Filmmaker Vincent Grashaw was co-nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the 2011 Spirit Awards for producing the DIY micro-indie Bellflower, which Oscilloscope snatched out of Sundance, Deadline said.

This week he makes his feature directorial debut with the dramatic thriller Coldwater, a SXSW world premiere shot with members of the Coatwolf collective responsible for Bellflower.

Inspired by real-life remote “behavior modification” boot camps for troubled youth, Grashaw and co-screenwriter Mark Penney penned the tale of a teenager (newcomer P.J. Boudousqué) who is abducted from his home and taken to a wilderness reform facility run by an abusive retired colonel.

Grashaw and Dave Gare produced with Kris Dorrance of Skipping Stone Entertainment, whose Mike Dorrance executive produced. Joe Bilotta also exec produced for Flying Pig Productions.

The film debuts March 10 in Austin in SXSW’s Narrative Spotlight section.