New movie films in Hallettsville Old Jail

Lights, camera, and action! A new film, titled “On American Soil” has been filming in Hallettsville. The location that was filmed was at the Lavaca County Old Jail.

“The inspiration came about when we were looking for a place that would accommodate something that would be significant as a detention center for our film,” Producer Dominic Galindo said. “It is the climax of the film so it was a pivotal scene of the movie. It was very vital that we find a location that would accommodate the aesthetics and the appeal and grit of what we were trying to shoot.”

This film is a multi-layered action drama about an American born oil field worker and ex border patrol agent named Jose, who learns about the disappearance of his goddaughter during an illegal border crossing according to Luna.

“We put a lot of sweat, blood, and tears in this film,” Galindo said. “There’s a lot of impactful stuff about this film that will raise some eyebrows, especially during the Presidential Election. The themes of this film explores the human cost of immigration. It sheds a lot of light on the immigrant experience and fosters meaningful conversations about the immigration policies including human rights and the universal yearning for a brighter future for immigrants crossing into the U.S. border.”

All cast members are Texas natives, according to Galindo. Other locations that were filmed for this movie include Red Rock, Kyle, Lockhart, and Austin. The budget for the film has been close to $250,000 and they have received a lot of support from some investors, Galindo said.

“This film has been in production for 4 years due to some Covid restrictions. From concept work in 2020 until wrapping up this year 2024,” Film Marketing and Promotions Director Corina Luna said. 

Luna said the community of Hallettsville has been very supportive. 

“Everyone has been very welcoming from beginning to our departure,” Luna said. “The majority of us stayed at Chaparral Motel where the owners took wonderful care of us throughout our stay and gave us welcome treat bags when we arrived. They also made sure we had what we needed throughout the weekend and filled us in on the history of the jailhouse and town.”

“Besides that, we did have a small misunderstanding from a motel guest who misjudged one of our Hollywood Actors by his appearance and wanted to call the police but all was cleared up and she went about her way without further incident. After all, (the character of) “Hollywood Ocho” is our main villain in the film, so needless to say he is excellent at his job and is our favorite bad guy! The locals have been intrigued with our presence and wanting to have a look at what’s happening, we did get a small crowd at one point and some light traffic during filming from the curious local residents, but they have all been welcoming!”

Galindo said he hopes to have this movie released to film festivals by the end of this year.

“We’re trying to hit all the major film festivals before we release it to streaming,” Galindo said. “This includes South by Southwest, Cannes, Trifecta, and Sundance Film Festivals.”