Just in time for the summer, Uncovered Productions has released a coming of age film to keep moviegoers glued to their chairs and then leave them with a new appreciation of life, friendships, and what things may come. 

Still Green, written by Georgia Menides, tells the story of a group of high school graduates who rent a beach house before going off to college.  Together, the friends learn to cope with death, inner demons, and (of course) love.  Each character has his or her own story that, in the end, brings him or her closer to the other characters in unique ways.

“I want [the movie] to dispel the myth that teenagers can’t handle mature decisions,” said Menides.  “I believe the teens of this generation have the access to info and skills our generation never had access to and therefore [they are] smarter and have the ability to change the world in a way that will make it a better place.”

Originally, Still Green was Menides’ dream book with a much darker theme.  She wrote it while she was a high school senior in a bad situation, so her thoughts on moving on in the world were a bit bleaker. 

“I was a senior thinking about missing my friends and caught up in a lot of teen drama,” she explains.  “I had gotten mono, but the hospital mixed up my blood results and told me I had leukemia.  There was an hour before the hospital called back to say they mixed the blood. I thought, at 18, I was going to die.  [This] shifted everything about my friends into a different perspective.

But after a visit to Naples, FL, she rewrote the novel to take place in a more sunny and vibrant setting.  She liked the setting so much, that the movie was even filmed here. “The vibrant ocean inspired me to rewrite the novel where this dark story takes place against one of the most beautiful and colorful backgrounds I have ever seen.”

While watching the movie, one will start to wonder how this group of friends has the ability to change the world, but as the characters evolve and mature, the audience realizes that the teens are just doing what they feel is right, even though others may see their choices as wrong. “I wanted to challenge that notion of ‘good kids and bad kids’,” Menides pointed out.  “A good kid can smoke pot.  A good kid can have sex.  A bad kid can smoke pot and have sex.”

Still Green’s cast includes: Sarah Jones as Kerri, Ryan Kelley as Alan, Douglas Spain as Bill, Noah Segan as Sean, Gricel Castineira as Lisa, Paul Costa as Brandon, Nicole Komendat as Amanda, Brandon Meyer as Daneck, Ashleigh Snyder as Monica, and Mike Strynkowski as George. The movie has already premiered in Massachusetts, Naples, and Los Angeles, and won “Best Ensemble” in the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (2008) as well as “Best Narrative Feature” in the New England Film and Video Festival, and it is set for a special screening at the Naples International Film Festival in November.

For more information or to view the Still Green trailer, visit www.stillgreenmovie.com

Photos courtesy of G.Menides.

Intro: Gricel Castineira in front of the film poster.

Inset top to bottom: Georgia Menides, cast photos at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival