Local filmmaker to hold sneak peek of religious LGBTQ film ‘At the End of the Day’ in Lakeland

LAKELAND, Fla. | Kevin O’Brien, a local-area filmmaker, announced that he will hold a special sneak peek of his first feature-length film “At the End of the Day” at the historic Polk Theatre in Lakeland May 18.

“At the End of the Day” is a dramatic comedy that explores the tensions between the evangelical church and the LGBTQ community. Dave Hopper, played by Stephen Shane Martin, is a conservative professor at a Christian college who goes undercover in a gay support group to try and stop them from launching an LGBTQ homeless youth shelter in his small town.

“At the End of the Day” movie poster.

The film also stars Danielle Sagona, Tom Nowicki and Chris Cavalier — all of who, along with Martin, will be in attendance. O’Brien — who is the film’s writer, director and producer —will join the cast, director of photography Brandon Hyde and producer Teresa O’Brien for a panel discussion after the film to talk about “At the End of the Day’s” message, process and their experiences making the movie.

O’Brien spoke with Watermark in early 2017 as he was beginning the filming process.

“Many of the characters are inspired by my friends or people I’ve met over the past couple of years,” O’Brien said in 2017. “[The film is] somewhat of a bridge for people who are like me, who have been questioning what we’ve been taught [about the LGBTQ community in church].”

With the film’s focus on LGBTQ youth, and the increased experiences they have with homelessness and religious rejection compared to their straight counterparts, it was important for O’Brien to reach out to Central Florida’s LGBTQ youth resource center in Orlando, the Zebra Coalition.

“One of my most meaningful experiences on set was working with Zebra Coalition,” said O’Brien in a press release. “Zebra was a huge source of inspiration for the film, and it was vital to me from the beginning that I include their youth’s real stories in the movie.”

“At the End of the Day” will run Friday, May 18 at 7:00 p.m. at The Polk Theatre, located at 121 South Florida Ave., in Lakeland. Tickets start at $10 with VIP packages available and can be purchased at EndOfTheDayFilm.com/tickets.

Watch the film’s trailer below.

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