The Terrace Theater did an admirable job of navigating the pandemic, with private theater rentals and pivoting to a popular drive-in theater experience. Now that it’s open indoors again, it’s time to get back to the more familiar experience of an air-conditioned movie theater to escape the summer heat.
The theater will host the premiere of the harrowing and heartfelt drama, A Father’s Legacy, on June 17, with an introduction from director Jason Mac and a Q&A with casting director Matthew Sefick.
A Father’s Legacy centers around a young man on the run from the law. He stumbles across an old man living in the woods and decides to hold him hostage in his own home in an effort to evade the police. They begin to form an unconventional and unexpected bond.
The film, according to Mac, isn’t an action-packed thriller, as moments in the trailer may suggest.
“This movie is definitely more drama centric,” he explained. “There are some really fun moments of suspense, tension and some action. But at the heart, this is a story about redemption, loyalty and legacy — what are we leaving behind and how are we impacting those people around us.”
A Father’s Legacy is powerful and personal to Mac — the influence of his life on the film is deep and wide. The passing of his late father inspired him to make it, and that grief is woven through the film in many ways.
“Through that process of grieving, I really started exploring that father-son relationship and what it meant and why it was so important to me,” he said. “To say there was a heavy personal influence on the film is an understatement … This film is my soul. It truly is my love letter to my late father.”
The fact that the film was shot in Sumter, Mac’s hometown, with huge parts filmed at his family’s pond house, made the process all the more personal for him.
“One of the decisions to come back home to shoot was a personal decision,” he said. “The film came from one of the tougher times in my life … and that’s why it was important to me to bring it back home to shoot. I needed to be in a place of love and community. I wanted to be on the ground that my father loved. I knew that love and authenticity would come through the camera and into the movie…and it did.”
The premiere of A Father’s Legacy with introduction by Mac, and Q&A after the film with Sefick – 7 p.m. June 17. Terrace Theater. James Island.
The Terrace has 150 seats open for this event, but may open more if needed. Tickets available at terracetheater.com.
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