to agencies and managers.  Response was overwhelming, hundreds of submissions.  Casting director Ricki Maslar and assistant Molly McDowell initially narrowed the field to 100 potentials, and then Bryan Brewer sat in on daily readings.  Each person came prepared with pages to read, and either Bryan or Molly would read the other side of the scene.  When we had a short stack of potential candidates, director Howard Wexler sat in on final readings and choices were made. About 4 weeks of work, and two weeks of prep.