Simpsonville Filmmaker's $500 Movie Is Finding a National Audience on Tubi

A feature film made in Simpsonville for $500 is being watched across the country.

"The Measure of a Man," written and directed by Upstate filmmaker Demetris "Illski" Jones, arrived on the free streaming service Tubi in July. Since then it has drawn hundreds of thousands of ad impressions, and its August viewership is running roughly 40 percent above its July pace — without a dollar spent on marketing.

Jones was the entire crew. He wrote, directed, produced, shot, edited, and scored the film himself, working around a full-time job.

Set in 1980s Atlanta and based on a true story from his own family, the film follows two boys learning what a man is from their cousin Michael — a gay man who comes to live with them after his father throws him out at sixteen. Over one season he teaches them to cook, to carry themselves, to look people in the eye. Then the neighborhood starts talking, the church comes to the door, and the boys' father comes home. The film closes on its dedication: to Michael Hamilton, and everyone who chose to love.

The film's distributor, Silver Line Entertainment, has released a large slate of independent films to national streaming platforms. Out of that entire catalog, co-founder Rockey Black singled this one out: "The Measure of a Man is a very compelling story that needs to be watched by everybody but especially young and grown men."

Much of the film rests on two first-time actors — brothers Triston Parks, 10 at the time of filming, and Brayden Parks, 12. Neither had carried a role before.

Jones also runs Ndovu Films, a nonprofit that mentors first-time filmmakers in the Upstate.

The film streams free on Tubi, no subscription or account required: https://tubitv.com/movies/100057601

Trailer: https://youtu.be/M5LRXIKVkb4

Tags: Simpsonville · Greenville · film · arts · streaming · Tubi · independent film