‘Liquor Bank’ and Supporting Indie Films
Antwone Barnes in Liquor Bank
Over the years, as Jen and I have been planning and dreaming about Movies & Us, we often come back to our desire to support indie filmmakers. Don’t get me wrong, we love a good blockbuster or studio film. There’s so much fun in experiencing the latest cultural phenomenon, but we also want to balance that with films that people might not otherwise see. We want to be intentional in using what influence we have to support the indie film community.
In the fall of 2024, we were dreaming of this again. We wanted to get to the point where we might be able to interview a director about their film, giving that person the time and space to talk about what they’ve created with an audience that might not otherwise hear about it. Honestly, it was a pretty cool dream that we thought was probably years down the line.
But we recorded our first (and hopefully not our last) interview with a director and executive producer last month!
We were honored to host writer and director Marcellus Cox and executive producer Adam Freed on the podcast to discuss their short film Liquor Bank.
This short film is based on the experiences of a veteran battling alcoholism and struggling with his sobriety. This short film is an incredible labor of love and does an excellent job of displaying the humanity of these characters. It’s easy to demonize someone who’s caught in addiction, but this film doesn’t do that. Instead, it has so much empathy for Eddie (Antwone Barnes) as he hits a low. We also see his sponsor, Baker (Sean Alexander James), tell him the honest truth, calling Eddie to his best self.
It was wonderful to hear Marcellus share about his vision for this film and the way that he interviewed people who are walking the sobriety journey. He was intentional in allowing people to read the script and ensure that it felt realistic to their experiences. Their notes and edits to the script really help Liquor Bank feel authentic. And because the film is focused on the humanity of Eddie, rather than sensationalizing his battles with alcohol, it is relatable even if you haven’t found yourself in that particular situation.
Liquor Bank is such a labor of love and is also an incredibly engaging film to watch. Though it’s a short film, it manages to take you on a whole narrative journey with Eddie and Baker. We see highs, lows, and transformation by the end. There’s catharsis and emotional resolve, while also being rooted in reality.
It’s a wonderfully made film that we hope will continue to gain traction coming into festival season.