January 30, 2023 (Jackson, Miss.) - Rick Negron, chair of Belhaven's Film Production Department,wrote and producedthe feature filmAmigo.Currently in post-production, thisfull-length film was shot in the summer of 2022on location in Miami, Florida.
Directed by visual artist and filmmaker Luis Gispert,Amigofollows Tomás, a Latino immigrant who works odd jobs for a wealthy family. A series of events forces Tomás to visit people in his community in search of something lost, but the journey reflects his own social and emotional limitations.
“Right now,Amigois in post-production and is almost finished,” said Negron. “Onceit's complete,it will be entered in several film festivals.”
Negron utilized the talent of recent Belhaven film production graduate Seth Scruggs '21. Scruggs, who currently works with singer/songwriter Rory Feek as an editor and video producer for his streaming platform, was the first assistant director. “The two weeks of production were a little bit of a whirlwind,” said Scruggs. “Of course, unexpected things popped up such as weather or sudden schedule conflicts, but we were able to move quickly and efficiently to get the film made.”
Negron began writing the script in October of last year. “I love to write, and I am always writing something,” said Negron. “Luis and I worked on the story together, and I wrote the actual screenplay.Amigofeatures diverse characters and tells a simple, compassionate tale set against a Miami landscape, not often seen on screen.”
As producer, Negron managed the film's budget, scheduling, crew, contracts, actors, payments, andother logisticalchallenges involvedwith making a film. Negron is proud ofthe film and looks forward to sharingAmigowith the public later this year.