Timeless: It Will Break Your Heart

EMMA SUMLIN'S NEW FILM FOLLOWS YOUNG LOVE IN THE 40s AND WILL BREAK YOUR HEART  

Jordan Pope, lead actor, describes the screenplay as "powerful."

    Timeless, the new short film, written by Emma Sumlin and directed by both Sumlin and Jonathan Collins, is set to start filming in July of 2024. The film will be a black-and-white, silent film, and will be shot in Springtown, TX.

    The film stars Jordan Pope as Pearce Lauder, Grace Adams as Marjorie Kent, and the supporting cast, Tia Ola, Sean Sicard, Emma Durrence, Gideon Donaldson-Quepóns, Sophia Swim, Jonah Lewis, and David Eagleston. Most of the cast are DFW local, but Pope, Swim, Durrence, and Lewis are traveling from out of state.

    The idea for the film came about in March of 2023, when Sumlin, Adams, and Emily Gathright, the lead of Sumlin's first film, We Were Happy, sat down after a long day to discuss an idea for a potential second film. 

    Adams had expressed a love for Old Hollywood films and Sumlin mentioned in a joking tone, that it would be fun to make one. Then it sunk in--what if they could make one? The plan began to unfold in Sumlin's dorm room as the three girls talked through a potential plot, one that held depth and emotion, more than even We Were Happy had. By the end of the night, the whole plot had been planned. Sumlin knew it would break everybody's hearts, which made it an interesting story to tell.

    After that night, finals got busy and soon summer was upon them and it would seem as if the story had been forgotten. However, mid-summer, Sumlin called her good friend Jonathan Collins up to discuss the potential project and whether he was interested in co-directing it with her. Collins was busy at the time interning for Kingdom Story Company, the studio that brought the world Jesus Revolution and the box-office smashing film I Can Only Imagine. Sumlin had interned for them the previous summer. 

    Crazy enough, Collins was just about to call Sumlin about the idea of making another film, since their first film We Were Happy, edited by Collins, was such a hit. It seemed as if their minds had simply thought of the same thing at the same time, but it was obvious to them that God was up to something new. It was then, after that call, that Sumlin became determined to make Timeless and reached out to Adams to see if she would be interested in playing the character Marjorie. After all, it had been Adams who had named all the characters, and it was only fitting for her tremendous acting skills to go towards the role of a lifetime.

    As the fall semester of 2023 began, Sumlin and Collins were busy with schoolwork, regular jobs, and mentoring and the movie had to be put on the backburner for a couple of months. However, after their fall break, Sumlin began to write the screenplay. As soon as it was finished, casting began and it is fair to say they snagged the best young actors in the nation.

    Sumlin posted a casting call on Backstage and a few Facebook actor's groups. Immediately, she had hundreds of auditions flooding through for the role of Pearce Lauder, supporting roles, and extras. Everyone in Dallas wanted to be a part of this period piece project, and it was "excitingly overwhelming," Sumlin said. However, Sumlin reviewed many, many auditions for Pearce and it seemed as if no one fit the role like she wanted.  Though, like God always does, right when it seemed like no one in TX fit the role, a Tennessean named Jordan Pope reached out via messenger, extremely enthusiastic about the film. Sumlin looked at the audition reels he had sent and within seconds knew they had found their Pearce Lauder.

    A week later, God provided even more people on the project. Grace Mitchell, a fellow student at Dallas Baptist University, had told Sumlin one night at a girl's night out, that she was interested in composing her next film. Sumlin recalled Mitchell's incredible musical gifts and without hesitation, brought her onto the project. Mitchell has begun working on the melody that will play throughout the film and it is no doubt to be called with certainty, a masterpiece. As well, Michelle Hoffman was brought on as a producer, helping the team fundraise, create an IMDB, and assist with contracts. She has been an immense blessing to these students who are strengthening their craft in this season.

    Sumlin and Collins have also brought on a crew of talented individuals such as Kyle Boessler, who will be their gaffer, a talented man at his job who has worked with Sumlin on two of the films she has acted in, produced by UTA. Destiny Ross, an immensely talented Assistant Camera operator in the Dallas area, known for her work with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the platforms Freeform, Food Network, T-Mobile, and Netflix, has also hopped on the project. Behind the scenes will be taken care of by Dorothea Lovett, from Georgia, who is excited to gain more experience with the camera. From Sumlin's last film, Alex Uceda, an immensely gifted makeup artist, will return to do her usual fabulous job of making those on-screen look camera-ready.

    Reviews from the cast and crew have come in regarding the script. Pope, when asked what he thought of it said, "Wow. That is powerful." Mitchell said, "I read the screenplay and wrote some scratch notes last night, and I'm gutted...in the best way." Lewis, who plays the best friend of Pearce Lauder, said, "I cried a lot." It is apparent that Sumlin's new film is shattering in the best way, and even as she and Collins prepare all the details for shooting, they sense what they are creating will leave people needing tissues.

    With Timeless, preparing to shoot in eight months, so much is yet to be done. Sumlin and Collins have set up a fundraiser with GoFundMe, aiming to raise five thousand dollars for their project. This money will go towards meals, costumes, equipment, locations, and potential pay for the lead actors. As of the second day, they have raised four hundred dollars. If they make two hundred dollars a day from fundraising, their goal will be met in twenty-five days. As of now, they are ahead of schedule. Prayers continue as they raise their funds. They are hopeful since God has provided everything else for them, he will be faithful to raise the funds.

    If you would like to donate to Timeless's fundraiser, please visit the link below. All donors will be included on the rolling credits with your name under the "Special Thanks" portion, as well as a credit in that area on IMDB.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/timeless-short-film-fundraiser