URBAN COUNTRY: Every Journey Begins With One Step
Like their adult and pre-adolescent peers, teenagers are known by the company they keep in their social lives. Unfortunately, such company can sometimes lead to harsh consequences for people who test the boundaries of their growing freedom through bad behavior.
When those consequences result in criminal punishment, it can only take a dramatic change to set at-risk teens on the road to a better life. That message is relayed by director and Baton Rouge native Teddy Smith’s new faith-based drama Urban Country, which made its hometown premiere on April 22, 2018 at the Louisiana International Film Festival (LIFF). Urban Country hits theaters beginning on August 3rd, with its DVD premiere on September 4th.
Urban Country stars The Walking Dead’s Brighton Sharbino as Faith, a young woman whose rebellious attitude has already led her to the emotional darkness of life in a jail cell. Unwilling to give up on Faith is the caring Warden Toro (played by Lou Diamond Phillips — Young Guns, La Bamba), who tries to give Faith a chance to rebuild her seemingly shattered life.
Though Faith is reluctant to leave her increasingly distant father David (Jason London — Dazed And Confused), she learns that her estranged mother Anna (Candice Barley) is living on borrowed time. In need of a personal turnaround, Faith leaves her old life in the city behind to enter a world of hard work, responsibility, and respect at Anna’s Mississippi ranch.
There, Faith becomes more accustomed to living in the country, and to the daily tasks that are required to keep her mother’s ranch running. As Faith embraces the boundless opportunities of her new life, the temptations of her past resurface. In summation, her future depends on the kind of place she chooses to call home — and the kind of person she wants to be.
While Urban Country is undoubtedly a story made to entertain audiences in 2018, its timeless message of how young people can improve their fortunes through committing to be their best selves is something that Smith feels will resonate with all generations.
“We were inspired to make a film that was inspirational, suitable for all ages, and told a unique coming of age story that is relevant to teenagers and adults today,“ Smith comments. “Many otherwise good teenagers find themselves running with the wrong crowd and in trouble. For most of them, all it takes is a more positive environment to get them going on a better path.”
Every filmmaker knows that time is money, and though both assets were in short supply during production of Urban Country, Smith’s cast and crew embraced the resources they could work with as filming started.
“To maximize the limited budget we had, we condensed the entire film down to a very short shooting schedule of only ten days,” remembers Smith. “I did this by meticulously planning every shooting day to be as efficient as possible with very little movement among the crew.”
When it came to shooting at multiple sites, Smith’s team also kept up its efficient pace. “Most days on film sets are wasted by moving from point A to point B, so I planned to use every location as much as possible on the days we were there,” Smith adds.
Louisiana audiences saw for themselves what Urban Country was all about when the film played at LIFF. Smith was doubly thrilled by the experience of showing his work to the festival’s devoted attendees, and by the opportunity to share his filmmaking knowledge with up-and-coming talent.
“As a filmmaker, I’ve enjoyed being at the festival as it’s allowed me to interact with the audience, ask them questions, answer their questions, and learn more about what’s going on in the audience’s mind when they watch the film,” explains Smith. “It’s also allowed me to give back to the community by participating in mentoring workshops for aspiring filmmakers.”
With Urban Country’s uplifting story of a teenager’s journey to redemption, Smith is convinced that the film can inspire all of us to help anyone — at any age — who’s searching for a brighter future. “I hope people will hear the positive message our film sends to teenagers today, and I hope it inspires at least one young person to do something good for someone else.”
Here’s the official trailer for Urban Country:
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