MIKE

Mike is an intellectually challenged man in his mid-50's, working for his only friend, Donald. When one dream propels Mike onto a course of adventure and splendor along the path of life, the dream mission turns out to be not as simple as it might have seemed. It's a tale about finding yourself while experiencing the moment. One dream. One journey.

  • Kent Smith
    Director
    Homeland, Mr. Mercedes, Tusk, The Last Passport, Outcast
  • Kent Smith
    Writer
    Homeland, Mr. Mercedes, Tusk, The Last Passport, Outcast
  • Kent Smith
    Producer
    Homeland, Mr. Mercedes, Tusk, The Last Passport, Outcast
  • Patrick G. Keenan
    Key Cast
    "Mike"
    The Blind Side , Tropical Cop Tales
  • Johanna Jowett
    Key Cast
    "Caroline"
    Life as We Know It, One Tree Hill, Captive
  • Marilyn carter
    Key Cast
    "Holly"
    The Prince of Tides, Chiefs, The Rutherford County Line
  • Lacey Caroline
    Key Cast
    "Hope"
    NBC Nascar, The Christmas Song , Evil Lives Here
  • Jonathan Beford
    Key Cast
    "Donald"
    An Evergreen Christmas, Cracks
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    32 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 20, 2019
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4k, Canon C300 Mark II
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Charlotte Film Festival
    Charlotte, North Carolina
    United States
    September 28, 2019
    World Premiere
Director Biography - Kent Smith

Kent Smith is an award-winning commercial/film director, producer, writer, and photographer who currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, but he grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina. Kent has many film credits on award-winning shows like Homeland, Outcast, Mr. Mercedes, and many movies, including American Animals, Max, and Tusk. The first feature film that Kent directed, The Last Passport, went on to win Best Director and Best Actor at the Solstice Film Festival in Minneapolis. His latest short film, MIKE, has been on the film festival circuit, winning many awards worldwide. Kent currently has three feature films in the works at different stages and hopes to have them ready for production shortly.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Coming up with a story is sometimes a hard thing, but when it's something close to your heart, the ideas start rolling in. I have watched my four-year-old nephew, who has some difficulties in what most of us take for granted, developing. When ordinary skills are slow to grow, other skills are developing faster and faster. My nephew has developed an ability that reaches straight to the heart of people around him with his smile. He has developed a unique gift that so many humans have overlooked, which is love.

I started to wonder what his journey would be as he grew into a man. That is how the story for MIKE was born. The idea was very clear from the beginning; what would Mike, an intellectually challenged man in his mid 50's, be like when he grew older? What trials would he overcome while he finds his life's dream? When one dream propels Mike into a course of adventure and splendor along the path of life, the dream mission turns out to be not as simple as it might have seemed. It's a tale about finding yourself while experiencing the moment.

With this idea, a story started to grow, and then that story went from the pages of a script to find the best actors to play fantastic rolls around MIKE. Once the actors were on board, then I started bringing together the absolute best indie filmmaking crew in the area.

It's my hope and desire that this film with make folks laugh, cry, and celebrate while opening the hearts to what is sometimes overlooked. I wanted this film to feel and look real. It had to express life's ups and downs while still having those moments we call life. I wanted you to feel like you were on the journey with Mike, and that way, we could all tell his story to others for years to come.

Approximately 6.5 million people in the USA have an intellectual disability. Globally, about 1-3 percent (as many as 200 million) of the population has an intellectual disability.