Seeing stars: Hyattsville couple produces independent film

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Seeing stars: Hyattsville couple produces independent film

by Maya T. Prabhu | Staff Writer

E-mail this article \ Print this article

For the past two years, Hyattsville resident Sun Jae Smith and his wife, Mie, have created short films and documentaries but when they got the urge to try something new, they partnered with Kate Tsubata of West Lanham Hills to create their first independent film ‘‘Soul Search.”

‘‘It started out as an idea, and it just got bigger and bigger,” Sun Jae Smith said. ‘‘We didn’t have any preparation. We relied on the people around us and the connections we had...and we did all of the writing, casting and filming in about two weeks.”

Tsubata wrote the screenplay adapted for ‘‘Soul Search” last summer, Sun Jae Smith said.

The film is about Amira, a young woman who literally and figuratively sells her soul to make it big in the music industry as a spoken-word artist.

‘‘Our films all have a general theme or message...we create positive message films and things that uplift people,” Sun Jae Smith said. ‘‘In this film [Amira] realizes that you need your inner creativity to create from your heart. Giving up her soul literally and figuratively, Amina can’t produce poetry the way she did before. So she learned to be true to herself.”

The filmmakers called on friends and neighbors to serve as cast members.

About 100 people filed into the Hoff Theater at University of Maryland, College Park, for the film’s premiere Saturday, which cost $4 to attend.

‘‘Overall, there was a really positive response,” Sun Jae Smith said of the feedback cards that viewers were asked to fill out.

DeAndré Vidale of Bowie stumbled into his ticket for the premiere, taking the place of a coworker who had contributed to the film.

‘‘I had little information as to what to expect, but I must say I was impressed and encouraged by the piece Sun Jae and Mie put together,” he said. Vidale is also an independent filmmaker.

Vidale said even though telling the story of the negative side of the music industry isn’t a new concept, he thought ‘‘Soul Search” was still refreshing, encouraging and relevant.

‘‘The down-to-earth and yet creative presentation by the filmmakers makes it more than worthwhile to watch,” he said.

The Smiths created their film production company, LightSmith Productions, about two years ago and they hope ‘‘Soul Search” will be a way for them to jumpstart future projects.

Sun Jae Smith, 23, said he hopes to be able to create another feature-length film this summer during his break from Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, W.V., where he is a junior.

A second premiere at Shepherd University is being planned for sometime in the next month. For more information about LightSmith Productions, visit www.lightsmithpro.com.

E-mail Maya T. Prabhu at mprabhu@gazette.net.