SLO County filmmakers’ movie wins 3 awards at Los Angeles competition
A Cambria-based movie that held a sneak-peek showing for a packed house at the IMAX Hearst Castle Theater in January has won three awards at a Los Angeles competition for filmmakers and screenwriters from all over the world.
“Hidden Creek” took home Los Angeles Film Awards honors for best indie feature, best first-time director(s) of a feature, and best actor (John Henry Richardson of Burbank).
“Kicking off the film festival circuit strong!” co-producer/director Julian Mercado-Avila posted Monday on Facebook. “‘Hidden Creek’ has just won its first three awards at the LA Film Awards! Grateful for the recognition and all the incredible support.”
That backing and encouragement are “what I love about Cambria,” the film’s other co-producer/director Darien Jewel wrote in a text Tuesday. “We couldn’t do it without such a supportive community.”
“Hidden Creek” was conceived, written, cast and filmed in various Cambria locations.
The movie has two overlapping plots, focusing on a North Coast family dealing with dual dramas brought on by dementia and disagreements about preserving the legacy of family land.
The film’s lead character is rancher Jimmy Tucker (Richardson), whose wife died recently. Now he fears he’s losing his ranch ... and his mind.
Filming in Cambria was a natural choice: Mercado-Avila, Jewel and many members of the production team and the actors were raised in or came from the small San Luis Obispo County town.
Steve Brody, longtime Cambria psychologist and former local newspaper columnist, wrote the emotionally intense script.
What’s ahead for Cambria’s ‘Hidden Creek’ film?
The cast and crew hope the LAFA awards — a monthly competition for filmmakers and screenwriters — are just the first of many.
They’re hoping to show the film internationally.
“LAFA was the first, but there’s more to come,” Jewel said in a text. “We may be showing ‘Hidden Creek’ in Amsterdam next year and will be showing it in other major European cities.”
For locals interested in seeing the film, it may “be in the San Luis Obispo Film Festival, and we plan to submit ‘Hidden Creek’ to the Cambria Film Festival in January,” Jewel said. The Santa Barbara festival is also on their submittal schedule.
What’s ahead for the North Coast filmmakers?
Next up, the team will work with two other local filmmakers, Kyle and Carlos Plummer, on a new film called “Final Decision.”
The Plummer brothers are the co-founders of SuperImage Ltd. of Cambria and will direct “Final Decision.”
That script also was written by Brody.
“It is based on the true story of my father’s death,” he told The Tribune on Tuesday.
The current casting call in Cambria for the film ends Dec. 31. To apply, email to team@superimageltd.com.
Like Mercado-Avila and Jewel of Slabtown Studios, the Plummers grew up in Cambria. All four of the filmmakers started submitting their videos and other productions to festivals and other contests (and winning) while they were still in middle school.
For “Final Decision,” Mercado-Avila and Jewel “will be producing, doing the marketing, logistical support, that kind of stuff,” Jewel said said. “The Plummers are wonderful Cambria filmmakers, and we want to give them the same opportunity that ‘Hidden Creek’ gave us.”
That’s doesn’t mean they’re in movie-making time-out mode.
The two will be directing and/or producing at least four projects in 2025, in between all those festivals and competitions.
This story was originally published December 7, 2024 at 10:00 AM.
