South Orange Filmmaker Says Town’s Diversity Was Inspirational

South Orange, NJ – South Orange is a town that prides itself on its diversity and acceptance.

That’s why 25-year-old South Orange native and filmmaker Desmond Thorne plans to shoot his upcoming movie, “The Disruption,” in his hometown.

Thorne told Patch that all of his work includes main characters of color, LGBTQ main characters and “50 percent or more women in the main cast.”

"It's very important to me to see everyone represented in my work, because that's what I see in my world,” Thorne said. “I see everyone. I see more than just straight white males, who are often the focus of the majority of mainstream film and television… Opportunities for people of color, women and LGBTQ people in front of and behind the camera are still incredibly low.”

This summer, Thorne, who now lives in New York City, will be coming back to South Orange to shoot his new dark comedy film, “an allegory on the culture of ‘the grind’ that features a gay Puerto Rican photographer who accidentally gives himself a horrific bout of diarrhea and watches his life to unravel over the course of a week.”

"I'm so excited to shoot this film in South Orange because I grew up here among so many amazing artists of different races, genders, and sexual orientations and I want give back to this community by creating a film that's just as rich and diverse as South Orange is."

Thorne is directing the film, and his older brother Cristopher, 28, a South Orange resident and the creator of the SOMA-based “De-Leveling the System” - is the director of photography on the project.

Both series have gotten early festival attention, Thorne said.

When it comes to locations in South Orange, "The Disruption" will spotlight Tuxedo Park, Montrose and Ricalton's in South Orange Village, Thorne said.

Want to learn more? Visit the Indigogo online fundraiser for “The Disruption” here.

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