Interview: Michelle Hurd and Joshua Brandon

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For filmmaker Joshua Brandon, premiering 25 Miles to Normal at the Kingston International Film Festival was a no-brainer. Brandon has had success at the festival with previous projects, including Black Bags, which won Best Picture at KIFF in 2023. “I’ve just been coming back whenever I have a film,” Brandon said. “I call up David and I say, ‘I’ve got a film, do you want to take a look?’”

When KIFF founder David Cunningham saw 25 Miles to Normal, Brandon said the response was immediate. “He said, ‘Hey, we should have the world premiere right here.’”

The film, starring Bruce Davison, Lucas Bryant, Rachel Nichols and Michelle Hurd, follows a dysfunctional family forced to confront years of mistrust and miscommunication when a son becomes convinced his father is hiding a secret. “It’s a film about dysfunctional families,” Brandon said. “It’s a film about how when you lose trust in your parents or your siblings, everything just kind of falls apart.”

At its heart, however, the film is about communication not conflict. Hurd believes audiences will recognise something of their own lives in the story. “It is hard to communicate with your family sometimes,” she said. “Even though there can be dysfunction, there is always love at the base. And if you communicate through the challenging times, you can come through and find that love.” Unlike many studio productions, Brandon deliberately avoided a tidy Hollywood ending. “It’s more or less a ‘we really should have talked about these issues a long time ago and we’ll just do our best’,” he said.

The importance of indie film

The conversation moved beyond the film itself and into a passionate discussion about the state of independent cinema. For Hurd, independent film remains essential to the future of the industry. “Independent films are really the hope of our industry,” she said. “They are the heartbeat of what we’re creating as artists.”

She argued that while major studios increasingly focus on large-scale productions and established franchises, independent films continue to provide opportunities for emerging voices and authentic storytelling.

Brandon believes festivals like KIFF play an increasingly important role in that ecosystem. “There are so many festivals,” he said. “But some that used to be about independent filmmakers have just become about which stars are going to show up and what are they wearing.” By contrast, he sees Kingston as a genuinely grassroots festival that still prioritises filmmakers and audiences.

“When you can find a genuinely grassroots festival like Kingston that celebrates young and upcoming filmmakers and independent filmmakers of all stripes, I think you have to jump in and support it.”

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Filming in Missouri

Much of 25 Miles to Normal was filmed in Saint Joseph, Missouri, a small city Brandon described as eager to embrace the production. “It’s one of those towns that was a big industrial place at the turn of the last century,” he said. “It’s reinventing itself as a bit of an arts capital.”

The filmmakers found a community enthusiastic about helping bring the story to life. “When people see you and say, ‘What are you up to?’ and you say, ‘We’re making a movie,’ they’re like, ‘Oh my God, that’s great. How can we help?’”

That support extended from local businesses to residents who volunteered as extras and helped the production secure locations.

For Hurd, one of the most memorable days on set involved a scene at a glass-blowing studio. “Well, I got to learn how to blow glass,” she laughed. “That’s just super fun.” The experience was more physically demanding than she expected. “Glass blowing is heavier than I thought. It looks like it’s this sort of light thing that you’re doing. It’s really heavy. You’ve got to have some muscle there.” Brandon added that the scene eventually became one of the film’s funniest moments.

Inspirations that shaped them

Asked about her inspirations, Hurd spoke about growing up in an artistic family and watching her father, actor Hugh Hurd, navigate an industry that offered far fewer opportunities for Black performers. “Back in the day it was really challenging as a Black actor to work.”

Watching him continue despite those barriers left a lasting impression. “To watch my father struggle and yet do the thing that he loved to do, it was an incredibly inspirational thing to watch.”

She credits those experiences with shaping both her career and her appreciation for artists across every discipline. “I’m inspired by skill and talent,” she said. “Anybody who has that, it just moves me.”

Hurd describes her love for acting and struggles to pick her favourite role. Raffi Musiker from Star Trek: Picard is one of her favourites. “I get fight scenes, I’m in space, I get to work with Patrick Stewart,” she said, “but I find joy in every role I play.”

Brandon said of his inspiration to work in film: “When I was a kid I used to watch a movie about lawyers and I’d think, oh I’m gonna be a lawyer. Or I’d watch Apollo 13 and think I wanted to be an astronaut. But first, there was no way I was going to be an astronaut, because I get terrible motion sickness and I can’t do maths and there’s a lot of physics involved. But then I realised, I don’t want to do any of those things. I just want to tell stories.”

The industry at a crossroads

Both Hurd and Brandon expressed concern about the challenges facing artists today, particularly the economics of film and television. The industry makes billions but only a few at the very top reap the benefits. “We’re losing artists,” Hurd said. “We’re losing actors. We’re losing directors. We’re losing writers and camera operators and crews because they can’t make a living.” While acknowledging the opportunities created by new technologies for the likes of special effects, she warned against losing sight of the human element that makes storytelling powerful. “Art can keep us together,” she said. “It can be the fabric that keeps us united.” She also referenced diversity, equity and inclusion as key.

Brandon echoed those concerns, arguing that many audiences misunderstand the realities of working in film and television. “Ninety-nine per cent of people who work in television and motion pictures are working-class people,” he said. He added that the value of creative labour is often overlooked. “People come home from work and watch TV or read a book. Something people created. Why aren’t we acknowledging that?” Hurd adds: “During the pandemic, this creative output was a lifeline.”

For both artists, the solution begins with supporting independent cinema and the festivals that champion it. As 25 Miles to Normal premieres at KIFF, their message is clear: independent films are more than entertainment. They are where new voices emerge, communities connect and the future of storytelling is shaped.

Roll credits

As the conversation drew to a close, Brandon was keen to acknowledge the people who helped bring 25 Miles to Normal to the screen. “I’m very, very grateful to Michelle for saying yes,” he said.

He also praised veteran actor Bruce Davison, crediting him with helping attract other cast members including Dee Wallace and Ed Begley Jr. “I wrote that role for Carl Weathers, who passed away before I got to send him the script,” Brandon said. “To have Ed come in and do that role was really wonderful.”

The director also highlighted the support of actors Rachel Nichols, Lucas Bryant and Garrett Wang, describing himself as “very, very lucky” to have assembled such a committed cast.

Brandon reserved a special mention for casting director Ricki Maslar, whom he credits with introducing him to Hurd. “She’s cast every movie I’ve ever done,” he said. He recalled Maslar encouraging him to approach Hurd directly at a Star Trek convention. “I was intimidated but Ricki said go up to her and say, ‘Ricki says you’re doing my next movie,’” he recalled. Hurd said yes straight away.

Both Brandon and Hurd also expressed their gratitude to the Kingston International Film Festival team and founder David Cunningham for supporting independent filmmakers. “I hope you have many, many years of this festival,” Hurd said. “It’s so important.”