Bethel grad writes music for movie "Air"

One couple meets in a head-on collision and falls in love. Another two, in middle age, can’t forget the pain or the ones that got away. And then there’s a musician who can’t say the words telling his girlfriend he loves her — so he’s writing her a love song.

They all need a voice, and the words to say. They will all say, and sing, those words in the independent movie “Air,” which will be screened at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Fox Theatre.

Tickets for the showing will be $6, with director Jeremy Osbern hosting a question-and-answer session after the screening.

A trailer for the film is available online at http://throughaglass.com/air/.

Much of the vocal music, and some background music, was written by Bethel College graduate and former Newton resident Steve Unruh.

Those who attend Saturday will be able to order DVDs of the movie and CDs of the soundtrack.

For Newton, this is a rare opportunity. According to the Kansas Film Commission, between one and three features are shot in Kansas each year.

The film took Best Feature at the recent Port of Kansas City Film Festival. It is not rated, however a press release about the showing says the film equates to PG-13.

The film is not the first time Osbern and Unruh have teamed up. Osbern produced a music video for Unruh’s song “Square 1” which won first place at the 2004 KAN film festival — a festival sponsored by the Kansas Arts Commission, the Kansas Film Commission and the Missouri Film Commission.

After earning a degree from Bethel, Unruh lived in Newton for one year before teaching music in western Kansas for three years. He then went back to school, completing a degree in electrical engineering. He currently works for Hasbro programming musical toys.

He has written, recorded and produced several solo albums — including a sampler CD available free on the Internet at steveunruh.com