By; Kenneth McDade
Nestled in the charming town of Pelahatchie, Mississippi—where the tea is sweet and the dreams are sweeter—Saint Studios Films, LLC is proving that you don’t need a Hollywood zip code to make movie magic. Since its official rebranding in 2008, the independent film company has grown under the creative vision of its founder, Curtis Everitt, who affectionately refers to it as “the community theater of independent film production.”
Everitt’s journey into filmmaking started not with a camera, but with a dream of being on screen. “I used to want to be an actor,” he said. “But then I discovered actors have very little control over the final product. That didn’t sit right with me—so I decided to get behind the camera and call the shots. Literally.”
Everitt first started making movies in 2004 under the youthful (and appropriately nostalgic) banner of Kids Co. “By 2008, I was no longer a kid—and let’s be honest, the name needed a glow-up,” he joked. That glow-up came in the form of Saint Studios, a name inspired by the Val Kilmer film The Saint. “In the movie, you have to perform three miracles to be a saint,” Everitt said. “For us, those miracles are pre-production, production, and post-production. If you can pull all three off, you’re basically a saint in my book.”
Over the years, Saint Studios has rolled out an eclectic mix of films—from the suspenseful Dr. S, to the charmingly peculiar Bird’s Eye, the feel-good comedy Just Act Cool, the nostalgic Fire Summer, and the sci-fi mind-bender Solar Eclipse. Each film is a labor of love, crafted with a unique blend of imagination, determination, and the occasional caffeine-fueled editing session.
“I like to give actors roles they wouldn’t normally get to play,” Everitt said. “When someone reaches out wanting to work with me, the first thing I ask is, ‘What’s your dream role?’ Then I do my best to make it happen. We’re dreamers around here—dreamers with a camera and a deadline.”
Though he once dabbled in wedding videography, Everitt has since hung up his bouquet-filming boots. “After my divorce, the thrill of filming weddings kind of faded,” he said with a chuckle. “Now I focus on the stories I really want to tell—the ones that keep me up at night, in a good way.”
In Pelahatchie, where neighbors are friends and creativity grows like wild honeysuckle, Curtis Everitt and Saint Studios Films are keeping the independent film spirit alive—one dream, one camera, and one miracle at a time.
To follow Saint Studios Films or get involved in upcoming projects, check them out on social media or reach out online.
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