Five Alive Films is proud to announce its first feature film premiere, Truly Everlasting, based on a short story written by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Brenda Jackson. The movie premiere will be held at the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday, November 5, 2011. Doors will open at 5pm. The event will include red carpet entry, an opening reception, premiere of the movie and an after-party and catering by Chef Andre. Tickets for the event went on sale June 15, 2011 and are available at the Florida Theatre and Ticketmaster. A portion of proceeds to benefit the Josiephine Threatt Scholarship Foundation at Florida Memorial University.
In 2002, one of Jackson’s books was selected for a made-for-television movie by a major television network. However, the project left her readers disheartened, because it strayed away from the original storyline. She then decided the next time a book about her beloved Madaris Family was made into a movie she would do it herself. “I wanted the movie adaptation to be as close to the actual book as possible. My loyal Madaris readers deserved that,” said Jackson. In order to accomplish her goal, she became the sole investor and used her and her husband’s retirement funds to produce her first feature film, Truly Everlasting, directed by her son, Gerald Jackson, Jr.
Director Gerald Jackson, Jr., owner of Five Alive Films, has produced several successful book trailers for Brenda Jackson in the past. The first trailer for her book, Solid Soul, was so successful resulted in the title’s second printing. This achievement was extremely rare at the time. Afterwards, Mrs. Jackson returned to Five Alive Films to promote her fiftieth romance novel – Slow Burn and has since worked with the company for the trailers for Tall, Dark Westmoreland and Intimate Seduction. When she commissioned Five Alive Films to direct Truly Everlasting, she knew that the company would be a great fit for both her readers and her vision.
Jackson’s movie project has also created job opportunities in the local market for some of the most talented professionals in the Jacksonville area as well as internships for students from several colleges in North Carolina and New York, Jacksonville University, University of North Florida, Jacksonville Art Institute and FullSail in Orlando.
Film making is not new to Jacksonville, Florida. A century ago, Jacksonville was known as “Hollywood East”, and reigned as the Winter Film Capital of the World. The city produced scores of silent films and hosted all the major studios and famous names of the day. Jackson is the first African American romance author to fully finance and produce a feature-film based on one of her novels; and use a close family member “her son” – to not only write the script, but to also bring her story, Truly Everlasting, to light as the director.
