Cast and crew members of the independent feature film “Remember” gather during production in the Upstate, where the project was filmed with a team made up largely of local talent from Spartanburg, Greenville and surrounding communities. Photo courtesy of Evan Purcell.
An independent feature film production has entered its final days of filming here in the Upstate this week. Remember, a locally-rooted horror movie produced by Asheville-based Corpening Media, is shooting in Easley from February 14 - 19th. The majority of the cast and crew is comprised of Greenville and Spartanburg locals.
Remember tells the story of a group of young people confronted by a supernatural entity. As each character is taken, the others forget that their friend ever existed, causing ripple effects that affect their personalities, relationships, and chance at survival.
“I first started writing it during lockdown,” shares Evan Purcell, producer and co-writer of Remember. “I was missing my friends, and I was really thinking about the idea of how we influence each other, even when we’re not around.”
Purcell joined forces with Corpening Media, and the team began filming in Asheville, NC in 2022 — until what began as a single case of COVID turned into a fully shut down production, with nearly the whole cast and crew fallen ill. Production was delayed, and the creative team made the decision to rewrite and start from scratch. Unfortunately, their second attempt at filming was also disrupted — this time by Hurricane Helene and the resulting devastation.
After facing roadblock after roadblock, the satisfaction of making it to the end of the filming process is extra sweet. The cast and crew were finally able to come together in July of 2025 to film the prologue, and now find themselves reaching the end of their filming journey.
“It’s so huge,” shares Purcell. “It’s so exciting. The finish line is up ahead, and we’re so close to being done. We’re just trying to enjoy it as much as possible before it’s over.”
Though Purcell is not native to the area, he says that the Carolinas have been the perfect backdrop for the film. “It’s a mixture of beautiful and spooky that works really well for a story where the characters go to this idyllic place, and then as the nightmare goes on, it gets scarier and scarier. Having these surroundings really adds to that.”
Director of Photography Erik Olsen also emphasized the importance of the area’s locations.
“Good horror is really dependent on a good setting,” Olsen said. “We’re really lucky to have this place.”
The film is directed by Betsy Cardwell and Jeff Corpening, and features a cast and crew drawn largely from the Carolinas. Kirana Kuic (Roofman) stars in the lead role, marking her first time heading a feature film. The cast also includes American Idol winner Caleb Johnson, both local to the region.
Actor Elias Hamilton highlighted the collaborative nature of regional productions. “I’ve done a little non-local film work, and I will always lean toward indie local productions,” Hamilton said.
“There’s a certain feeling when watching an indie film or being on set — you can tell that everyone’s here because they want to be.”
Purcell agrees. “It’s just been such a family vibe. We have amazing local talent in our cast and crew, and it’s been great working with both people that have worked on other film projects in the area before and new faces that haven’t yet worked together but have been invited in with open arms. It’s just been very communal.”
Spartanburg local John Gallant, the film’s gaffer and assistant stunt coordinator, shares that he’s excited to see the local film industry continue to thrive. "The community is really starting to come together in a really strong way. I'm really enjoying seeing more productions coming into the Upstate area. Spartanburg has so many interesting locations for filming, but it's really all about the people."
After filming is completed, the team will enter the post-production stage, editing the film and incorporating extensive special effects to bring all of the spookiest details to life. They hope to have everything completed by the end of the year.
Once completed, Purcell says they’ll start selling. In the indie film world, two paths are available: partnering with a distributor, or selling via film festivals. At this time, he doesn’t know if the final film will have a theatrical release or be direct to streaming, but shares that he’s excited to see what the future has in store.
The production team is grateful to have had the opportunity to complete the project in the area and work so closely with the local film community. They look forward to sharing the film with the public. Updates are available at https://www.therememberfilm.com or with @therememberfilm on social media.
