Synopsis

Papaw Land is a coming-of-age drama set in rural Arkansas. 17-year-old Matthew is slipping into a cycle of alcohol and drugs that looks all too familiar to his single mother, Christy. In a desperate bid to break the cycle, she sends him away for a summer of sobriety and honest work at his grandfather’s place in the Ozarks.

Against the hum of cicadas, Matthew comes to know the generational abuse that has happened there— secrets that change how he looks at those closest to him, and at himself. Justin Blake Crum’s debut feature film is a patient and affecting case-study in how toxic masculinity and inherited trauma shape this underrepresented slice of America.

Filmmakers

Justin Blake Crum

***Writer/Director/Editor/Producer***
Justin is a writer-director currently living in Conway, Arkansas. After directing the award-winning documentary Bell Ringer (which aired nationally on PBS and the World Channel in 2017), he turned his sights to something more personal- a narrative feature film inspired by his deceased grandfather. The film, called Papaw Land, will premiere later in 2021. Currently he’s writing a new screenplay, Sons & Daughters (working title), where he continues to explore the pain and purpose of family. Crum is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach, and was born and raised in Virginia.

Jessica Crum

***Producer***
Jessica is native to Arkansas, and is passionate about bringing arts and culture to the South. She spent 7 years in the Los Angeles fashion design industry, with work featured in national retailers such as Anthropolgie, Dillards, and Forever 21. Transitioning to branding and marketing in 2015, she opened Silverlake Design Studio whose work can be seen in Target and Whole Foods. Jessica serves as Executive Director for the Creative Institute of Central Arkansas, a program she founded to expose creative students to career opportunities in the South. In her spare time, she produces movies alongside her husband Justin. Papaw Land is her first feature film.

Brandon Vedder

***Producer***
Brandon’s career began working on concert films like Pearl Jam: Live at the Garden. Since then, he has produced many award winning documentaries, including La Source (narrated by actor Don Cheadle), A Certain Kind of Light (aired on PBS), and In Pursuit of Silence, which became a favorite of critics, boasting a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes after it's international theatrical release. His latest documentary, Strange Negotiations, premiered at South By Southwest in 2019, and is now available on Amazon Prime.

Camron- Boom2.jpg — Cameron Vaughan

***Producer***
Cameron is an Arkansas-based producer of a wide range of content, including independent feature films (Roman Bickerstaff, Papaw Land), educational fare for PBS, and corporate flair for national brands. He is also the Festival Director of Kaleidoscope LGBTQ+ Film Festival, which is the only festival of its kind in Central Arkansas. Currently his production company, Book 7 Entertainment, is hard at work on a television pilot called Doctor Ghost.

Travis- Car-2.jpg — Travis Sellers

***Producer***
Travis is a jack of all trades when it comes to the arts- he’s been everything from a worship pastor to an artistic director of an arts academy. He’s mentored young artists in dance, theatre, music, and visual arts. Whatever the medium may be, what he really enjoys most is making “it” happen. He recently made “it” happen as producer of his first feature film, Papaw Land. Travis lives in Conway, Arkansas with his wife and four kids.

Nate Klein

***Director Of Photography***
Nate is a cinematographer residing in Long Beach, California. He grew up channeling the Orange County beach lifestyle, and spent several years as a professional bodyboarder in the B.I.A & US Open of Surfing. Transitioning out of the water and onto the streets, Nate shifted his focus to skateboarding, specifically skateboarding films. He’s worked behind the camera ever since, capturing the rawness of his subjects across a dynamic list of projects from feature films and short films to commercials and music videos.

Donna- withPapaw2.jpg — Donna Benton

***Production Designer***
Donna is an interior designer with a knack for mixing vintage and contemporary styles. She has created hundreds of DIY and lifestyle videos for popular home and garden publications. Her experience with vintage styling made her a perfect fit for Papaw Land, her first feature film.

Michael Turner

***Editor/Producer***
Michael directed and edited The Way We Talk, (2016, thewaywetalk.org) an award-winning documentary about his experiences with stuttering that continues to screen around the world in many languages. He is currently at work on his second documentary feature, Monument, about memory, memorialization, and meaning. He lives in rural Oregon with his wife and daughter.

Tina- OutdoorBed2.jpg — Tina Falkner

***Costume Designer***
Tina lives in Conway, Arkansas, where she is owner of America Jane Vintage, a local hotspot for vintage clothing. She is a hunter gatherer of all things vintage, a passion that led to her role as a costume designer in local theater productions. Papaw Land is her first feature film.

Brooks- Synth.jpg — Brooks Tipton

***Composer***
Brooks is an Arkansas-based musician who has toured with several popular bands, including Manchester Orchestra, The Secret Sisters, and Thursday. When he’s not touring or releasing solo music (Glass Wands), he’s composing music for independent films like Papaw Land.

Cast

John Stiritz

***Papaw***
John began his acting career in high school farce and college productions. After a forty or so year interruption for military, teaching, and business jobs, John got his second wind, landing a number of stage and film credits, including the role of Tom in The Glass Menagerie, Reuben Samuels in Frank and Jesse, and Grandpa Percy in My Dog Skip.

Carson Mitchell

***Matthew***
Carson lives in Bismark, Arkansas, population of 2,500, where he works full time at the Sonic Drive-In. He is thinking about applying at the local fire station soon, but regardless of his job, he hopes to be successful and happy one day. He enjoys going to the lake and talking with friends at the gas station. Papaw Land is his first film, and his first experience with acting.

Spring Hunter

***Christy***
Spring is living her best life as a mother of five, and executive director of a nonprofit that serves families in crisis in Central Arkansas. Papaw Land is her first film, though theater and the arts have always been a lifelong passion.

Larissa Ware

***Emily***
Larissa, age 16, was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, but now resides in Fort Worth, Texas with her mother. She is the youngest of four and has three older brothers. She has been a competitive dancer for many years, and enjoys music and singing. She also enjoys working with children and is interning at an early learning center for her child guidance class. Papaw Land is her first film.

Tyler Winn

***Robbie***
Tyler is a native of Mobile, Alabama, where he recently graduated from the University of South Alabama (with a degree in civil engineering), and currently works as a car salesman, serving up deals. He occasionally auditions for acting roles in his free time, considering his father runs a boutique talent agency, called Audition Source Talent in Mobile. Papaw Land is his first film, and his first role since theater class in high school.

Heather- Car.jpg — Heather Steadham

***Paula***
From serving sundaes as a truck-stop waitress to teaching sex education in rural public schools to writing essays for national publications, Heather Steadham has led many lives. In her current incarnation, Heather works as an English instructor at the University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College, volunteers for the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and performs as an actress when she’s lucky enough to score a gig. Papaw Land is her first film.

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