Uhrichsville filmmaker’s ‘Still Hope’ opens nationwide Feb. 5

Richie Johns, a Uhrichsville native, credits part of his success as a filmmaker to encouragement he received from teachers in high school. His new independent film, “Still Hope,” opens in 900 theaters across the United States Feb. 5, including a run at Quaker Cinema in downtown New Philadelphia.

“Still Hope,” a story of forgiveness and triumph, follows a fictional young woman named Hope who is abducted and held by human traffickers. Johns said the character is an amalgam of two real trafficking survivors.

“We took two different girls — two different stories of trafficking survivors — and the two inform the story of Hope’s journey of being abducted, ultimately rescued,” Johns said. “Then the second half of the film focuses on her recovery process. They are two very powerful true stories of tremendous courage and inspiration.”

The film was produced by Johns and his wife, Bethany. Johns said they received a call in 2023 inviting them to be part of the project.

“We were originally in discussions to produce, but the executive producer, Brent McMinn, asked if I would consider directing,” Johns said.

Work began in earnest in late 2023, a period Johns said proved advantageous for independent filmmakers.

“It was interesting because SAG was striking, and then also the Writers Guild was out on strike,” Johns said. “So we were one of the few units with a project, and while we had a nominal crew, they were very professional and well-experienced.” He said the film’s production values exceeded what its limited budget might suggest.

Johns said one of the film’s main takeaways is that human trafficking can happen anywhere.

“Trafficking takes place internationally, of course. And it happens domestically here in the United States,” he said. “The character Hope is from a very average Midwestern town. She goes to church with her family, and it’s a very normal life, right? Not anyone you would think could end up being trafficked.”

He said the film is intended to raise awareness, educate families and encourage action.

“It can be a tool to help families help teenagers understand the dangers and how easily it can happen,” Johns said. “Hope meets a guy online who isn’t who he says he is. She kind of gets out there innocently on a date and they go bowling. Soon after that, she’s abducted. We wanted to create awareness, educate and, ultimately, move people to action.”

Johns said support for trafficking survivors includes listening and believing victims.

“There’s a lot of effort that goes into rescuing victims, and people might think that’s where it stops, but that’s actually where the hardest work begins,” he said.

He cited The Pure Hope Foundation, a recovery facility in Texas that provides a safe refuge for victims to take as long as they need to recover and heal. Johns said similar groups can be found at stillhopemovie.com and stillhopeproject.com. He said any money made from the film after expenses will go toward helping victims of human trafficking.

Johns said growing up in Tuscarawas County helped guide him to a career in filmmaking, and he credited the tech prep program at Claymont High School for getting him started.

“It was during those formative years when I was doing film editing and actually made a feature film with some friends of mine,” Johns said. “That’s what really sparked my interest in film. That was in part due to the tools available at the time at Claymont.”

Johns now lives in Franklin, Tennessee.

Johns said the film’s opening week will help determine how long it stays in theaters.

“We open Feb. 5, and we encourage people to come and see it that week — get advanced tickets and bring it an audience,” he said. “That will kind of determine how long it runs nationwide.”

“Still Hope” stars Luna Rivera and will be shown at Quaker Cinema, 158 W. High Ave., New Philadelphia.