Colin Fitz is the perfect example of what an independent film should be. Writer/director Robert Bella makes the most of his limited budget by emphasizing his memorable characters and hilarious screenplay over elaborate sets or big-name actors.

It’s the anniversary of rock ’n roll star Colin Fitz’s death, and his widow needs someone to guard the tomb. Strange things have a way of happening of the anniversary of Fitz’s death, and no one wants a repeat performance after the group suicide of fans that showed up the year before.

Who better to hire than the less-than-reliable O’Day Security Firm? Of course, Mr. O’Day (William H. Macy before Fargo fame) delegates the job to his two young employees, Grady and Paul. Grady dreams of inheriting the business one day, though he’s a little short on brains. Paul is Grady’s exact opposite. While sitting watch, he listens to poetry and shyly dreams of romance.

The two characters are so different that getting along with one another proves to be a much more difficult task than guarding the grave of some dead rocker. Not sure whether to expect a ghost or an uneventful night, the pair never would have dreamed about the visitors they’ll get. Sure, Fitz is “wicked-bad” in Sweden, but who would have guessed that a Swedish tour group who turn up at the graveyard?

What makes the film so charming are its touches of spunky originality. In no other movie does a character invent lost animals and then post “Missing” signs all over town. “I give people something to look for,” Grady says to explain his unusual habit. With such unique details, Bella cleverly toys with stereotypes while avoiding stock characters.

Lighthearted from beginning to end, Colin Fitz is a truly successful comedy. Bella gives us a dialogue-driven movie that never seems wordy (I’d like to see Tarantino pull that off). The film mixes lovable characters, surprising, yet down-to-earth, turns of events and a morbid atmosphere for a movie that is refreshingly different from any other.

“Texas loves my movie,” director Robert Bella laughed as he listed the awards he’s won at festivals. At the Austin Film Festival, the film snagged Harry Knowles’ “Best of the Fest” award, the Best Feature Film and Best Cinematography awards. Last Spring, Colin Fitz won the Best Comedy award at WorldFest in Houston. The film was an official selection at Sundance and has won several other awards.

After the success of the film on the festival circuit, Bella is adding new footage he has been shooting during the past year. The film will later be released in a reedited form that includes “interviews” with people commenting on the music of Colin Fitz, the movie’s fictional rock singer. “People actually believe Colin Fitz is a real singer,” Bella explained. “They ask me where to find his CDs.”

It seems as though Bella has been giving people something to look for.