A native of Greater Cincinnati directed a film titled "Wayward," which premiered on BET at 10 p.m. EST on Tuesday.
Kurt Yochum, 32, is originally from Mowrystown but has been working on movie sets in Los Angeles, California, for ten years, and now he's gearing up to release his debut film "Wayward" in theaters.
"Wayward" will be available in select theaters across the country, including Xscape Theatres at Northgate Mall in Colerain Township, on June 17. The film will also be available for rent or purchase June 24 on Amazon.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, "Wayward" follows Dawn, a girl en route to a major music festival, who decides to pick up a stranger along the way. The pair is then stalked by a "crazed madman" and must run for their lives. The film stars Iyana Halley from "Abbott Elementary" and "Beast," Barton Fitzpatrick from "The Chi" and "Power," and Darius McCrary from "Family Matters" and "Transformers."
Before his feature film debut, Yochum directed a short film titled "Anna" and has worked as a production manager on films including "Literally, Right Before Aaron," "Between Us," and "Nightmare Cinema."
"That's always been my goal since I grew up on a farm in Ohio, was to direct movies. So, this has been about a 12-year process to get my first one done. It has been quite the adventure," Yochum said.
Yochum said they had only a 14-day filming schedule for "Wayward," which is very short by Hollywood standards. He said they shot 7 to 12 pages of script daily with a limited budget. Despite these obstacles, he said the film would not have been possible without his production team. He thanks them for their contributions and the people in his personal life who have been supporting this journey.
"You can't do this by yourself, so I just want to say thank you," Yochum said.
Yochum said that one of his biggest goals is to film a movie in Ohio. He recognizes that there are limited opportunities for aspiring filmmakers in Ohio but urges young cinephiles to seize opportunities if and when they arise. He said they don't let a lack of expensive equipment stop you from filming. Even if all you have is a smartphone, you can practice art.
"There's definitely no dream too big," Yochum said.
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