The story follows siblings Lou and Les, who reunite in their small hometown after the passing of their mother. As they work to sell their family home, the two grapple with old dynamics and contrasting worldviews developed over 15 years apart.
“It’s an incredible honor to be included on the list of festival winners,” Adkins said. “It’s also surreal — real fever-dream stuff — to not only be finally pushing Battersea out into the world, but also to see it resonating with audiences.”
Adkins credits Marshall University’s English department with shaping his creative journey. As an undergraduate in 2009, he discovered his passion for storytelling in a creative writing workshop led by English Professor Rachael Peckham.
“There is no writing success I could achieve that I would not be able to trace back to the Marshall English department,” Adkins said.
Peckham remembers Adkins as a unique talent from the moment he joined her class.
“Not only was his craft exceptional — he’s a beautiful prose stylist and poet — but he had a way of seeing and thinking that was more sophisticated and mature than I’d expect from a person in his early 20s,” Peckham said. “He isn’t the kind of writer who will ever be content working in one medium. He is fearless in his creativity.”
After graduating from Marshall, Adkins earned an MFA in creative nonfiction from Georgia College and shortly after, began working at UNC Press, in the editorial department.
Adkins’ journey to filmmaking began after completing his master’s program. Burnt out on essays, he dreamed of shooting a movie at his grandparents’ house and pitched the idea to his friend and co-writer, T.J. Sandella. Together, they brought Battersea to life.
“The idea of this film has been around for the last 10 years, and it’s been my sole focus for at least the last five,” Adkins said.
“I could never really get my head around writing fiction — I always gravitated to creative nonfiction — but I loved writing dialogue, crafting conversations,” Adkins said.
When they decided to create the film, Adkins quit his editorial job and began working at a brewery in Durham so that he could focus all his creativity on the project.
“I needed a punch-in, punch-out job that didn’t siphon any of my creative energy because I needed every ounce for the film,” Adkins said. “We created this thing from scratch, with no real filmmaking experience or connections, so we had to pour everything we had into it.”
Adkins wasn’t the only Marshall alum involved in the project. Fellow graduate Chris Miller composed the film’s score. Adkins praised Miller’s musical talent, calling him a “brilliant” addition to the team.
“This film would not have been possible without the love and support of so many friends and family, many of them from Huntington and the Marshall community,” Adkins said.
Next, Adkins and his team will take Battersea to the Anchorage International Film Festival in December.
“It’s a big festival and a great opportunity to meet both established and fellow first-time filmmakers,” Adkins said.
Creating this film from nothing is what Adkins and Sandella say they are most proud of accomplishing.
“We’re writers first,” Adkins said. “The screenplay was our only currency. That, and our (probably unhealthy) work ethic — our commitment to getting it right.
“That we were able to recruit the team we recruited — the actors, the crew, who are real pros who shared our standard and vision — is still incredible to me. Not just that we were able to make a film together, but that we were able to make a film that exceeded even our own expectations.”
As for what’s next, Adkins said he and Sandella are finally able to entertain the idea of a second film.
“We’re only just now able to entertain the idea of a second film, because of how all-consuming Battersea has been for so long. We’re definitely planning to work on another feature, if given the opportunity.”
For more information about Battersea, visit www.batterseafilm.com.
