T’Naus Nieto
The Chronicle-News

Trinidad, a city rooted in the frontier days of the Old West, historically known for its miners and workers’ rights revolutionaries, will soon become the set location for a Hollywood movie called “Vengeance,” scheduled to begin filming in March 2025. 

The feature film “Vengeance” is a horror/suspense story produced by the independent production company At the Kitchen Table, directed by Colton Tran, with producers Jaqueline Fleming, T. Bankolé, Kim Olgletree, and Alison England, written by Freddy Falcon. 

“Trinidad has the backdrop and locations we want,” actress and producer Jaqueline Fleming told The Chronicle-News. “It will be so visually beautiful, and I’m super excited the community and local businesses are helping us achieve this with all the donations to the film.” 

Former executive director of Main Street LIVE, Alison England, pitched the idea of using Trinidad as a filming location to fellow producers Jaqueline Fleming and T. Bankolé.  

Although Trinidad was a strong contender for the movie’s artistic vision, competing locations such as Atlanta, Louisiana, and Kentucky offered more favorable tax incentives. Colorado’s film incentive, at 20–22% with a $1 million minimum spend, posed a significant challenge for independent projects, which was a primary concern for both Fleming and T. Bankolé. 

“When I came back and re-pitched Trinidad, I told them I could get everything they needed for the movie from the community,” England explained. “Even though we don’t have a tax incentive, the town could provide hotel rooms, Airbnbs, all the necessary locations, and vehicles for the film. That way, the team could say, ‘Okay, we can afford, or we can’t afford to shoot our movie here.’” 

England provided examples of the community’s generosity, such as the City of Trinidad connecting the production with the police department to access police cars and ambulances and Phil Long Toyota offering vehicles for the characters. Locals volunteered cabins, mansions, homes, restaurants, gas stations, land, boats, and kayaks for use in the film.  

“The calls are coming in nonstop,” England said. “Tom Murphy is even offering his funeral home for filming. It’s incredible.”  

“We have spent a lot of time on Zoom calls with the Trinidad City Council and individuals in Trinidad, and we are pleased to announce that this overwhelming support has significantly helped offset our film’s budget,” Fleming said. “Louisiana’s tax incentive is 30–40% with a minimum spend of $300,000 to qualify, and Kentucky offers 30% with a $250,000 minimum spend. For an independent Film with a budget under $1 million, Trinidad now makes budgetary sense because of the resources and donations provided by the community,” she explained.  

In addition to local donations, At the Kitchen Table planned to hire local actors and crew members for the production.  

“I’m really excited about working with local crew and actors and meeting all the businesspeople in the city,” Fleming said. “One local business even has special spa days lined up for our production. I can’t stop smiling.” 

Fleming described “Vengeance” as a suspense thriller with elements of horror.  

Fleming said, teasing some plot details, “It’s about a group of kids who rent an Airbnb in a small town. Strange things begin happening. Before you know it, they’re fighting to stay alive. It gets pretty gruesome at the end. That’s about all I can say.” 

Fleming, a Hollywood actress known for roles in The Quad, Sistas, To Her With Love, and The Walking Dead, to name a few, began her producing journey about eight years ago after running a successful acting studio and talent agency in Louisiana, where she helped launch the careers of numerous actors who now star in major films and TV shows. 

“There are some visible actors in this project who started training as actors with me when they were younger,” Fleming shared. “Now they’re starring in movies and TV shows, and I’m putting them in ‘Vengeance.’ Going back and working with these amazing actors as a producer is really exciting. We have 13 roles in this film, and it’s going to be exciting to round out the entire cast.” 

When asked if she had a message for the community, Fleming said, “I just want to say thank you. Without the support of Trinidad, I don’t know how this would be possible on this level. My gosh, it’s like a dream come true.” 

Producer T. Bankolé said, “We can’t say thank you enough. Every business and individual who has contributed will be credited in the film. We’re also receiving calls from brands and individuals interested in product placement. It’s more than we ever dreamed of.” 

England added, “We have a great script, a wonderful director, and we’re locking in star power for the cast. The horror and thriller genres are incredibly popular right now, and the team has a slate of projects they want to film in Trinidad. This is all going to help attract more films to the area.”