The red carpet was rolled out for a movie premiere in Seymour on Thursday evening, and it wasn’t at the Regal movie theater.
Around 100 people made it out to Harmony Park at The Seymour Brewing Co. on West Second Street to see the debut of “In Justice, IN,” a TV pilot that was filmed around Jackson County in November 2021.
The park was glammed up with a red carpet, cast and crew dressed in formal wear and a banner with the film’s name and the production company’s logo set up for photo opportunities.
Filmmaker Brian Snow, who wrote, directed and acted in the film, said he has attended film premieres and festivals in Los Angeles and wanted to give the audience in Seymour the same display of pageantry as one would in California.
“I thought it was really important to bring the Hollywood experience to Jackson County because these people deserve it,” he said.
The intention for the premiere, Snow said, was for cast and crew to see their work come to life while letting local people share in the experience.
“It’s an opportunity to see what they’ve worked so hard for,” he said. “So to bring in some of the community to be able to share it and celebrate with them is just golden. It’s a magical experience, and I hope everyone gets a kick out of the movie.”
Snow received a good amount of praise throughout the night but gave credit to the cast and crew before introducing the movie.
“People keep coming up to me and saying, ‘Man, this is your night,’ but I am the tip of the iceberg, and there is literally a mountain of people that are rocking this, and everybody chipped in,” he said.
The premiere also was a fundraiser for the Fraternal Order of Police Donald M. Winn Lodge 108’s Cops and Kids program. That program pairs local children with law enforcement to go to Walmart Supercenter in Seymour to go shopping every year before Christmas. FOP President C.J. Foster said the program used to be called Shop with a Cop, but the name was changed after someone filed a trademark on it.
Snow moved to Seymour from Los Angeles and owns a film production company, Roamin’ Soldier Productions, that is based out of the city.
The version of “In Justice, IN” shown was an 18-minute cut of a 30-minute TV pilot with a blooper reel shown before the audience.
This cut of the pilot is currently being shopped around at film festivals and was selected for one at Victory Theatre in Evansville and the Scarab Short Film Festival in Dubai.
The pilot will be pitched to CMT and other TV networks, Snow said.
Set locations included Laurel Street and the Mutton Creek neighborhood in Seymour and on county roads near Waymansville for a car chase scene.
“In Justice, IN” takes place in the fictional titular town and is centered around a man named Ethan, played by Snow, that is caught in the middle of a murder mystery after local law enforcement won’t pursue a man who murdered his friend Joel’s mom.
Joel is played by Seymour native Aaron Boknecht. This was his acting debut, and he said he landed the role after Snow moved onto some property next to his house.
One day while Boknecht and Snow were working in their yards, Snow said to him, “I’m going to put you in a movie one day.”
He said Snow was his best friend, and they developed a close bond after moving in next to him.
“It has actually been quite an adventure,” he said.
Snow said he was impressed with the local talent.
“Most of them haven’t acted before,“ he said. “They blew me away. They’re genuine. They’re decent human beings. They’re amazing people, and they killed it.”
Darian Boknecht, Boknecht’s son, helped on the set by being an extra, setting up equipment and dressing a dummy that his father would shoot with a shotgun in the film.
He said filming the pilot was a blast.
“It was something cool,” Darian said. “Getting to drive around town jumping railroads and stuff, that was pretty neat.”
Maudie Boknecht, Aaron’s wife, said she loved the movie, and her favorite part was the car chase because it reminded her of the television show “The Dukes of Hazzard.”
“It was great,” she said. “To see a little city boy become famous like that is just fantastic.“
Robin Redicker plays Libby in the film and also is a Seymour native making her on-screen debut. She and Boknecht met when they went to Cortland Elementary School together.
Redicker said she liked learning more about what happens behind the scenes of movies and thought everyone did a tremendous job on the film.
She said she thought the premiere was nice and would like to see more things like it in the community.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Department Officer Aaron Wilkins and Chief Deputy Dustin Steward also are actors in the film.
The rest of the cast includes Snow’s wife, Lisa Marie Snow, and Isaac Ahmady, who is from the West Coast.
Seymour Mayor Matt Nicholson spoke before the film began and said he’s excited for the film projects that will come out of the city.
“We got chances to do some big stuff, and I believe (Brian) is the part leading into that,” he said.
Nicholson also asked for prayers for a Richmond officer who was in critical condition after being shot the night before.
The film premiere will not be the last to happen in Seymour.
Snow announced at the premiere that pre-production has started for a full-length feature horror film called “Mister Face” that will be filmed in Jackson County.