Production crew in Albany, filming movie directed by Albany native

ALBANY, Ga. (WFXL) — A movie production crew is in Albany this week filming a film pilot called "Freeman Hospitality."

The film is set in the year 2055 with the United States recovering from a world war.

A private security company based in Albany, and owned by the Freeman family, escorts a foreign journalist into rural south Georgia to meet with a warlord.

The film is written and directed by Albany Native Michael Cooke and produced by Errol Sadler and Aimee Mann.

When writing the film, Cooke wanted to base it in southwest Georgia to honor the legacy of his grandparents.

"They have this amazing house that my grandfather built with his own hands and the land that he scraped for, and made for himself after World War 2, he served in the Black Panther Tank Batallian, so I just really wanted to write something that I could use their property and their legacy on, kind of in their honor," said Cooke.

Cooke started film making at a young age, with his parents and grandparents encouraging him to follow his creative side and attend Savannah College of Art and Design.

He says today, he takes his Georgia roots with him filming around the world.

The film is scheduled for release in late 2019 and will be streaming on a platform yet to be announced.