“The film is based off of a true story. I was driving Lyft for a few years to make extra money, and two different people, (who are both parents, one is a male and one is a female), actually sat down and told me their stories while they were in the car like ‘Taxicab Confessions.’ When they told me those two stories, I really loved the way those stories were told, and the different meanings behind them. So, I put those two stories together to come up with ‘Mile 19,’” Clay said.
Both of those parents were able to successfully rescue their children, he said.
“Later, one girl came up to me at one of the premieres, and she had a very similar story to ‘Mile 19.’ She was a young lady who had escaped from child trafficking,” said Clay.
Clay is an Indianapolis native, who is now based in Atlanta. He graduated from Miami University in Oxford in 1999 with a degree in sociology. After graduating, he taught in Cincinnati, and later moved to Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking. He began scriptwriting in 2000 and has won several national awards. Clay has written books, and plays, prior to founding Howard Clay Films. Now, he spends much of his time in Atlanta, working in film and television.
Produced by Rabeshia Clay, Howard’s wife, “Mile 19″ is based on an account of a real-life story of human trafficking. The movie was released nationwide on Amazon Prime in Oct. 2022.
By releasing the film, Clay said he hopes to raise awareness about human trafficking, about how prevalent it is, and how easily it can happen to someone, if you’re not careful.
“The message that I’m trying to get across is to be more careful with your friends and your surroundings…It’s getting a message out to younger people, ‘Don’t trust everybody. Don’t trust everything that you hear, and make sure that you keep your eyes open,” Clay said.
He said, “This is something that’s real that happens to black and brown girls. It’s very prominent between the ages of 16 and 19, all over the United States. That age group comes up missing a lot.”
The film also demonstrates how the help of a stranger can make a difference. The story revolves around Linda (Angelique Chapman), a woman who is driving to a business meeting with co-workers and passes a stalled car on the side of the road. She immediately has a premonition that urges her to help a stranger. Against the advice of her friends, she returns to the vehicle, and the results are life-changing.
Clay said the inspiration for the movie is “saving a life.” He lost his own niece at a young age.
“One reason I wanted to make this movie was my niece. Unfortunately, my niece was missing. We don’t know the details, but she was found dead. So, the inspiration is just trying to save these kids, and if one movie can help just one little girl make it home, that would be more important than anything,” Clay said. “So, I definitely wanted to make a movie that meant something, not just something that was entertaining.”
Following the movie screening, there will be a Q&A with Clay and Rico Grady, a Hamilton native and lead actor of the film, who will answer questions about the making of the film and championing black talent in the movie industry as well as the real-life issues addressed in the movie.
How to go
What: “Mile 19″ film screening and discussion with Howard Clay Jr., filmmaker and director, and Rico Grady, a lead actor in the film.
When: 4:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 16
Where: Parrish Auditorium, Miami University Hamilton, 1601 University Blvd., Hamilton
Cost: Free
More info.: Guests should RSVP at miamioh.edu/regionals/rsvp. Connect with Howard Clay Jr. at howardclayfilms.com.
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