Ten years after making it to the finals of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's "Project Greenlight," Chicago filmmaker Duane Edwards has lined up his first feature film project, slated to begin shooting locally this fall.

The script, by Frederick Mensch, is a dark comedy called "Supreme Ruler" and stars Ron Livingston ("Boardwalk Empire") and Vincent D'Onofrio ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent") as two men battling to win the top leadership position in their local social club. 

"It's based on the Elks, but we call them the Buffalos," said Edwards. "Ron's character is just so immersed in becoming the Supreme Ruler of his local lodge...he's blinded by this obsession, and it's at the cost of his family and his job. D'Onofrio plays a past Supreme Ruler who doesn't care for this guy's enthusiasm, so he runs against him."

The setting is Decatur, plus a trip to Chicago for a large Buffalo convention. (Hat tip to my editor who remembered that "The Flintstones" also featured a lodge called the Loyal Order of Water Buffalo.) Edwards described the comedic tone as somewhere between "Election" and "Fargo."

"When it comes to an independent movie, it's like rolling a rock up a mountain," he said. The cast also includes Marcia Gay Harden, Anthony Anderson, Billy Zane and Natalie Zea.