As the credits rolled at the end of Jeremy Osbern’s feature film Air, I looked at my wife and said “Wow, that was not only a good indie film, it made me feel good.” Rare these days as too many indie filmmakers are content to film their navels while mumbling to someone who may or may not be a stranger in the corner of a room something like “I dunno..maybe?” It is all one can do to sit through these valiant efforts, much less enjoy them. Granted, Jeremy and his team at Through a Glass Productions are not exactly beginners-Jeremy is an award-winning filmmaker in his I believe, late twenties and Producer Christopher Blunk has an accomplished track record in his own right-but together they made this movie in their home town of Lawrence, KS with mostly homegrown talent, moxie, and a love of community that comes through every frame.

“Air” is an original musical, at once a romantic comedy and a drama as it tracks three ordinary folks who feel out of place in the world. Not pandering to stereotypes, Osbern and co-writer Blunk frame a middle-age African-American falling for a lonely soul in a country western bar. Lovely without being saccharine, Granvile O’Neal and Brenda Harvey sing and dance in Osbern’s (another triple or quadruple threat) excellent cinematography, which never misses a beat the entire film. Nothing short of professional.

Ian Stark and Megan Carter meet in a head-on collision. Not the most auspicious start to unlocking one’s heart, but if Air drives home one point, it’s that it doesn’t matter how you get there, just get there. Dylan Hilpman and Jennifer Coville are young lovers who get lost amid the pitfalls of youth (Oh! Ambition!) as he looks for the perfect song, blind to the fact it was at his elbow the whole time.

All the performances are heartfelt and the dramatic moments come with pounds. I was amazed at how good they looked on screen (my LA moment-sue me) But all the tech savvy, beautiful people, and camera tricks in the world don’t amount to a hill of beans if the story does not have honest, universal, emotional chops. Seek this one out. It’s good stuff from Kansas.