Local actor and producer, Herb Jackson Jr will enjoy the perfect homecoming this week when not one but two of his recent films screen at LA’s annual Culver City Film Festival.
The Last Butterflies will screen on December 02. It was written and stars Whitney Wegman-Wood with Herb Jackson Jr serving as associate producer and taking up a small role in the movie. The short follows the family patriarch (Cooper Andrews), a brilliant NASA scientist, who finds himself at the forefront of a world on the brink of ecological collapse and societal breakdown. As chaos engulfs his family's once peaceful lives, he and his wife (Whitney Wegman-Wood) become determined to protect their young daughter (Ivy Hickman), at all costs.
"This is a very special moment for me as I was born in Culver City and to have two films that I’m involved in playing at the festival is really amazing," Herb said. "I feel extremely fortunate to have worked on The Last Butterflies. I really appreciate Whitney for reaching out to me. She wrote an amazing story, which was based on a series of nightmares she had, and I'm so happy to have been involved with her project. "Working with Cooper Andrews and Adam Boyer was beyond incredible and our crew, led by Patrick Rea, was really fun to work with. Also, a big shout out to the folks in Mildred, Kansas. They could not have been more welcoming and supportive during filming there. Everyone involved with this project has been wonderful to work with and I’m so looking forward to seeing it on the big screen at Culver City.”
The airline pilot-turned actor’s second film, the UK-filmed Angel Fleet will also be screened at the Culver City Film Festival on December 05. Shot on location around West Sussex in the south of England, the film tells the story of a family struggling to come to terms with a tragic flying accident that killed their test pilot father.
Angel Fleet has a stellar line-up, with Herb serving as executive producer. The film also features the Academy Award contender, Darcy Jacobs, who was previously the recipient of the Birmingham Film Festival’s Best Young Actress Award. That came from her work with Angel Fleet producer and director, Tristan Loraine and his company, Fact Not Fiction Films.
Angel Fleet is already winning rave reviews on the film festival circuit and was shown at the Birmingham International Film Festival in November. “I just flew back from the UK festival screening of Angel Fleet and am thrilled that it will also be shown in Culver City,” Herb says. “It has been so warmly received by audiences worldwide and has won awards for the best cinematography and best young actress at previous festivals.”
The Culver City Film Festival will take place December 01 – December 07, 2023.