Lifestyle

Anderson – The New Hollywood?

By: Tandy Wickiser

The first week of March, expect to see film crews downtown, at Anderson School of Technology and local stores such as Quality Foods. The short film Kinship, from creators Alejandra and Daniel Ramirez, will be brought to life on the streets of Anderson, South Carolina. The Bleckley Inn and The Hilton will welcome cast and crew from California to Charleston for three days of filming.

Kinship will be filmed in collaboration with the South Carolina Film Commission, Indie Grants, and well-known Hollywood and Charleston producers. The short story will hit the film festival circuit.  By January 2024, look for Kinship to be available on a streaming platform. The Ramirezs then expects to release the feature film version.

This story of hope seeks to reach teenagers with a challenging family dynamic. Alejandra spent her teenage years in South America and Daniel in Canada. The story based on their personal experiences shows that the pain and fear within a struggling family is the same in any city. Daniel has a deep desire to reach those teenagers in crisis. He desires this film to be a vehicle for forgiveness, renewed trust and lasting connections. He expresses that teenagers feel deeply and often struggle to see any hope in their future. He wants them to know, “Hope is waiting, and there is a way out. It is very rare for all to be lost even when they could feel that way”.

The Ramirezs founded the successful film company Romans Twelve, which has garnered Emmy, Cannes Lion, and Peabody recognition. Prior to this endeavor, the company has been focused primarily on documentaries. The husband and wife duo feel inspired to work and grow together. Their strong faith guides their purpose. Daniel speaks of the transition to scripted film as “A difficult beast to tackle, but beautiful to step through to it together.”

Anderson is lucky to have this dynamic duo living in beautiful Lindley Park. They certainly represent us well. Their endeavors might just open doors for more film opportunities in our sweet corner of the world.

Writer/Directors

Daniel Ramirez
[email protected]

Alejandra Pareles-Zanotti
[email protected]

917.442.1840
www.romanstwelve.co