Locally-filmed movie to premier March 7

Locally-filmed movie to premier On Demand and select theaters March 7

By Angela Briggs, Freelance Writer

 

The red carpet was rolled out at Marquee Cinema on March 3 for a private screening of “Guns of Redemption.” (Don’t worry, no spoilers ahead.) Set in the post-Civil War era, this gritty western drama features local talent, as well as Hollywood actors, and the premier was shown to a packed house.

The movie “had a Quentin Tarantino feel to it,” said Hart County native Michael Murray, but his favorite part was seeing his daughter Emma on stage. “It was great,” he added.

While state incentives make the Commonwealth attractive to filmmakers, the Southern Kentucky Film Commission (SKFC) is the reason they come to this area. Brian Skiba, the movie’s Director and Producer, said our area has become a home away from home for him, noting that locals “still love the magic of filmmaking as much as I do.”

Cave City Tourism Director Jennifer McNett was on the ground with the film crew from day one, coordinating everything from locations to extras. “It feels wonderful to see the movie come together,” McNett said. “It makes all the work worth it.”

These films are an economic driver according to SKFC Board member Sandra Wilson, “Crews stay here, eat here, shop in local stores, hire locals and more.”

MacLean Lessenberry, Barren County Tourism Director, says collaboration is the key to success, with Edmonson County Tourism Director Vanessa Ulm noting, “Why work against each other, when we can all work together.”  Both are also members of the SKFC Board.

Since 2017, the SKFC has ushered in about $14 million in local economic impact, with Lessenberry adding there is more to come. Shot in spring of 2024 in Barren, Hart and Edmonson Counties, the movie will premier in select theaters and On Demand March 7th, 2025.