Alum Lionel Jeffries’ original film, “Waterwick,” is an official selection at the Queens World Film Festival in New York City and was created with a team of URI alumni.

Before becoming a student at URI, film and English double major Lionel Jeffries was drafting versions of his feature film “Waterwick.” It wasn’t until he entered the university, where he delved into a rabbit hole of local folklore and landmarks, that he was able to find the missing piece to his story.

“I realized it really fit with the part of the story I already knew I wanted to tell,” Jeffries said. “Making a horror film about mental illness, a psychological horror film, and the whole abusive state institution really kind of fit with that.”

“Waterwick” follows 19 year-old journalism student Quinn Goddard as he investigates Rhode Island’s former Ladd School for the Feeble-Minded, an institution known for its abuse. As his investigation furthers, Quinn discovers a mysterious set of coordinates, which leads him down a path of no return.

“My experience in Rhode Island as a whole really shaped this film,” Jeffries said.

The university accommodated Jeffries’ filming schedule, allowing for long-hour shoots on campus and in many academic buildings. One of the central locations in the film takes place in a high school, and buildings like Edwards Hall and the Fine Arts Center were able to provide the correct atmosphere. The Robert E. Will Theater lent existing theatre props to the film as well as its storage room for scenes. Roosevelt and Ranger Hall were used for classroom shoots.

“I remember thinking, when I was there as an 18-year-old for orientation, ‘this would be so cool to film here,’” Jeffries said. “So I feel really lucky that we got to use all the places on campus that we did.”

Outside of URI, Jeffires was able to travel the Ocean State while filming. From as far north as Central Falls and Providence and as far south as Charlestown, the cast and crew made it a goal to fit as many Rhode Island landmarks as possible into the film.

Jeffries began assembling his cast and crew during his senior year at URI, having built strong relationships with many students in his department throughout his four years. Many alumni, such as lead actors Olivia Humulock and Carter Goodrich, worked alongside Jeffries on and off for a year while others assisted with the project for a handful of days. The cast and crew also includes  alumni Anthony Miller, Gerson Ramos, Jaedon Charron, Terry Kingskey, Jack Ieronimo, Ashton Daniel Robertson, Chris Hetu, Gianna Cambria and Haley Augeri.

“No matter how big or small, I’m incredibly grateful for everybody who gave me their time,” Jeffries said. “It really takes a lot of people to make a film production happen, even if it’s a small one like this.”

Throughout filming, Jeffries developed the tagline “the final rite of passage,” which described not only the process of filming, but the closing of a chapter in the filmmaker’s life. “Waterwick” serves not only as an emotional and thought provoking experience to audiences, but as a message to all young aspiring filmmakers. 

“I think there’s a lot you can learn from it, like, ‘okay, here’s what this guy did with limited resources and here’s how I can do it better,’” Jeffries said. “I made every mistake imaginable making this film and I think it could be a genuinely good learning resource.”

Jeffries would like to share a special thanks to faculty members Keith Brown and Rebecca Romanow.

This article was written by Erin Malinn, journalism, class of 2028.