Jamerican film “The Heart of Summer” premieres as Cinema Paradiso
Celebrating Caribbean Heritage Month, the much anticipated Jamerican film “The Heart of Summer” will be making its South Florida premiere for Father’s Day, Sunday June 19 at Cinema Paradiso in Fort Lauderdale.
The Heart of Summer stars critically acclaimed Jamaican actor and producer, Paul Campbell, and South Florida-based actors Tesh Beckham and Lex Kelly-Meade.
The film is a love story about a young college student, Omari (played by Lex Kelly-Meade) who writes a book about an amazing summer experience after returning home to South Florida from school in Atlanta. Raised in a Christian home by Jamaican parents, life in college had transformed Omari’s identity from that of his family’s upbringing. After returning home, Omari visits church with his family where he had a brief encounter with a very beautiful young lady named Naomi Johnson (Tesh Beckham). Within days of meeting they both become inseparable and felt a natural bond that defied the norm of their very being, one that they both never thought existed. But Naomi’s over-protective father, Mr. Johnson (played by Paul Campbell), would see to it that theirs would not be an easy ride. Naomi and Omari are both trying to find their identities, and their way through life while balancing the weights of family and true love.
The movie also features a dynamic soundtrack from hot acts such as Rootz Underground, Raging Fyah and rising star, Leea Stewart, whose single, “I’ll be right there” is the lead soundtrack.
Filmed in South Florida, The Heart of Summer exhibits true Caribbean-American talents both in front of and behind the camera. The film was directed by Adrian Allen, written by Tedrick Huff and produced by Allen, Ray Balgrove, Vivienne Chance and Paul Campbell. The film was produced by two South Florida based companies; iNation Pictures, a subsidiary of Steadyimage Digital Media Productions and Driven Networks, a GRB Media Group company, in association with Golden Krust Bakery. Both companies decided to collaborate on telling the wonderfully produced story which captures the essence of the Caribbean-American family living in South Florida.
