Rochester-Area Talent Shines in Dramatic Film 'Approaching Midnight'

Michelle Lynne Balser of Rochester only recently decided to try her hand in acting, but already she's feeling comfortable on the big screen, with a starring role in Approaching Midnight, a mystery/drama now available on DVD and on-demand.

"It was one of those things when I turned 40, I came up with a bucket list of things I wanted to accomplish," Balser said. "I always wanted to pursue a bit of acting."

Balser, an Oakland University graduate who previously worked as a teacher at St. John Lutheran in Rochester and now operates an antiques business, plays Natalie Church in Approaching Midnight, a character who provides critical information to the film's protagonist to unravel a mystery.

"I started out by doing some extra work for the director (Sam Logan Khaleghi) and he asked me if I'd be interested in updating my role to something more involved and substantial," Balser said. 

In Approaching Midnight, a soldier fighting overseas (Khaleghi) returns home to fight deception and corruption. The film also stars Rochester-raised actress and country music singer Jana Kramer (TV's Friday Night Lights and One Tree Hill) and Detroiter Brandon T. Jackson (Tropic Thunder, the Percy Jackson series). Khaleghi, the film's director, also serves in a starring role. 

Balser's daughter, Grace, also has a cameo in the film. 

The film, which premiered in August at Emagine Royal Oak, utilized several local backdrops, including the downtown streetscape and Rochester Mills Beer Company in Rochester, as well as a rock quarry in Milan.

Khaleghi, a Detroit native, said while the film utilized Michigan's settings, the production did not utilize or apply for any of its tax incentives for Michigan-set films. He said he hopes to settle down in Rochester and possibly start a multimedia company here. 

Balser said she and Khaleghi have discussed pitching a pilot for an antiques-based reality TV series set in Rochester.  

Approaching Midnight is available online from most major DVD retailers, including BestBuy.com and Amazon.com, on some cable providers' Video On Demand services and on digital distribution services such as iTunes.