Ir{ew York filmmaker returns to Camden _fo, new movie

By M0flAELULMER
C-l (Camden, S.C.) staff reporter county@ci-camden.com

orgdnization run by her moth-

er's ex-boyfriend called West-

For screenwriter and direc-

for an End to Institutional

Bigotry.

ern North Carolina Citizens

tor Emilie McDonald, the old

cation fleals with more than just selling real estate; it's ilso part of creating a great film. The New York-based filmmaker recently chose Camden as her latest production site, shooting a short film in town
called "Crossing the River." adage of location, location, lo-

"The family had a girl who was very innocent," McDonald said. "She didn't understand how this could happen. But as the story went on, the two boys actually apologized in court to the girl and her family. That just sort of took my imagination. It was based on a true story and I then

...it's sort of a heroic story...

McDonald, who
filmmaker Emilie McDonald
con-

lived in

imagined the characters."

Camden when she was a child,

McDonald received

said she felt the town and surrounding scenery would most

structive advice on the script

from her husband, Bruce Smo-

match the overall vision she had for the film. "I get inspired by it because Camden and the countryside are just particularly beautiful
to me," McDonald said. The film, set for release this fall, tells the story of two young boys who are influenced by an older man to burn a cross in a local family's yard. McDonald

lanofi who plays one of the

central characters in the movie; producer Tammy Arnstein;

and director of photography

uThe

MatthewWoolf.
three of them were very
close collaborators," McDonald

said. "They gave feedback on the script and had some great suggestions. So it was a very
collaborative process for sure." McDonald noted that another one of the main catalysts for shooting the, film in Camden was a meeting she had with the grandchildren of friend and lo-

said the script actually developed from a real life story

near Asheville, N.C., where a bi-racial family experienced a similar event.

McDonald said she heard about the incident through an

See Film, Page 4

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Photo by Hayley Swinson

Actors (seated) Ann Lukens, Desiree Ross and Vanzell Haire listen to instruction from film director Emilie McDonald (far

left) as news cameraman Cyril Samonte (far right) watches the

production.

Above: First assistant cameraman Zachary Brcitengrcss (hidden by camera), director of photography Matthew Woolf, McDonald, producer Tammy Arnstein, actorTyler Wlliams and grip Michael Horton set up a scene.At right, McDonald talks with the two boys - Landon

andTylerWlliams

beforc the gamera: begin to rcll.

Photos by Andrew Callicott