Unplanned teen pregnancies can be fraught.
As a freelance videographer, Tyler Hunt has worked with many nonprofits that work with pregnancy centers to help pregnant women make big decisions. Witnessing those personal stories inspired the Colorado Springs filmmaker to write, direct and star in his first feature film, “Who Needs You.” In the comedy drama, Sarah, a young woman (Megan Elisabeth Kelly), is upset to learn she’s pregnant. She turns to her brother, Stephen (Hunt), for help deciding whether or not to have the baby. He offers to raise the child with her.
“I’ve never been in that situation, but I’ve listened to hours of footage,” Hunt said. “The woman who worked on the script with me went through a teenage pregnancy. As a man, I’m able to offer my perspective on the topic.”
The 97-minute movie, shot throughout the Springs in September and October of last year, will be screened Dec. 6 at Kimball’s Peak Three Theater. The public is invited, but must purchase advance tickets for $5. Go online to tinyurl.com/68kf87xy.
Hunt wanted to tell the story of what happens after a woman dealing with an unplanned pregnancy decides to have her baby. He believes stories often end with the woman’s decision, but don’t show the difficulty of raising a child on her own.
“A lot of people will cheer a woman on to have it, but not be willing to be there for the long haul,” he said. “To step into their life and make a difference to a woman like that is hard and painful. It requires a lot of sacrifice. If you say you’re going to be there, you better mean it.”
The majority of the film’s cast is from the Springs, though Kelly, whom he met in an acting class, now lives in Castle Rock, and recently starred in the Netflix thriller “Intrusion.” He wrote the role of Sarah with her in mind.
“Our relationship on screen is similar to real life,” Hunt said.
He’s busy submitting the movie to film festivals, including Sundance Film Festival, and hopes it will eventually be picked up by a distribution company and released on a streaming service, such as Hulu.
The New Jersey-born Hunt moved to the Springs six years ago from Virginia Beach, Va., after accepting a videographer job with a nonprofit. Three and a half years ago, he left to start his own company, New Star Films. He also acts in projects by other Springs filmmakers.
He hopes the potentially controversial subject matter of his new film doesn’t deter people from watching.
“Once you start talking about pregnancy and abortion, people get very afraid, and wonder what side of the political spectrum is this on,” Hunt said.
“This isn’t a political film. It’s just a story that deals with these themes. It doesn’t preach or force-feed anything. I want people to draw their own conclusions.”
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