T&T-born Director Delves Into Sci-fi With Lumina

Gino McKoy

Lumina, a film written and produced by T&T-born Gino McKoy and currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and YouTube, features a group of modern-day young adults on a journey for the truth.

The film, which debuted in theatres last year and has been showcased at packed fan gatherings like Comic Con New York and Monsterpalooza, was the focus of a recent article in Forbes magazine by senior contributor Marc Berman.

Starring Rupert Lazarus (Requiem), Eleanor Williams, and Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, The Expendables), Lumina follows Alex (Lazarus), whose girlfriend Tatiana (Williams) mysteriously vanishes in a flash of light. Determined to find her, Alex and his friends embark on a journey from Los Angeles into the desert, where they uncover the dark secrets of a Deep Underground Military Base (DUMB). What begins as a search for answers quickly turns into a fight for survival as they encounter sinister forces, government conspiracies, and otherworldly beings.

Blending elements of psychological thrillers, science fiction, and horror, the set designs and special effects enhance the narrative. Lumina is the first science fiction entry to be shot in Morocco, particularly in the mountainous regions of Marrakech and Ouarzazate, providing it with a distinct cinematic appearance.

“At first, I wanted to do a sci-fi comedy, but I also wanted to show what the impact is psychologically following an abduction,” said McKoy.

The film is tongue-in-cheek at times, but it deals with serious topics and unexplained phenomena. At the core, this is a story of reality, love, and survival. And because it was a mixture of different genres, it took some convincing to explain what my vision was for the film.

Born in T&T and raised in Canada, McKoy’s parents, Hudson, and Lynda McKoy, are musicians, banking professionals, and the founders of Goldove Entertainment.

I majored in political science in college, which was always one of my great interests. And I studied world religion, specializing in Judaism and Christianity, he said.

I also had classical training and grew up surrounded by music. But after entering the business world working for a financial institution, my creative side took over and I eventually segued into music and filmmaking. I wanted to perform and produce the type of music I could include in my movies, which I do throughout Lumina.

In 2008, McKoy’s music career got a boost after he met Canadian sound engineer/producer Nick Blagona. They began working on his debut pop-rock album. In 2010, legendary Hollywood producer David Kershenbaum took over the project, which resulted in his debut album Step Forward.

I had the opportunity to compete on America’s Got Talent, but I did not want to sing anybody else’s music. I didn’t want to portray myself as a cover artist, he said.

At the same time, McKoy started working on screenplays for two feature films, while also launching a merchandising line, Lydgio Fashions, co-founded with his mother, Lynda.

In 2015, McKoy wrote the script for Little Mizz Innocent, which followed a UN interpreter entangled in a conflict between the FBI and a criminal organization.

With Lumina, we initially had a distribution deal with Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios for a wide release, but when COVID hit everything was put on hold, McKoy recalled.

So, we spoke to other investors we knew and I started scouting locations where we could safely shoot the film, which ended up being Morocco.

Not without its hiccups, including the pandemic-related delays and a cast and crew turnover, getting Lumina off the ground was no easy maneuver. In addition to writing, directing, producing, and singing the songs in the film, McKoy co-composed the soundtrack and served as a visual effects supervisor.

Overall, it’s been a mixed response. Some people don’t understand Lumina and I think some of the critics unfairly misjudged it because this is a sci-fi comedy. Everything was intentional when I set up scenes and, he said.

I grew up in the days when you had movies like The Naked Gun, Blazing Saddles, and Billy Crystal in City Slickers. And I wanted something lighter, something funny in a parody sense, and all with a bit of a love interest.