Ever since he grew up in the rural South, Luke Lowder has wanted to capture and share his home with others.
"I was just really motivated to capture my environment that I saw growing up and putting it on film and contributing that to the world of cinema if I could," Lowder said.
His first feature film, "The Grand Strand," will be showing at the Nickelodeon Theater in Columbia on Jan. 15-29. The film was produced by a Columbia nonprofit, Local Cinema Studios. The group works with the University of South Carolina and the South Carolina Film Commission to create feature films.
The film follows Levi, a 14-year-old North Carolinian raised by his grandfather, who must change his living situation after loss. Unsure whether he wants to live with his aunt and uncle, they take him to their vacation campground in Myrtle Beach, Lowder said.
"The film is about him integrating himself in that subculture and that community and trying to see if the family dynamics work between him and his cousins, aunt and uncle," Lowder said. "He falls in love for the first time with somebody in the campground and makes new friends ... all while processing a lot of trauma and grief and baggage that he's carrying as a young, orphaned kid."
"The Grand Strand" is a reflection on Lowder's life experiences. Lowder grew up in a small farm town in North Carolina and often visited Myrtle Beach in the summer.
Because it was filmed in the region with a majority Carolina-based crew, much of the cast also came from North and South Carolina. First-year advertising student Amelia Salazar is one of them. Now a USC student, Salazar starred in the film as a junior in high school.
Salazar has been acting since she was in fifth grade. Before she auditioned for "The Grand Strand," she wasn't sure if she wanted to continue acting. She was inspired by her friend, who auditioned with her, to try out for a part. She got the role of Lefty, a girl from Myrtle beach whom Levi falls for.
Salazar said she enjoyed the tight-knit community of the indie project. She said big productions have a lot that go into them, and meeting the entire cast and crew isn't always possible. But with "The Grand Strand," she was able to get to know everyone and live the experience together.
"It's one big happy family," Salazar said. "And it's lifelong friends. I talk to everyone to this day."
The production team also impacted Salazar's decision to attend USC, she said. There were USC theater professors working on the film, and the love they shared for the school and state made her fall in love with South Carolina.
The project’s USC ties come from its connection to Local Cinema Studios, which was founded by USC professor Dustin Whitehead. The studio has supported seven feature films and two pilots in collaboration with the University of South Carolina and the South Carolina Film Commission.
"What we're trying to do is create a crew base that's based here in South Carolina," Whitehead said. "Involving students and younger filmmakers that live here in those bigger projects is a great way to create more of a film industry here. People will go on to spearhead projects and make projects of their own and involve others."
"The Grand Strand" was selected as Local Cinema Studios' summer project of 2023. Whitehead was excited to produce the film because it feels like South Carolina, he said. The coming-of-age story gave the protagonist positive growth and created a healthy crew, cast and team.
Cat Thomas, who serves as the script supervisor for the film, earned her master's degree in directing from USC. She previously assistant directed with Whitehead on a theater project and also worked with Whitehead on another film with Local Cinema Studios, "Holy Irresistible," then was offered to work on "The Grand Strand."
"It's kind of a slice-of-life for ... these trailer-park people," Thomas said. "And I think that perhaps the general audience of Columbia, South Carolina, don't know about this culture."
Thomas was a graduate student at the time of filming. Most of the cast were younger than her, including Lowder.
"I think it's just really inspiring to what young people could do," Thomas said. "Young, creative minds coming together and creating something that I think is really good."
Students can get involved with Local Cinema Studios by following their Instagram. The Nickelodeon Theater is offering $5 tickets to USC students with the discount code "LOCALSTUDENT." Find more information about the film and times here.