"A Southern Haunting" — Feature Film
STARZ Original · Also on: Prime Video, Apple TV
Overview
"A Southern Haunting" is a STARZ Original feature, also available on Prime Video and Apple TV. Written and directed by M.J. Anderson and T. Huff and starring Imani Hakim, Laya DeLeon Hayes, and Tarik Lowe, it follows an ex-slave family who receive forty acres and must battle man and myth to uncover the truth behind their land. The film was originally titled "40," after the broken post-Civil War promise of forty acres and a mule.
The Challenge
It's framed as a horror film, but at its heart it's a family story: a father raising two sons and two daughters after losing their mother, while confronting the racism of the era. Telling it meant surviving the indie-film crucible — October snow, weather and location problems, equipment setbacks, a low budget, and a small team where everyone wore many hats. And the film had to convince audiences that Iowa was the American South.
The Craft
To protect a historical home from equipment damage and to beat the weather, we built a multi-level interior of the house as a set, in four stages, inside a studio. When the film ran out of budget mid-post with story gaps remaining, Jacob stepped in and offered Luminary as a full production partner — handling reshoots, editing, VFX, coloring, and sound design to carry the film to completion. The original score is by composer Kostas Christides. A sales company later retitled the film "A Southern Haunting" and found its home at STARZ.
The Idea
Beautiful, but haunted. Rather than outright horror, we aimed for an elevated thriller — an environment open to spiritual presences. Iowa's fall color, old homes, barns, and rural exteriors became the South, lit and framed to feel both lovely and quietly unsettling.
Working with the team
Jacob was brought on by an Iowa producer, initially as cinematographer only. The tight-knit team that formed through the production's challenges is what got the film finished — and Luminary's expanded role grew out of a simple commitment to see the story through.
Our Services
Have a story that needs to be seen through to the end? Let's make them dream with their eyes open.
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Released as a STARZ Original, with additional distribution on Prime Video and Apple TV.
The project reignited Jacob's feature-directing ambition, now carried forward through 1846 Studios.
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Cinematographer and Film Editor: Jacob Moyer. Luminary Creative served as production partner for reshoots, VFX, coloring, and sound design. Brought to life with our trusted team of craftspeople — art direction, wardrobe, hair and makeup, production design, lighting, and grip — who help us build every project alongside our clients.
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