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Alex Lucier is filming the film “Summer Interlude” in Gardner, Hubbardston

story April 16, 2024
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A young local filmmaker is inviting residents to share in the experience of bringing a film to the big screen.

Gardner's Alex Lucier is in pre-production on his film “Summer Interlude” and is looking to raise $16,500 through crowdfunding to make his vision a reality. So far he has achieved about 14% of his goal.

Lucier, who is 19 and graduated from Gardner High School in 2022, said his film, which he wrote and will direct, will depict a few days in the life of an aspiring filmmaker struggles to balance his college career and pursuing his dreams and his parents' wishes in a small coastal town in Maine.

“It's a coming-of-age story set between the end of the main character's senior year of high school and the start of college,” Lucier said. “It's about meeting friends, losing friends and all the things that happen during this time. And the whole concept is that the entire film takes place in one week at the end of summer.”

Lucier has taken part in several smaller film-related projects in the past, but he said he is excited at the prospect of finally making his own feature-length film.

“It was very cool to see everyone involved come together on this project,” he said. “I hesitate to ask people because I don't want to bother them, but it turns out most of them are really excited to be a part of it.”

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The film is currently in pre-production and is scheduled to shoot in June

A 14-person team has already been recruited for the production and Lucier is currently busy casting his film. The main character, Levi Parker, is described as an 18-year-old who is uncertain about his future. The film's cast also includes Sarah Mitchell, a free-spirited and independent girl, as well as Andrew, Levi's younger brother and Levi's parents.

“We just started auditioning,” Lucier said.

Filming locations include Hubbardston Campground and Maine Amusement Park

Lucier, a sophomore at Worcester State University, said much of the budget for the film, which has evolved from a school project to an after-school independent feature, will go toward securing specific locations as the script requires . For the film's climax, set at a resort carnival, the film's production team secured permission to film at York's Wild Kingdom in York, Maine.

“We have it for two nights, with the ride providers on site and everything,” Lucier said. “I didn’t think this would happen, but they said we could film there after 5 p.m.”

Another place will be familiar to many Greater Gardner residents of a certain age.

“There’s a private campground, Peaceful Acres in Hubbardston, that I didn’t even know existed,” he said. “They just started building Airbnb cabins, so we’ll have one of those cabins for the family home in the film.”

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Other scenes could be filmed at locations in Gardner, Lucier said.

The rest of the funds will be used to pay cast and crew, equipment rental, food, travel and lodging, and insurance, according to Lucier. The film is scheduled to be shot for twelve days in June.

The finished film will be sent to various film festivals for screening, after which a public premiere is planned, Lucier said.

Click here to help fund the project.

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