Ever since he was a student at Auburn Elementary School, Kiel Thorlton wanted to make a movie. It only makes sense that scenes from his first feature film would take place there.

Thorlton’s feature film, “A Place Called Home,” was shot and produced entirely in Logan County. It will make its official debut next month at the Knoxville Film Festival.

The endeavor has been a labor of love for the 35-year-old who began writing the script for his movie in 2014. Over the next five years, Thorlton raised money for what he called an “ultra-low” $150,000 project budget.

After securing adequate funding, a team of more than 50 people completed a monthlong shoot in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic. Now, Thorlton and company are ready to showcase the story to the public.

“It was a lot of hard work. You are talking about seven years to write the story and gather all of our resources,” Thorlton said. “You can’t replicate this experience. My staff was extremely efficient. We didn’t have any days over 10 hours. It’s very unique to see something you worked on for years play out right in front of you. It’s an unreal feeling to see my words portrayed on the screen.”

The movie centers on a man who is thrust into raising two young girls after losing his wife during the birth of their second child. He must fight to save his family and their home after he is forced to borrow money from a ruthless loan shark.

“It’s about the idea of overcoming adversity and understanding how to ask for help,” Thorlton said of the film. “If you enjoy a movie where you cry your eyes out – this is the movie for you. It’s a good film to sit down and watch with your significant other.”

After growing up in Logan County, Thorlton received his bachelor’s degree at Campbellsville University. He earned a Master of Fine Arts in film directing from Regent University at Virginia Beach, Va.

He now lives in Little Rock, Ark., where he is a professor at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.

The decision to film the movie in Logan County was essential for Thorlton.

“I wanted to make something about the place I care about: southcentral Kentucky,” he said. “I wanted to film it in this area since it is set here, and I wanted to make a film in the South that was not the stereotypical South.”

Locations across the county like Auburn Elementary School were used for every scene. Thorlton said the film has several shots showcasing the countryside, and they also filmed in Russellville and at Piggly Wiggly.

Producer Adam Bova said the setting was “one of the most beautiful” where he has worked in the continental U.S.

“Logan County was wonderful to work in,” Bova said. “They were very supportive of us. They gave us any permits we needed, and the school was kind enough to let us shoot there. It was a wonderful experience. I have to say that Logan County was very easy to film in. We felt welcomed.”

Bova met Thorlton during their time at Virginia Beach and became interested in Thorlton’s script.

“Honestly, I was a little hesitant (at first),” Bova said. “I’ve been burnt before with some projects so I told him, ‘Maybe.’ I read that script later that night, and I called him the next morning and told him I would do it. It’s a very real story. Not everyone is perfect, and that’s essential.”

Thorlton said his story aims to showcase a single father struggling with his responsibilities because he insists “we really don’t see that a lot” in movies.

“I do know what it feels like to be a father and not knowing where your next paycheck is going to come from,” he said.

The cast features Ben Gavin (“Super 8”, “The Dark Tower”), who plays the father, McCarron Stith, Paul Cotton, Sean Ramey and Suzanne Sadler.

Thorlton said he is in talks with “multiple sources” to distribute the film, and his team is in conversations to showcase the film at other festivals as well.

He said the ultimate goal is to have a limited theatrical run in Kentucky and Tennessee before online distribution.

“My hope for the project is to be able to share it with the audience,” Bova said. “It’s a really interesting time right now in the film industry with theaters reopening. We would love to have this in theaters as long as people can watch it safely.”

– Follow reporter John Reecer on Twitter @JReecerBGDN or visit bgdailynews.com.