An independent movie filmed in Oxford, called “Always, Lola,” was released on digital platforms including Apple TV, Google Play and Amazon Prime on Nov. 28.
“Always, Lola” is a “coming of age dramedy” that follows the story of five friends embarking on their annual camping trip. Their group leader, Lola, planned the trip each year, but recently passed away. Throughout the trip, the friends uncover secrets surrounding Lola and her death.
“I’m really hoping that people are able to feel an emotional connection to their adolescent experiences around grief growing up,” said writer and director Jeff Crane Graham. “The movie also addresses some themes around mental health that I think all of us know is becoming an increasingly important conversation.”
Graham was inspired to create “Always, Lola” after the death of his high school best friend, Peggy, who passed away when he was in his early 20s. He said he incorporated the feelings that came along with the grief of losing a friend into the film.
“It’s emotionally autobiographical,” he said.
The film was shot in the summer of 2021. About 80% of the movie is filmed in Oxford, Graham said. All six of the major cast members traveled to Oxford from Los Angeles for the filming.
The movie played at film festivals for eight months before signing a deal. However, the actors’ strike delayed the official release to Nov. 28.
Filming “Always, Lola” in Oxford provided easy housing for the film crew and gave more flexibility for filming locations than LA would. Graham went to school at Miami and since the movie’s story is an emotional one, filming in a space with “emotional connectedness” helped bring the movie together even more, he said.
Actors Collin Campana, who plays Trey, and Sheldon White, who plays Riggs, are both Miami alum as well.
“Going back to Miami to film a movie was a dream come true,” White said.
The Midwest atmosphere gives the film a “timeless” and classic feel that compliments the coming of age theme of the movie, Graham said. Being back on the campus where he experienced a lot of personal growth also helped him through directing the movie, he said. Ohio’s scenery in the summer makes a movie look good as well, he said.
“In Oxford they were very welcoming and generous,” White said. “We felt a lot of support, not only from the university, but also from the community.”
Campana said that filming in Oxford was perfect for the character-driven film that “Always, Lola” is. On Amazon Prime, the film is recommended for viewers over the age 16, due to substance use and sexual content.
“Bringing the movie to a quaint town brings the focus on the people and the relationships,” he said.
Through the creation of “Always, Lola,” Graham said he learned that he and his team can do difficult things. He didn’t have expectations, but now that the film has a distribution deal feels like “icing on the cake,” he said. Leading up to the release date, Graham said screening the film was nerve wracking because it felt he was putting his heart out on the table.
“We all have a Lola in our lives one way or another and I think we can learn,” White said. “It’s a really beautiful exploration of those struggles woven together.”
