When Cynthia Leon heard a prophecy in 2011 about God’s creative army, she knew she wanted to be a foot soldier, so she and her son packed their bags and left their Virginia home to attend a filmmaking bootcamp in Arizona. While the experience was encouraging, she had no idea that three years later, she would complete her first feature-length film.
The Basement is a drama about nine people who find refuge in the basement of a church as they deal with issues of race, religion, and buried secrets while people all around them are disappearing. The film will open the New Jersey-based Churches Making Movies Christian Film Festival on October 9, 2015.
Leon first conceived of the movie as a play about a group of youth locked in the basement of a house. But the idea evolved into a film once she started writing.
"I can’t really take the credit. The idea came from the Lord,” said Leon. "The rapture had been heavy on my heart and how people would deal with it who thought they were saved but never really surrendered their heart to the Lord."
Leon took much of her inspiration from the Kendrick’s Brothers who began their filmmaking careers at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany Georgia. She credits her success to adopting the brother’s emphasis on prayer throughout the moviemaking process.
“I really looked at them and said these men are doing it and they are doing it big time. They are men of prayer and integrity. If you have those things, you have it right.”
Leon’s advice to first-time filmmakers is to have the Lord’s character. “Integrity is about doing it better the next time. Seeing that you made a mistake and correcting it. Prayer, integrity and faith are very important elements of Christian filmmaking,” she said.
Members of the Woodbridge, VA. based Christ Chapel where Leon was once a member and served in drama ministry proved a rich source of talent. The church also served as the main filming location which was a blessing according to Leon, but not without its challenges.
“It’s a big church and they have a lot going on, so sometimes it was difficult to get into the right space and get things done,” she said.
Finances were another issue. Without major investors, she and her 28-year-old son Jarod who also served as the Director of Photography on the project, footed most of the bill for the movie themselves. While there were obstacles and the film took almost two years to make, mainly Leon remembers the blessings.
“It had to be the Holy Spirit because whenever we needed something, God would bring it.” For instance, according to Leon, after an actor dropped out, she landed Michael Joiner (The Grace Card,) in a leading role, although she was not familiar with his work.
“The music minister at my church at the time had his email, so I emailed him. He sent me to his agent who didn’t really seem all that interested until I sent her a scene from the script. “As a first time director, Leon didn’t feel comfortable directing Joiner, so she brought in a co-director Gary Voelker.
“He was very helpful. We learned a lot from him-- just sitting and listening to him--was great. We got to watch what he was doing. He had such a command of the set. It was s divine connection,” said Leon.
Regional Premiere - The Basement, Friday October 9, 2015 @ 7:00 pm, preceded by a Red Carpet reception, The Ramada Plaza, Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey.
Filmmaker Faves
Favorite Films
The Imitation of Life with Lana Turner
The Shawshank Redemption
The Green Mile
Most Admired Directors
Steven Spielberg
Frank Darabont