Adam Lowder’s Wayward Kin Proves That Indie Filmmaking Has a Future in North Texas

After a four-year-long production process, local filmmaker Adam Lowder is sharing his first full-length feature, Wayward Kin, with audiences. The film, an independent production that was filmed around North Texas, will show at the Texas Theatre on Monday, April 28.

Lowder co-wrote and co-produced the film with David Joseph Volino, who stars as Caleb, a father who sets off an incendiary custody battle with his ex when he picks their daughter up from school after being released from jail.

Katie Barbaree (Lowder’s real-life wife) plays Caleb’s ex, Lillie, while Lowder pulls quadruple duty on the micro-budget feature, serving as screenwriter, producer, director, and actor (he plays Caleb’s brother, an attorney who represents him in court).

The genesis of Wayward Kin can be found in the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lowder and Barbaree had just moved to McKinney, where Lowder grew up, from New York. What was initially intended as a “pit stop” on their way to Los Angeles became their home. They now have their own production company, Anytown Pictures (Wayward Kin is the company’s first feature) and Lowder also runs Anytown Actors LAB, a private acting program he uses to teach actors all over the world.

Like many creatives during the pandemic, Volino and Lowder were uncertain about the future. The two were close friends, but with Lowder’s relocation to Texas and no clear time frame for when actors would be able to find work again, it was a challenging time.

Both had previously written and produced short films, and Lowder wanted them to collaborate on something new to give them something positive to pour their energy into.

“I called him, and I kind of forced him to write with me a little bit,” recalls Lowder. “And then he started to get really excited.”

Together, they conceptualized a vague idea – a story about brothers was fleshed out after they asked themselves what kind of story they would want to share if they never had an opportunity to tell another one. The result was Wayward Kin.

“We wrote it for about just under a year, and then [were] in pre-production for about two,” says Lowder. “Production was 11 days only, which is crazy … and then we’ve been in post-production for two [years] as well.”

While Lowder has experience working on short films, Wayward Kin was his first time at the helm of a feature-length production. Making short films in New York for no money helped him figure out how to craft a scene meaningfully, getting him closer to “what the truth of the moment or the story would eventually be.” He brought everything he had learned with him to this project.

Even with a solid grounding, the leap from short-film to feature-film director came with challenges.

“There was more at stake: More money, more time, more flights, more rental cars, more lodging, more all that,” says Lowder.

Eventually, Joy Walden, a UNT graduate, came on board to help produce the film and manage logistics.

Still, issues arose as the cast and crew worked together to get the production off the ground. Lowder says a focus on openness and honesty kept them on track.

“We kept communicating, we kept honest with each other,” explains Lowder. “I would admit my mistakes, apologize wherever necessary, and then kind of get back in the saddle together.”

Supported by a bedrock of a cast and crew passionate about the story and the opportunity to work on a feature film, Lowder found a through line.

“That’s what ultimately made that crew and that cast gel together so quickly, because I think we were all united around the common cause of ‘let’s really try to serve an audience with this story and create something that’s going to be memorable for them,'” he says.

It is hard to argue with the results: a brisk and well-acted family drama that builds to a shocking conclusion. Even without the resources of a large studio, Lowder and his team are able to leverage talented actors and confident filmmaking to make an impact with Wayward Kin.

The hangdog weariness exuded by Volino, Barbaree’s committed performance as a mother trying to protect her daughter from her father’s worst tendencies, and the actors surrounding them keep the film engaging through every argument, cross-examination, and twist.

Avery Dunn, who plays the couple’s daughter Sophie, is at the film’s heart, bringing an innocence that will make viewers invested in the outcome, no matter which parent they think is in the right. Jeff Nicholson, an experienced trial lawyer who plays Lillie’s attorney, is another standout.

“The script is the king,” says Lowder. “And if the script is born from your heart, if it’s coming from a place of real conviction, then you’re set up for success in a way that the audience will be on the ride with you.”

And Wayward Kin makes for a winning ride. It is a film made in North Texas – a scrappy production that allows its cast and crew to shine, while showcasing the quality of work that can come from a production team that is fully committed to a project.

People will tell you that the North Texas film scene is primed for growth and evolution, and efforts are being made to attract more and larger film productions to the area. But while things may be changing, the work of Lowder’s team is a reminder that the region is still fertile ground for independent filmmakers with a vision and a story to tell.

Tickets for the April 28 screening of Wayward Kin at the Texas Theatre are available for purchase now.