Christos Hines, a UA alumnus and current film producer, will debut his newest movie “American Deadbolt” at the Bama Theatre on Nov. 12. The event will also feature a Q&A session with actors and crews following the screening.
The story follows a group of five employees during a shooting on the Fourth of July as they are trapped in the back room of a restaurant. As they try to stay alive, they find out that the greatest threat is still locked in the room with them.
“It’s been a dream to be able to come back to Tuscaloosa and screen ‘American Deadbolt,’” Hines said.
A graduate of the business school, Hines said that his experience at the Capstone was instrumental in getting him to the position he’s in now, as his time as a student “was filled with dreams and aspirations.”
“I met life-long friends there, enjoyed a national championship my senior year and was transformed through my classes and experiences,” he said. “Not only did my degree help me with understanding the finance and budgeting aspects of film business, but as a film producer, one of the most important parts of the job is when the film is finished and you have to get it out to the audience.”
“Promoting a movie is kind of like solving a puzzle,” he said. “You have the genre and the audience that you think is the right audience, but sometimes you can be surprised. Film festivals are good for figuring out an audience that you may have never known would have liked your film.”
Now that the film has found its audience, however, Hines has reflected on how rewarding his experience on “American Deadbolt” has been.
When the movie plays at the Bama Theatre, Hines said that he expects the ending of the film to create a “buzz about the crowd.”
“When we get members of the audience shouting out to the characters on the screen, we know that they are invested,” he said.“That’s what I look forward to most.”
Hines added that he is looking forward to interacting with the Alabama film community.
“The Bama Theatre is such a historical space and has been wonderful to work with,” he said. “I hope that any UA students that have interest in movies or filmmaking can come out, ask questions and get inspired.”
Tickets for the event can be purchased online, with students receiving a discount code by using the promo code “STUDENT.”
