Lumina is a 2023 science fiction film written and directed by Gino J.H. McKoy.

The film is produced by Gino J.H. McKoy, Lynda McKoy, David Seychell and Hudson McKoy. The production's editor is Academy Award-winner Thom Noble.

Plot
Lumina narrates the story of Alex, whose girlfriend Tatiana disappears suddenly in a flash of a blinding light. Completely traumatized by the situation, Alex, along with his friends and a conspiracy theorist, embarks on a journey through a desert, during which they encounter unexpected challenges that compel them to fight for their lives and discover the truth that will change their lives. The film further examines the psychological effects on people when a family member or loved one disappears. Lumina incorporates elements of action and comedy, aiming to introduce emotional depth to the science fiction genre.

Cast
 Eric Roberts
 Ken Lawson
 Emily Hall
 Rupert Lazarus as Alex
 Eleanor Williams as Tatiana
 Andrea Tivada as Deliah
 Sidney Nicole Rogers

Production

Early development
The process of bringing the film Lumina to life involved significant challenges. After numerous agencies were unable to commit to a director, the film's screenwriter, Gino J.H. McKoy decided to direct the film himself. Together with his mother, Lynda, they secured a domestic wide release service distribution deal in 2019 with Entertainment Studio Motion Pictures/Freestyle Releasing, which would have covered 2000-2500 screens across the U.S. and Canada, along with output deals with Lionsgate, Netflix, and FilmNation. However, after 18 months of negotiations, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic brought the film economy to a standstill, resulting in the closure of theaters and the cessation of film production. This made a wide release infeasible. Despite these setbacks, the McKoys continued with pre-production and planned to revisit distribution after post-production.

The financing for the film was secured through Lynda's longtime friend, David Seychell. During a planned trip to discuss the film's financing in July 2020, Seychell was critically injured in a private plane crash in the Colorado mountains. After weeks of treatment in Colorado and Toronto, Seychell began to recover and his paper contract for Lumina was found intact at the crash site.

Preproduction in Morocco 
In Ouarzazate, director Mckoy enlisted British DP Larry Smith, who had formerly worked with Stanley Kubrick. However, their journey to Marrakesh was interrupted by a call concerning threats against producer Lynda Mckoy from service producer "M", leading them to return to Ouarzazate. Upon arrival at CLA Studio, they found "M" orchestrating a strike, alleging the producers' non-payment of bills, while Lynda's persistent requests for invoices had been ignored. Proofs of correspondence and partial payments were subsequently presented. It was later revealed that "M's" assistant had been secretly storing the Moroccan crew's financial documents.

On a single day, all cast and crew underwent COVID-19 testing due to producer Lynda Mckoy's concerns about inadequate protocol adherence. Lynda and Hudson Mckoy, parents of the director, received false positive results. They then traveled to Marrakesh in a privately rented bus for retesting and self-isolated at the Opera Plaza Hotel. Concurrently, Gino rode in the production bus serving as a decoy, attracting the attention of the authorities searching for the Mckoys. Upon discovering the Mckoy's location, 'M' directed police to their hotel room. The Mckoys informed officials that the embassies of the UK, US, and Canada were aware of their situation, and kept their predicament confidential from the crew at the Rotana Hotel. Subsequently, the local authorities ordered the closure of the CLA studios for disinfection and quarantine. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this led to the halt of sci-fi set construction in Ouarzazate, and service producer 'M' demanded payroll for the Moroccan team during the studio shutdown.

In Marrakesh's Rotana Hotel, pre-production occurred in a secure environment. However, five actors from the U.S. and U.K. ceased their involvement prematurely, despite ongoing contracts. In an unprecedented event in Hollywood history, Director Gino J.H Mckoy identified this as a planned act to undermine Lumina. The actors retained their compensation, representing a unique case of potential project sabotage exceeding not just financial issues.

In 2020, SAG-AFTRA instructed its members to avoid working on the film Lumina, which allegedly failed to comply with required COVID-19 safety standards as per the union's Global Rule One, making it one of the few movies to proceed without union support.

Filming
Lumina was filmed in Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Agafay, and the Atlas Mountains areas in Morocco. The Sci Fi sets were built at the CLA studios in Ouarzazate. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the production was able to navigate the obstacles and proceed with filming.

Distribution
In March 2023, Porter & Craig Film and Media Distribution was announced as the service domestic distributor for Lumina.

References

External links
 Official website

2023 films