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THOMASVILLE — Copeland Road Entertainment recently wrapped up production on its short film Progenitor, a modern parable filmed in the heart of Thomasville at Liam’s Restaurant.

Written and directed by Alexander Rivera, Progenitor tells the story of Saul, a man who enters a fine dining restaurant on a rainy night and finds himself face-to-face with unsettling truths.

As Saul settles into his seat, he is informed he can eat and order anything on the menu for free. Somewhat skeptical, Saul declines the offer, but the owner entices Saul, eventually convincing him to order the entire menu.

Later on, Saul learns that the menu was, in fact, not free, and he must pay with his life.

The film wrestles with themes of redemption, faith, and the choices that shape people’s lives.

“Jesus spoke in parables, so why shouldn’t we?” Brady Copeland, co-founder of Copeland Road Entertainment, said, when referencing the film.

The project was spearheaded by Thomasville native Joshwa Copeland, founder of Copeland Road Entertainment.

“Bringing this story to life here at home means everything to me,” Joshwa said. “We wanted to create something powerful, thought-provoking, and faith-driven, while also showcasing the talent and beauty of Thomasville. Liam’s opened their doors to us and gave us a space that elevated the entire film.”

Copeland has longed to shape projects creatively, so getting to work with Rivera has been a dream come true for him and his company, Copeland Road Entertainment.

The film company was founded by Joshwa and his business partner, Brady Copeland. Brady has also starred in several acting roles, but found his views aligned with Joshwa’s on their goals for the entertainment industry, leading them to open their independent film production company.

Viewers will see Brady in Progenitor, while Joshwa’s work will be seen behind the scenes. However, Joshwa said later down the road, viewers will probably see the duo switch seats with Joshwa back on the big screen and Brady in the producer’s role.

“This is just the beginning,” Joshwa said. “Progenitor is our first step in building films here in Thomasville that can reach audiences far beyond Georgia, while keeping our roots firmly planted in this community.”

While Progenitor does have a strong faith-based element, Joshwa said Copeland Road Entertainment will feature more than just faith-based films.

“We do want our stories to have positive themes ingrained in them, but they won’t all necessarily be Christian,” Joshwa explained.

As Joshwa and Brady look toward their next project, Joshwa said they are strongly considering two shorts and a possible feature to be shot in Thomasville.

“We do plan to shoot a feature here in Thomasville within the next two years, but the next few projects are not official yet,” Joshwa said.

However, now that Progenitor has wrapped, it will soon be screened at film festivals around the country, hopefully attracting more attention to Copeland Road Entertainment and bringing in numerous possibilities for shorts and features.