Weston Grad's Film At Festival This Weekend

Growing up in some of Boston’s more violent neighborhoods, Noah Craigwell knew he was lucky to be a METCO student attending Weston schools. But it didn’t mean he was immune from the dangers of inner-city living.

“We still knew that everything wasn’t always safe,” he said.

Now a resident of Dorchester, Craigwell took the opportunity to go to college and study digital film editing at DePaul University in Chicago, and has now parlayed that experience into “The Last Shot,” debuting this weekend at Boston’s International Film Festival.

Craigwell graduated from Weston High School in 2003 and is one of seven kids in his family, all of whom have or are currently attending Weston public schools.

While at DePaul, he helped a friend shoot a film overseas, in Europe, and was hooked on the film experience. He got back to Boston and wondered, “what’s next?” he said.

He started a production company, Beyond Measure Productions, and hooked up with former Boston police officer Bill Willis, who had written a movie about inner-city Boston, called “The Last Shot.”

“The one subject he wanted to focus on was teen violence,” said Craigwell.

Craigwell and his team went over the script, polished it, gave it a more dramatic storyline and then got into production, starting in November 2009 and wrapping up in May 2010. Craigwell was director, billed as Noah Christofer. His sister, Miranda Craigwell, helped to write the script and his brother, Miles Craigwell, helped to produce.

He said Willis’s experiences as a inner-city cop spoke to him and others at Beyond Measure.

Even though most of them “may not have been involved in gun violence… it’s always around us,” said Craigwell.

The description for the movie reads:

The Last Shot follows a family determined to succeed despite trying circumstances. Set amongst turbulent city streets, The Last Shot is a glimpse into the lives of an average American family blessed with children of extraordinary talent. Although their love for one another is undeniable, love does not overthrow mortality and when that reality is made plain the family must face their fate and fears head on.

Craigwell said the movie is full of messages he wanted to convey about how things are today in the city.

“We wanted to give a humanistic perspective on what people go through on a daily basis – the emotional roller coaster they go through, especially in these urban environments.”

The movie was filmed in Boston, using local actors and local extras.

“It’s really a Boston film,” he said.

And he’s looking forward to debuting the movie in his home town this weekend, where he’ll be part of a panel session on Saturday from 3 to 5:30 p.m.

Craigwell said he’s looking forward to the discussion but is trying to prepare himself for what the audience gets out of the film.

“I have to prepare myself mentally for the questions that will come after that,” he said.

While tickets are sold out for Saturday, the film will also be showing on Thursday, April 27, at AMC/LOEWS Boston Common, 175 Tremont St., Boston.

You can also see a trailer at Beyond Measure's website.