The death of Rev. Jeff Akers’ lead actor and an illness that had him spend 86 days in an hyperbaric chamber delayed didn’t shut down production of Akers’ movie about the end times.
Akers, the executive pastor of Bethesda Temple Apostolic Church on Dayton’s Salem Avenue, said he pushed on with the film “Illumination” because quitting isn’t his style and the way the story appeared to him.
“It came in a dream and it was the same dream three times in a row,” Akers said of the plot for his low-budget, independent film. “All the crew and all the actors were volunteers. With that many people depending and believing, it was inspirational.”
Akers wrote, stars in and directed the locally produced film to play 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at the Neon Movies, 130 E. Fifth St. in Dayton.
Admission is $5.
Filmed partly in Dayton, Cincinnati and Greenville, S.C., “Illumination” is about a man who discovers his company’s plot to use technology to bring about 666, the biblical Rapture.
Akers is based in Greenville but has come Dayton at least once monthly for five years as part of his duties at Bethesda.
Filming of “Illumination” began in 2013.
The film’s was interrupted when lead actor Hugh Mclean died in October. Akers stepped in to play the lead character Alexander Scott. Along the journey, Akers was partly sidelined after contracted an infection during missionary work in Jamaica. One of his toes was amputated and he was treated in a hyperbaric chamber in Greenville.
The film was complete in May. Akers’ hope is to eventually make “Illumination” a feature-length film.
He says he believes in the movie’s message and the topic it brings up.
Technology like QR Code human implants will likely play a significant part in the Rapture, Akers said.
“I do believe in biblical prophecy. I do believe it is something we should be preparing for,” he said. “It is safe to say that we will see this manifest sometimes in the future, the near future.”
Contact this blogger at arobinson@DaytonDailyNews.com or Twitter.com/DDNSmartMouth
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