Home » Jon Voight movie filmed on location near Jeffersontown debuts nationally

Jon Voight movie filmed on location near Jeffersontown debuts nationally

‘Surviving the Wild’ was filmed at Blackacre State Nature Preserve & Historic Homestead
Blackacre State Nature Preserve
Blackacre State Nature Preserve

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 29, 2018)  Surviving the Wild, a Jon Voight family-adventure film, shot at Blackacre State Nature Preserve near Jeffersontown and Daniel Boone National Forest, was released recently in limited theaters and on-demand. A local preview, held recently in Louisville, was attended by several hundred guests including Gov. Matt Bevin, and Jay Hall, executive director, Office of Film & Development.

Directed by Patrick Alessandrin, the pic follows 13-year-old Shaun (Aidan Cullen), who disregards his parents’ wishes and embarks on a great adventure into the wild to spread the ashes of his grandpa Gus (Voight) from the top of a remote mountaintop. Throughout the journey, Shaun is guided by Gus’ spirit, and together they must overcome the challenges of the wild. Jamie Kennedy and Vail Bloom (The Young and the Restless) co-star. The script is by Mark Hefti, who also produced the project with Bloom, Steven Paul, Patrick Alessandrin, R. Michael Givens and Kyle Otto.

Kentucky movie goers may recognize Natural Bridge sand stone arch in Red River Gorge and prominent Chimney Top Rock as some of this movie was also filmed in the Daniel Boone National Forest.

Blackacre has worked hard positioning itself as an ideal spot for movies and national TV series, said A. Dale Josey, executive director of Blackacre. Given the competition among non-profits for dwindling public and private dollars he indicated a decision was made to explore a niche where the historic homestead could leverage something distinctive while also effectively setting it apart from the competition: land. And plenty of it at 300-acres.

Blackacre can be rented for film or TV productions seeking a secure location with either restricted or no public access. TV series from 90 Days to a Fiance and National Geographic (Bandit Patrol), and soon to be five feature films including Neighborhood Watch and two starring Voight and actor Tom Sizemore (Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down; etc.). All featured diverse landscapes and enjoyed support from film-friendly staff at Blackacre.

“Jay Hall and the Kentucky Film Office were incredibly supportive in providing invaluable assistance” said Josey. “They understood what needed to be done and helped Blackacre establish itself as a natural movie back-lot with plenty of woods, fields of prairie grass and 200-year old historic structures in very good condition located a scant 18-miles from downtown Louisville.”

More information about Kentucky’s first state nature preserve is available at BlackacreConservancy.org.