The City of Perryville has announced an early screening of The Spring, a film described as “a gripping supernatural thriller,” that was written and directed by local filmmaker Thomas Smugala and produced by well-known L.A.-based producer John Steven Schneider.
An advanced screening and red-carpet event will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 26, at the Perry Park AMC theater. An after-party is also planned at The Warehouse in Perryville.
The film follows a determined young mixed-race woman fighting to clear her name from murder charges while facing a serial killer family’s 150-year reign of terror in Perryville.
Filmed mainly in Perryville, The Spring highlights the area’s talent and locations, with support from the City of Perryville, Stark Properties, other local businesses, and residents.
Smugala, a proud supporter of the region he affectionately calls “NoWhereWood,” leverages its low-cost production environment through his company, Motion Dog Films, to improve production quality and extend shooting schedules for his films.
His dedication to local actors, crew, and locations has made Motion Dog Films a leading name in independent filmmaking in the region.
Smugala also partnered with Perryville Tourism to launch FilmFriendlyPerryville.com, a program aimed at attracting more low-budget productions to the area.
“We’ve got a lot of local talent in The Spring,” said Perry County Tourism Director Trish Erzfeld, “and a lot of local locations that we shot in, so it’s a big boost to us and a shot in the arm to Film Friendly Perryville.”
Motion Dog Films is in pre-production for a new feature film, scheduled to start shooting this year or next in Perryville.
