“Believe the work that you do will change lives.”
Wes Miller’s interest in film was ignited on the day he received a Pixel 2000 camcorder. He would go out with his friend from across the street and shoot black and white movies. The sky was the limit in who they could be in their films. With a law degree from Washburn University in hand, Wes became a civil rights lawyer. His visual art often centers around what happens when our justice system does not help those who it was created to protect.
His latest film, a vigilante thriller titled Rivers Run Red, continues this trend. River tells a story of a judge whose unarmed son is killed by a police officer on the day he was to start his class at the police academy. River Runs Red is an intense and thought-provoking film. In this film, Wes captures what can happen when justice is denied. The film stars Taye Diggs, George Lopez, John Cusack and Luke Hemsworth. In October, River Runs Red premiered and won best dramatic film at the 10th annual Downtown Los Angeles Film Festival. The film was released in theaters on November 9, 2018 and is now available on iTunes and video on demand.
Faith is a theme flowing throughout Wes Miller’s work. His first feature film was called Prayer Never Fails, a legal drama with strong faith centric themes that centered around a high school basketball coach who was fired after praying with one of his players who had trouble at home. Atone, Wes’ second film, is about a former special ops soldier who has to rescue her daughter from hijackers at the largest church in America. Atone is more action than the former, but showcases Miller’s versatility as a director.
With his films, Miller hopes to entertain as well as impact the hearts and minds of his audience. He hopes his films will inspire viewers everywhere to look outside of themselves in order to understand and empathize with others. He admits this is not an easy task; but if he shows his subjects with authenticity and unapologetic honesty, then there is a fighting chance he will succeed.
There is no stopping for Wes. He is currently working with Soulidifly Productions on a Western biopic about Bass Reeves, the first black deputy U.S. Marshal, titled Hell on the Border. The film stars Ron Perlman, Frank Grillo and David Gyasi as Bass Reeves.
To learn more about Wes Miller, you can follow him on Instagram @iamwesmiller.
