ATLANTA — ‘Soul Wars,’ an independent science-fiction TV pilot, is making waves on the indie film festival circuit. Created by Georgia-based filmmaker Deanna Rashell, the pilot had its first public screening last month in Marietta and is now being submitted to festivals as part of a larger vision to expand into a full feature film series.
In ‘Soul Wars,’ father-daughter archaeologists Norman and Talia discover a series of ancient soul traps that pull them into an alien world. Realizing they are no longer on Earth, they must shut down the traps before they fall into the hands of a powerful alien race that has been imprisoning souls for centuries. Talia (Rashell) navigates the hostile world with her father, Norman (Marty Lindsey), while learning the ancient art of astral projection from their ally Ryanne (Victoria U. Bell), as the ruthless Smithers (Tony Donnell) pursues the artifacts they’ve uncovered.
The road to ‘Soul Wars’ was anything but easy. Tasked with turning a rough script draft into a filmable story on a tight budget, Rashell built her team from the ground up — bringing on producer Victoria U. Bell and associate producer Rachel Petsiavas — and took on multiple roles including rewriting, directing, casting, wardrobe design, and art direction. Even after losing critical footage of a key scene, she and her team reshot it without requesting additional funds.
The pilot has already garnered attention for its strong storytelling and visual ambition, and Rashell and her team are now seeking funding to develop it into a full feature film series while continuing its festival run.
Learn more: Visit deannarashell.com.
