MENIFEE CO., Ky. (LEX 18) — Downtown Frenchburg might not share the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. But Menifee County has welcomed a recent influx of filmmakers, and the county hopes to see their film industry grow.
“I saw a casting call that said Frenchburg Kentucky, and I had to do a double-take because I was like, no way. This is not Frenchburg,” said Ebie Adkins, an assistant producer and actress in the movie M30 OXY.
James Botts, assistant producer and background actor in the same movie, added, “most people would never even imagine that it would happen here. There’s not like a large thing right here that would draw people to it, but the filmmakers have managed to find their way here.”
The movie M30 OXY is the most recent movie filmed in Menifee County. Writer, director, and executive producer Wesley Mullins, a native Kentuckian, wanted to tell the story of the opioid epidemic in a different way.
“We’re actually telling the stories of things that happened based on, inspired by, true events, sad events really,” Adkins said.
Menifee County has become such a great place for filmmakers because of the people in the county and their willingness to participate in and help out with the filming process.
“Menifee County’s greatest natural resource is our people,” Adkins said. “People are kind, they’re generous… Wesley has commented before that when he needed something, he would just ask, and somebody would make a call and it would just happen.”
“Sometimes [the filmmakers] will ask things like, ‘What will it cost to do this,’ and people here will be like ‘I’ll just do that for you,’” said Botts. “The people are so willing to help you out and they didn’t ask for anything in return, they were just glad to have a film or something representing their county.”
Menifee County’s new tourism director Carrie Lawson was introduced to M30 OXY shortly after she started, and she was utterly impressed by the way the county was displayed.
“When I saw it, I knew immediately, I was like, ‘this has to be seen. People have to see this,’” Lawson said. “It hits home. This is my home, this is our town that this is happening in.”
Lawson worked with 10th Frame Cinemas in Mount Sterling to put together a special screening of the movie Dec. 6-9.
“I think it’s going to be great, and it’s going to actually show 16 times over those four days,” said Lawson. “It will show 16 times, and so it will be, I think it’s going to be very, very well-received.”
“I kind of challenge Menifee Countians to see how many of our people that they can spot in the film,” Adkins added. “It’s really cool to see our people doing something so creative and I believe so important.”
Along with the screening this weekend, the county is also welcoming filmmakers from around the country – and the world – to film another project.
“We have filmmakers from California, Michigan, and actually Norway coming to film this weekend,” said Adkins. “Menifee County is getting the attention worldwide because we’re willing to work and we have really capable people.”
Thanks to the people, Menifee County has further plans for 2025, and the county hopes the filming industry will continue to grow in the area.
“That spirit of giving and community and generosity is really what’s ushered in new projects for filmmaking here,” said Adkins. “We do have beautiful landscape, but the people are really where it’s at. We’re the heart of the foothills, and we have big hearts.”
From Dec. 6 through Dec. 9, M30 OXY will be shown 16 times at 10th Frame Cinemas in Mount Sterling. You can learn more about the movie, as well as other filming projects in Menifee County on the county’s tourism website.
