Richard Bakewell worked on projects as a cameraman and cinematographer with big names like Oprah and Gordon Ramsey for years. He’s seen the dirtiest of police work as a cameraman on “Cops” and the most genuine of sports moments working on “Last Chance U.” 

But it was the story told to him while he was working on a documentary about five kids fighting terminal cancer that he found the inspiration for his first original movie. He recalled talking to the mom of a  “Cancer-fighting ninja” who had gotten cancer nine separate times according to Bakewell.

“His mother thought he was never going to die, but when they were doing his bucket list, he collapsed on the snow,” Bakewell said. “I just remember her always telling me she did everything she could, and I wondered, “What would a mother do to save their child if they were dying?”

Bakewell was initially planning on taking a slow start to the world of writing screenplays, but COVID-19 totally changed the trajectory of this project. Bakewell recalled that he had things ready to film as early as 2019, but was stopped by the pandemic shutting down their ability to film. So, he decided to start expanding on it for the future.

After 17 drafts in two years, the film had turned from an eight-page script for a 10-minute short to a fully-fledged drama that will be shown to the public at the Culver City Film Festival on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

The film is titled “Roswell Delirium,” and it is set in the 1980s in an alternate reality where Earth is ravaged by nuclear warfare. Bakewell wanted the film to feature a cast of stars from that very time, so the cast is highlighted by names like Dee Wallace (Elliot’s mom in E.T.), Sam Jones (Flash Gordon), and Lisa Whelchel (Blair from Facts of Life).

“I wanted all these great hero characters from 80s movies to eventually show up in the movie — almost like a reveal — and be a crucial part of the movie, but not in the entire film,” Bakewell said.

The story revolves around high schooler Mayday Malone, who lives in rural New Mexico as the world deals with the consequences of a series of nuclear attacks. Her mother tries to hold that family together as her father remains mostly absent — occupied with his work at NASA — and Malone spends her time monitoring government satellite communication. 

Later on, the story focuses on an older iteration of Malone — who goes by Firefly — as she suffers from illness, but believes to have found a cure at the site formerly known as Area 51. While the first part of the movie is Bakewell’s callback to 80’s history, the story winds down in a far more serious and dramatic tone.

While there are a plethora of established names in the cast, the main role is being played by two newcomers. Malone and her older iteration Firefly are both being played by new players in the acting scene, with Kylee Levein as Mayday and Ashton Solecki as Firefly.

Levein first got Bakewell’s attention while working with him on a different project in 2019. She was just nine years old while working on this, but Bakewell noted her awareness and work ethic at such a young age as traits that piqued his attention. 

“She had a small part, but they were very haunting scenes for a child to understand and deliver,” Bakewell said. “I love the way she worked, and she got my notes so quickly without needing an adult to explain it to her.”

On the other hand, Solecki was one of several auditions for the part of Firefly. Bakewell says he was initially looking for a more experienced actress to play the role, but Solecki impressed him enough during her initial audition to be brought for a callback. It was there that the magic happened.

“It was like she went to some other place like the room came alive, and I could see her talking to her mother in the future,” Bakewell said of the callback. 

“I could see it all happening.”

For Bakewell, the film is more than just an 80’s nostalgia trip. Many of his own experiences are baked into the film through symbolic means, and he feels the entire movie is a metaphor for dealing with mental illness.

“You have to watch someone else kind of recreate a moment that you actually were there for,” he said.

While the film has been screened before, its appearance at the Culver City Film Festival will be the first time it is shown to public audiences. For Bakewell, who at times felt that the film would never get finished, the debut will be a culmination of hard work and perseverance.

“You do all this work, and it’s the one night where everyone gets to dress up, come together, and put on a great show,” Bakewell said. “I am trying to keep myself from being too emotional come Thursday.”

The Culver City Film Festival is an independent film festival that screens hundreds of films each year in Culver City. Founded by Jon Gursha and Peter Greene, the festival strives to provide the best viewing experience for independent movies and partners with local theaters for screenings. Learn more at:  https://www.culvercityfilmfestival.com/