When filmmaker Cameron Kirkman was first approached about leading a summer film camp, he never imagined it would snowball into a full-fledged cinematic production. But from that humble beginning, “Stories of Songville” was born — a feature-length sci-fi/fantasy film with epic ambitions, deep themes, and a surprising biblical inspiration.

“It actually started out as a film camp for students 10 and up,” Kirkman explains. “Taryn Padiak, creator of a creative arts club called Children of Light, reached out to my mom one day, asking if I would be interested in teaching a film camp to her students. … Long story short, we got inspired, we agreed, cast a vision, set goals — things got bigger and bigger, and the rest is history!”

The film premieres this weekend at Trex Cinema in Kernersville, a town that became something of a second home for Kirkman during the production process. While he grew up in Yadkin County, he credits Kernersville’s Chamber of Commerce for helping him find shooting locations — including some that play cleverly against type.

“Our villain’s lair was filmed at Hillcrest Baptist Church,” he says, laughing. “In the movie, the tyrannical villain, The Iron Master, sits in a throne room called the Crimson Chamber… so we had a good laugh when we discovered the actual name for that room we shot in was called the ‘Friendship Room!’”

Other locations include the Gibson House for the opening scene and Lighthouse Candle Factory, which doubles as the villain’s “evil factory.”

But what truly sets “Stories of Songville” apart — for Kirkman and, he hopes, the audience — is its message.

“The vision behind this film and all our projects is to entertain but also impact,” says Kirkman. “If you have a good message in a film and that’s it, then all you have is a sermon. But if all you have is entertainment, then all you have is a fluff of a movie. … If this movie can transform a viewer’s outlook on life for the better, and also cause them to laugh, cry, and clap the very next moment, then that would be a film worth producing and watching.”

The film adapts the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the Book of Daniel — but with a modern sci-fi twist. 

“So it’s like Star Wars, meets Lord of the Rings, meets a Bible story.”

Themes of faith, integrity, and perseverance under pressure are woven throughout. 

“The message to a Christian is this: ‘To be a good citizen until you can no longer be a good Christian.’ To those who wouldn’t call themselves a Christian, I pray they are able to see a fun movie that entertains them, makes them laugh and cry, but also leaves an impact.”

The road to completion wasn’t without obstacles. 

“There were so many challenges — scheduling conflicts, funds, weather,” Kirkman acknowledged. “But with each obstacle, we prayed about it. There wasn’t a day during production that was missed without me literally bowing to the ground with my face touching the floor, praying to God, asking him for help, guidance, or energy and strength to get through the day.”

Even the story itself went through multiple versions before settling on the biblical narrative.

“We had this amazing plot … but it quickly proved to be way too large of a project with the budget and time we had,” he says. 

After abandoning a second story idea, “finally, we landed on the biblical story. … This was the one!”

The premiere at Trex Cinema represents a full-circle moment for Kirkman and his team. 

“It means a lot! It is a simply fantastic feeling … very surreal,” he said. “My idea was to get it on a church projector and play it before a small audience … but the Lord opened up doors and now we are having our second showing on the big screen.”

He said this weekend represents the culmination of a lot of hard work — and the support of those around him who helped bring the vision to life.

“Taryn Padiak and Children of Light, our cast and crew, the cast’s parents, my mom and dad, our composer Mitchell Groves, and my co-director Gabriel Miller who did much of the visual effects,” he said, recognizing those who contributed to the projects. “Everyone was an absolute blast to work with. There was so much love and care from everyone.”

That showing takes place Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Tickets are available online by clicking here and the theater is located at 755 Cinema Court.

If you’d like to hear even more from the director, be sure to check out our exclusive podcast interview embedded below — a candid conversation about creativity, faith, filmmaking, and what’s next:

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