Films & Events

Burdened with choosing his legal guardians, Levi spends the summer before he starts high school with his cousins at their family’s trailer in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Film Festivals

• Beverly Hills Film Festival (Best Picture, Win)
• Richmond International Film Festival (Emerging Actor, Wild Clemmons, Win)
• Manhattan Film Festival
• Omaha Film Festival
• Myrtle Beach Film Festival
• New Orleans Film Festival
• Rome International Film Festival

The Grand Strand was shot in Myrtle Beach, SC in 2022 by filmmakers based in the South. The community will celebrate its theatrical release in South Carolina with an Opening Night screening on January 15th, followed by a live Q&A with the director and members of the cast and crew. Come support independent film and be part of the conversation.

About the Director

Luke Lowder was born and raised in rural North Carolina. His grandfather owned and operated a farm 100 yards from his childhood home where he spent his summers working and saving money to fund his budding ‘filmmaking habit’. After high school, he studied Directing at the University of North Carolina: School of the Arts. Luke Lowder is interested in telling realistic stories rooted in the American South. He is driven to provide an honest depiction of the characters and stories he was molded by, placing the misguided and misunderstood on the world stage.

About LCS

Local Cinema Studios (LCS) is a Columbia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization led by University of South Carolina Professor Dustin Whitehead. Together with a passionate community of filmmakers and mentors, LCS is dedicated to supporting independent filmmaking and hands-on education.

Our mission is to bridge the gap between academia and the film industry by offering professional on-set experiences for students interested in filmmaking. Success at LCS is measured not just by the films we make, but by the opportunities our cast and crew gain next—the skills they develop, the careers they launch, and the creativity they grow. Through our projects, we empower emerging voices like TGS director Luke Lowder. We’re building relationships. We’re making art. We’re helping shape the future of film in South Carolina.

The Grand Strand official Instagram page.

113 min.