Lawrenceburg — Producers from Illusion Islands presented a proposal on Nov. 20 asking the Lawrenceburg City Common Council to consider investing in a locally shot feature film titled Lawrenceburg Glory.

The producers said the 90‑minute sports drama — which they described as a faith‑inflected story about a coach rebuilding a small football program — would be filmed predominantly in Lawrenceburg and could showcase downtown storefronts, churches and the high‑school football field. "We are here to present Lawrenceburg Glory, a feature film created by Illusion Islands, our production company," one presenter told council members.

Mayor Kelly framed the pitch as a marketing opportunity for the city rather than just a revenue play, saying it was "another way it gets Lawrenceburg on the map." Presenters said they planned to involve local residents as background performers and to use local businesses for catering and other on‑set services.

Why it matters: Presenters asked the city to authorize a $400,000 project budget — $300,000 for production and $100,000 for marketing and distribution — and said the movie could generate multiple revenue streams (theatrical box office, streaming licensing, VOD and hard‑copy sales). They proposed that the city be treated as an investor that would be paid back before downstream profit shares, and recommended a neutral third‑party CAM account to allow public monitoring of receipts.

Details of the proposal: Presenters outlined an anticipated schedule of development (3–5 months), preproduction (about 2 months), production (roughly one month, with about 20 crew members on set) and postproduction (4–6 months). They said filming could begin as early as May 2026. The team named production and distribution partners and cited comparable low‑budget faith and sports films to illustrate potential returns.

Council questions focused on financing, contract terms and logistics. Finance staff noted the city’s next budget has already been prepared and would require an appropriation to add new funding. Presenters said they could begin development work with limited upfront pay but would provide a contract and a revised budget with incremental payment releases for the council and city attorney to review.

Action taken: Councilmember Tommy Roulette moved to place the proposal on the Dec. 1 regular meeting agenda for a formal council vote; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. Mayor Kelly said presenters should send a contract draft and the updated budget to city staff (Joy) so the item can appear on the Dec. 1 agenda.

What’s next: If the council approves the proposal on Dec. 1, presenters said they would finalize a contract and start development soon after; if the council does not approve, the project would not proceed with city funding. The Dec. 1 meeting will include legal and financial review of the contract and budget increments.

Quotes used in this story are taken from the Nov. 20 work session. The council adjourned after the motion to add the item to the Dec. 1 agenda was approved by voice vote.