The creative team behind a film S&A has extensively covered in the past, Mississippi Damned, are in the process of developing their sophomore effort County Line and have recently launched a website for the film.
The father-son drama set in rural North Carolina will reunite Tina Mabry as director and Bradford Young as director of photography. The film was written by Mabry and Morgan Stiff.
The 2009, largely ignored, murders of black prostitutes in Rocky Mount, NC along with Mabry's experiences growing up as a cop's daughter were the inspiration for the flick. As they state on their blog…"These murders, Tina’s experiences growing up as a cop’s daughter, and the growing epidemic of the recreational use of prescription drugs amongst teenagers, all became issues we wanted to tackle, expose, and dissect in the script."
A detailed synopsis from the site:
Sheriff Henry Ray Bradley is a loving husband, a watchful father, a dedicated caretaker to his ailing father, and a pillar in his community. When women in his county start showing up dead under his watch, Henry Ray and his department quickly try to return peace and safety to his area. Henry Ray, however, realizes there's a horrible pattern developing; someone is killing the local drug addicted prostitutes who have relationships not only with the major drug dealers in town, but also with one of his trusted deputies.
Unable to control his mounting financial debt, Henry Ray reluctantly succumbs to a one-time request to look the other way on a drug deal when a close family friend, Jason Triplett, propositions him. However, when Jason continues to lose product from his local dealers, he has no choice but to return to Henry Ray for help. However, when Henry Ray refuses to assist, Jason threatens to ruin Henry Ray's untarnished reputation.
While Henry Ray is dealing with these heinous crimes and being blackmailed by Jason, his family life is crumbling. His teenage son, Elijah, is spending too much time with his manipulative and drug-addicted girlfriend, Glenda. Glenda introduces Elijah to Oxycontin and her sexual advances lead them to cope with an unexpected pregnancy. Desperate to not become a teenage mother, Glenda makes a catastrophic decision that changes everything, not only for Elijah, but for Henry Ray as well.
Work and home stresses quickly corrode Henry Ray's confident facade. With a deputy who’s having affairs with the victims, a son with whom he has lost all connection, and a haunting one-time agreement looming over his head, Henry Ray must decide on which side of the legal and moral line he wants to live before he has nothing left and before more women are killed.
Back in April, County Line won the Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Award and received $10,000 grant.
We'll certainly be keeping our eye on this project as developments unfold so stay tuned. Until then, check out the new website HERE.