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Award-winning director to premiere film honoring small Nebraska town
McCOOK, Neb. — Filmmaker, Tobiah Powell and his wife Maribel, wrote, directed and produced a film entitled “Stanton” alongside Omaha resident and brother Trevor Powell set on their family farm in Stanton, Neb. The film is set to debut at Carver Cinemas theater in McCook on Sept. 30.
Powell began his career in film in Albuquerque, N.M., and has worked with film legends such as Tom Hanks, Ed Helms, and Eric Roberts. For his first independently produced film, “Fettered,” Powell was nominated for “Best Director” and “Best First-Time Filmmaker.”
Powell grew up visiting his grandparents’ 100-year-old family farm in Stanton, Neb., and, following the success of his first film, was inspired to write a script that takes place there and honors the legacy of the farm and of the town of Stanton.
During the early days of writing his script, Powell was cast in a low-budget film starring Eric Roberts. During his time on that set, he was inspired again to push the envelope by securing a star for the film. In an exhaustive effort to reach the right person, Christian rapper and singer, Wande, was moved by the script and agreed to sign on to the film.
Powell desired authenticity for his work and began casting area acting talent for the film. Powell began making connections within Norfolk’s community theater group to fill the roles in the film and recruit a crew to help with production. He had difficulty finding the right actor to fill the role of the main character. Norfolk resident, Bob Pratt, was discovered through Powell’s connections with the theater community and a long social media search going back ten years. The main cast also includes Natalie Garden, Lonn Atwood, Nathan Ferry, Jacque Polak and Ashley Brown.
With most of his cast, crew, and locations lined up, Powell was ready to make his movie in Nebraska. Powell and wife, Maribel, quit their jobs in New Mexico and packed their bags for the Powell farm in Stanton.
Production began on May 14, 2022. Powell solicited much help from the community to shoot in various locations around Northeast Nebraska, even including the Stanton County Sheriff’s Office. Wende joined the cast for several weeks of shooting and enjoyed her time in Norfolk. Production continued through the spring and part of summer, concluding in July 2022.
The Powells put their life savings, careers, time, and resources into completing the film. With limited resources to return to their home in New Mexico, they decided to make their way in Nebraska and moved to Omaha. This is where the film editing happened with Powell’s brother, Trevor, at the helm.
The movie “Stanton” is a family and community film. In addition to the community, Powell’s parents and current farm owners, Nathan and Kimberly Powell, helped with access to their house and farm for filming.
“The support and work put in by the Norfolk Community with cast and crew members and locations were a key part of the production,” says Powell, “The movie “Stanton” is centered around family and community.”
“Stanton” is set to debut at Carver Cinemas theatre on Saturday, Sept. 30, with doors open at 9:30 a.m.
The Director, Tobiah Powell will be present for a Q&A as well as to meet and greet guests. Interested parties can buy tickets on the Carver Cinemas website.