Kings of Lincoln County: The Brookstock Movie
Brookhaven, Mississippi | Film Feature
Biography, Music
Kings of Lincoln County is the true story of a few brave teenagers who made an impact in a small Mississippi town during the late 1960s that has lasted over 50 years. The movie is a mix of American Graffiti and The Big Chill with a Southern twist, set in two time periods and filled with great music.
Kings of Lincoln County: The Brookstock Movie
Brookhaven, Mississippi | Film Feature
Biography, Music
1 Campaigns | Mississippi, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $14,655 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
112 supporters | followers
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Kings of Lincoln County is the true story of a few brave teenagers who made an impact in a small Mississippi town during the late 1960s that has lasted over 50 years. The movie is a mix of American Graffiti and The Big Chill with a Southern twist, set in two time periods and filled with great music.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Brookstock: A Rock 'n' Roll Generation
The Rooks playing a show in Lincoln County, Mississippi.
Our movie focuses on the untold story of teenagers in Brookhaven, Mississippi who loved the music they heard on the radio and made it their own. In the late 1960s, young folks like Don Jacobs and Edward Tree formed Rock 'n' Roll bands in this conservative small town in the American South. There were The Brutes. There were the Rooks. And later, there were the Escorts and Something of Mind. These bands were an anomaly, pioneers of the counter-cultural movement in a place it had only just begun to reach.
Thirty years later, these small town heroes would reunite. Some had gone overseas. Some made careers out of music and others didn't. They came back to Brookhaven in 1998 for their high school reunion and Don Jacobs got the Brutes back together to play a show. Little did he know that this would become a new tradition, a destination music event and iconic representation of Mississippi culture.
Twenty years since then, Brookstock just occurred in the summer of 2018 for the eighteen time. Those teenagers from the bygone era, now grown up, continue to return year after year to play rock 'n' roll in Brookhaven, Mississippi. This is their story.
Kings of Lincoln County: American Graffiti Meets The Big Chill
When the idea of making a movie about Brookstock came to us, we decided to borrow a page from two American classics. Combining the coming-of-age nostalgia of American Graffiti and the retrospective insight of The Big Chill to our original story with a Southern twist, our movie will take place in two time periods with a young and mature cast of characters.
The Brutes at their first gig in Brookhaven, Mississippi.
Kings of Lincoln County, named after Brookhaven musician Tony Norton's song, is a true story that needs to be told. It's a rock film packed with original music from these undiscovered artists. It's a movie about America then and now, a movie that young and old will find a home with.
Fifty Years Later: It's Time to Tell the Story
Virgil Brawley as photographed by Lonnie Kees.
This year, not long before the 2018 Brookstock, one of the key people of the movement passed away. Virgil Brawley, a highly-praised blues musician and respected figure in the arts, founded The Brutes with Don Jacobs. In June, he died of a heart attack, sudden and unexpected. He left one hell of a legacy. It is regretful that Virgil will not be able to participate in the making of our movie and his passing is a reminder that we need to tell this story now while the Brookstock generation is still here to see it done right.
Now is Your Chance to Help Make this Movie
Since 2016, I have been producing films in Mississippi. From our comedy/mystery Porches and Private Eyes to our Southern-set Western Blood Country and our Gulf Coast crime saga Cornbread Cosa Nostra, my passion is putting local stories on the big screen that might have otherwise never seen.
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Travis Mills during production in April 2018 for our most recent Mississippi film, Son of a Gun.
Our movies are produced for responsible budgets with the goal to create a sustainable film movement here in Mississippi and wherever there are driven local storytellers. We feature local actors in lead roles instead of bit parts and our crews are filled with filmmakers from around the South. These independent movies of ours continue to provide the opportunity for many to break into the film industry. Through the reach of streaming services like Amazon, our work also allows for local community and culture to see national and international exposure.
We are raising 10,000 dollars as the base funding for Kings of Lincoln County with the hope to be chosen by Hometown Heroes for further funding. However, we want to be clear about our goal: even if we are not rewarded the final prize, we will push forward to make Kings of Lincoln County with whatever means we have!
So please donate to support our movie, check out the great incentives we're offering, and spread the word about Kings of Lincoln County.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera Package
Costs $2,500
We need about 2500 dollars to secure a camera package (Sony FS7, etc) for a 20-day film production.
Give Our Story a Boost
Costs $1,000
Funds for Travis and collaborators to give time and focus to the script for our Brookstock movie.
Kickstart Pre-Production
Costs $5,000
These funds will be used to get pre-production and production off the ground.
Help us re-create 1960s and 1990s Mississippi
Costs $1,500
These funds will begin to help us with production design for our 60s and 90s settings.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Share this update!
About This Team
We are building our team as we speak and more members will be added during our campaign! Stay tuned for announcements as our team grows.
Filmmaker - Travis Mills
During production on Blood Country in 2017.
I started Running Wild Films in 2010 with Gus Edwards, a retired film professor and playwright. What began in Arizona has expanded to Mississippi and thus far we have made thirteen feature films and over 100 short projects. My goal is to produce low-budget movies that focus on local stories, feature local cast and crew, and that are successful through the new emerging methods of distribution.
On Kings of Lincoln County, I will be producing, directing and completing the script with the help of my collaborators. I'm excited to dive into another great untold story.
Learn more about me on my IMDb page and here on Facebook.
Research and Music - Don Jacobs
Don Jacobs was a founding member of Brookstock band The Brutes. In the 1970s he moved to Germany where he continued to make music and explore the arts. Jacobs now lives in Jackson, Mississippi and is a renowned painter with work featured around the South including a mural in the Governor's Mansion.
Don is our main source of information about the characters, places and events of this story. He is also providing existing music for the film, as well as writing original songs for our soundtrack.
Again, more team members will be announced during our campaign!
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Brookstock: A Rock 'n' Roll Generation
The Rooks playing a show in Lincoln County, Mississippi.
Our movie focuses on the untold story of teenagers in Brookhaven, Mississippi who loved the music they heard on the radio and made it their own. In the late 1960s, young folks like Don Jacobs and Edward Tree formed Rock 'n' Roll bands in this conservative small town in the American South. There were The Brutes. There were the Rooks. And later, there were the Escorts and Something of Mind. These bands were an anomaly, pioneers of the counter-cultural movement in a place it had only just begun to reach.
Thirty years later, these small town heroes would reunite. Some had gone overseas. Some made careers out of music and others didn't. They came back to Brookhaven in 1998 for their high school reunion and Don Jacobs got the Brutes back together to play a show. Little did he know that this would become a new tradition, a destination music event and iconic representation of Mississippi culture.
Twenty years since then, Brookstock just occurred in the summer of 2018 for the eighteen time. Those teenagers from the bygone era, now grown up, continue to return year after year to play rock 'n' roll in Brookhaven, Mississippi. This is their story.
Kings of Lincoln County: American Graffiti Meets The Big Chill
When the idea of making a movie about Brookstock came to us, we decided to borrow a page from two American classics. Combining the coming-of-age nostalgia of American Graffiti and the retrospective insight of The Big Chill to our original story with a Southern twist, our movie will take place in two time periods with a young and mature cast of characters.
The Brutes at their first gig in Brookhaven, Mississippi.
Kings of Lincoln County, named after Brookhaven musician Tony Norton's song, is a true story that needs to be told. It's a rock film packed with original music from these undiscovered artists. It's a movie about America then and now, a movie that young and old will find a home with.
Fifty Years Later: It's Time to Tell the Story
Virgil Brawley as photographed by Lonnie Kees.
This year, not long before the 2018 Brookstock, one of the key people of the movement passed away. Virgil Brawley, a highly-praised blues musician and respected figure in the arts, founded The Brutes with Don Jacobs. In June, he died of a heart attack, sudden and unexpected. He left one hell of a legacy. It is regretful that Virgil will not be able to participate in the making of our movie and his passing is a reminder that we need to tell this story now while the Brookstock generation is still here to see it done right.
Now is Your Chance to Help Make this Movie
Since 2016, I have been producing films in Mississippi. From our comedy/mystery Porches and Private Eyes to our Southern-set Western Blood Country and our Gulf Coast crime saga Cornbread Cosa Nostra, my passion is putting local stories on the big screen that might have otherwise never seen.
Travis Mills during production in April 2018 for our most recent Mississippi film, Son of a Gun.
Our movies are produced for responsible budgets with the goal to create a sustainable film movement here in Mississippi and wherever there are driven local storytellers. We feature local actors in lead roles instead of bit parts and our crews are filled with filmmakers from around the South. These independent movies of ours continue to provide the opportunity for many to break into the film industry. Through the reach of streaming services like Amazon, our work also allows for local community and culture to see national and international exposure.
We are raising 10,000 dollars as the base funding for Kings of Lincoln County with the hope to be chosen by Hometown Heroes for further funding. However, we want to be clear about our goal: even if we are not rewarded the final prize, we will push forward to make Kings of Lincoln County with whatever means we have!
So please donate to support our movie, check out the great incentives we're offering, and spread the word about Kings of Lincoln County.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera Package
Costs $2,500
We need about 2500 dollars to secure a camera package (Sony FS7, etc) for a 20-day film production.
Give Our Story a Boost
Costs $1,000
Funds for Travis and collaborators to give time and focus to the script for our Brookstock movie.
Kickstart Pre-Production
Costs $5,000
These funds will be used to get pre-production and production off the ground.
Help us re-create 1960s and 1990s Mississippi
Costs $1,500
These funds will begin to help us with production design for our 60s and 90s settings.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Share this update!
About This Team
We are building our team as we speak and more members will be added during our campaign! Stay tuned for announcements as our team grows.
Filmmaker - Travis Mills
During production on Blood Country in 2017.
I started Running Wild Films in 2010 with Gus Edwards, a retired film professor and playwright. What began in Arizona has expanded to Mississippi and thus far we have made thirteen feature films and over 100 short projects. My goal is to produce low-budget movies that focus on local stories, feature local cast and crew, and that are successful through the new emerging methods of distribution.
On Kings of Lincoln County, I will be producing, directing and completing the script with the help of my collaborators. I'm excited to dive into another great untold story.
Learn more about me on my IMDb page and here on Facebook.
Research and Music - Don Jacobs
Don Jacobs was a founding member of Brookstock band The Brutes. In the 1970s he moved to Germany where he continued to make music and explore the arts. Jacobs now lives in Jackson, Mississippi and is a renowned painter with work featured around the South including a mural in the Governor's Mansion.
Don is our main source of information about the characters, places and events of this story. He is also providing existing music for the film, as well as writing original songs for our soundtrack.
Again, more team members will be announced during our campaign!