Local contributors get sneak peek of feature film ‘Dust to Malibu’  

Springfield was ready for its closeup during a Sept. 5 invitation-only screening for local cast, crew and owners of locations where the production of feature film “Dust to Malibu” happened. 

According to past Springfield Business Journal reporting, the film is classified by the Screen Actors Guild as a moderate low budget film, which pegs its budget at $300,000-$700,000. Local investment from filming was approximately $160,000. 

As they entered into the building, about 250 people stepped onto a section of red carpet stretching horizontally in front of the steps at The Landers Theatre entrance.  

Shelly Gibson, the Springfield native and actor who brought the film to the city, welcomed the crowd, and writer and director Stephen Ward, among whose credits are last year’s “Don’t Say It” and 1994’s “Backbeat,” who was on hand for a question-and-answer period after the showing. 

Joining them were producer Tom Bellos; actor Alexander Pobutsky; and Beth Domann, executive director of Springfield Little Theatre, who had a role in the film as a sheriff’s deputy – clad in authentic gear lent to the film by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. 

The leads of the film – Tim Daly and Alex Sgambati – sent video greetings and words of thanks to the residents of Springfield. 

A road trip at the center of the plot sends a father and daughter westward on Route 66, starting in an unnamed fictional town that is smaller than Springfield. Nevertheless, locals who view the film will recognize Queen City landmarks, like the Greene County Jail, the Rockwood Motor Court and the College Street Cafe. 

After driving for a few hours on the first leg of the trip, through movie magic, the father and daughter end up in another city where they will rest for the night … in the Rail Haven Motel. There, they dine at That Lebanese Place, and a view of the Jefferson Avenue Footbridge flashes in the background. 

With each recognizable location – like  J.O.B. Public House or 5 Pound Apparel – audience members erupted in cheers. 

Ward said he wanted to do something that was a road trip but not a cliched one, and he hit on the idea of a father and daughter who were driving the mother’s ashes to the coast – thus the title of the film. 

“It’s just a story, and it’s a story of relationships,” he said. “It was an emotional journey and a physical journal.” 

The film is set to debut Sept. 27 at the Burbank International Film Festival, Gibson said, with other festivals slated. 

Making the movie 
Gibson told the crowd she was born and raised in Springfield and hadn’t lived here in 40 years. 

“I did a whole lot of scouting for locations, and I think most of the locations I picked, we used,” she said. 

She said numerous businesses assisted with production, including all of those who lent their locations for filming, as well as Miles Thompson of Thompson Cadillac, who loaned to the production the vehicle in which much of the movie’s action takes place, and Locke and Stache Media LLC, which provided drone filming services. 

Other contributions came from the local music scene. Gibson’s life partner is Ron Gremp, drummer for The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, and the band provided much of the music used in the film, as did Springfield musician Molly Healey, who is both a Daredevil and an independent artist. 

Ward said the team is planning another movie for the area, with production to begin in March or April. 

“I want to do a psychological thriller, so we need a big, old, spooky house,” Ward said. “If you know one, talk to my producer.” 

Belloc said Missouri has a competitive incentive, especially when local vendors and crew are used. 

“We were really happy – there was a lot of cooperation, and that goes a long way,” he said. 

The team noted the Southwest Missouri Film Office and the Ozarks Film Foundry have done a lot to pave the way for local filming. 

“It really requires some of that infrastructure and to really be able to reach out and corral that crew for all the purposes, whether it’s construction, whether it’s camera – so many departments, so many needs,” Belloc said. 

And the area is growing in its capacity, he added. 

“I think that’s going to develop a little more down here,” he said. “I think there’s an opportunity, and I think there’s a lot of resources, especially when you cobble together all the experience and equipment and places in the Ozarks – Branson and Springfield all together. I think it’s crazy awesome.” 

State film growth 
Missouri Film Commissioner Andrea Sporcic was among those who took in the screening. Sporcic said her office’s distinctive round logo will soon be visible on multiple films. 

She said 2024 was the first full calendar year for the program. 

“We had 39 projects that filmed, but we didn’t utilize all of those tax credits,” she said. 

The office offers $16 million in tax credits each year, and some of that also remains available for 2025, with the new year beginning in January. 

Asked what the state could do to promote itself as open for business for film work, Sporcic prioritized communication: “Just knowing that there is an industry here, and they’re doing a lot more training – just getting the word out,” she said. 

A requirement for a project to receive the film credits is for the project to include either two registered apprentices or two veterans. 

“We’re really looking to get more people into this industry,” she said. 

Sporcic said in Missouri, Springfield is on par with Columbia as a college town where both students and professionals are involved in independent filmmaking. 

“One of the statistics that we shared with the legislature is that over a five-year period, 20,000 students were graduating with these degrees in film and media and leaving the state with no way to work,” she said. 

Sporcic added there are 38 college programs in film and media in Missouri. 

“We’re coming back next month to work with Missouri State, Drury and Evangel,” she said. “We’re going to show some production lab shorts that we helped get made and bring the filmmakers in to talk to the students.”