These movies are being filmed in Myrtle Beach. Here’s what they’re about
A filmmaker has chosen Myrtle Beach as the backdrop for two projects that are being shot this summer.
Patricia DiSalvo Viayra, a Los Angeles film producer who spends half her time living in Myrtle Beach, is working on two films that will use local settings and actors. Both films deal with themes that are very personal to DiSalvo Viayra, who serves as the writer, producer and director.
Over the weekend, DiSalvo Viayra started filming the first of the two projects, which goes by the working title “Smile!” The film is about a young woman who accidentally finds herself pulled into a cult, and suffers the consequences.
DiSalvo Viayra said that the movie will discuss “people using religion as a way to dominate power on vulnerable people.”
The filmmaker intends for the short dark comedy to serve as a “proof of concept” to be shared with potential investors and later turned into a feature film. The longer version of the film will likely be filmed in Myrtle Beach in the spring, she said.
The second film, with the working title “Connected,” will follow a chronically ill woman as she struggles with loss, and is eventually saved by a beloved pet.
This project draws heavily on DiSalvo Viayra’s own experiences suffering from long COVID while simultaneously dealing with her dog’s decline.
“I was in and out of the hospital dealing with my dog dying,” she said.
“Connected” will be filmed in late June and early July.
DiSalvo Viayra said that, while “Connected” is more overtly based on her own life, both films tackle themes that emerged during the isolation and health struggles she experienced in 2020. “Smile!” is partially inspired by a time in the filmmakers’ life, when she was at her most vulnerable point with chronic illness and loss, she sought spiritual guidance. The experience made DiSalvo Viayra realize that, had she put her trust in the wrong people, things might have gone very badly.
The darkly comedic notes in “Smile!” and the more somber tones in “Connected” reflect DiSalvo Viayra’s personal journey, and they are complimentary to one another, she said.
“One film is about watching out for the dark, and the other is about finding the light,” she said.
The films will feature cast and crew members from Los Angeles, the Myrtle Beach area, and a few places in between.
Some local businesses are allowing DiSalvo Viayra to use their locations for filming. The businesses confirmed so far are Myrtle Beach Pools and Palms, Linda Gross Properties and Lovers Lane Weddings.
