Area citizens attend screening of 'The Lena Baker Story'

Ralph Wilcox and Barton Rice answer questions from audience members at an Atlanta screening of "The Lena Baker Story." On March 13 approximately 45 people from Early County traveled to Atlanta to see the premiere public showing of the movie "Hope and Redemption: The Lena Baker Story." Filmed on location in Early and Miller counties, the film first premiered and sold out at last year's Atlanta Film Festival. It also screened at Cannes to favorable notices.

In Atlanta, the Lena Baker film drew $18,250 in ticket sales at one theater during its first weekend of showing. This made it the second best performing independent film in the United States and was held over for another week in Atlanta and opened in four other theaters the weekend of March 20.

The premiere trip was planned and organized by Freezer Locker Films LLC., of Blakely, whose partners Brad Hughes, Julie Jarrett and Barton Rice, have filmed two other movies in Early County, "Dismal" and "Savage."

Greeting the bus upon arrival in Atlanta was Barton Rice, executive producer of the Lena Baker film, and his wife Andrea. The screenings were held at Movies ATL in Atlanta complete with red carpet and premiere fanfare. The filmmakers and some actors attended the screening and a Q&A session afterward.

The movie's writer, director and producer is Ralph Wilcox, a veteran TV actor. He moved to Southwest Georgia about five years ago where he met Lena Bond Phillips, who had written a book about Lena Baker of Cuthbert, Ga. With funding from the Rice Foundation and its director, C. Barton Rice also of Laughing Crow Entertainment, Wilcox embarked on the filming. Locations in Southwest Georgia and several local actors and actresses were used in the film.