Reel Echoes — Robert Johnson

Reel Echoes is a stirring, emotional journey through the eyes of Bobby Chandler, a young boy growing up in 1960s Mill Town, a place defined by red clay, creekside adventures, and the comforting rhythm of community. What begins as a coming-of-age tale filled with sun-drenched summers, muddy mischief, and the bonds of friendship quickly turns into a quiet battle for the soul of a town. When Allied General arrives, promising jobs and low prices, it brings with it a slow unraveling. One by one, the bedrock family businesses shutter. Traditions fade. Neighbors grow distant. Through it all, Bobby turns to his 8mm camera-not just to remember, but to fight back. As his childhood gives way to harsh truths, he films everything: the empty storefronts, the quiet heartbreak of shopkeepers, the strained hope on his father's face, the laughter of friends who refuse to let go. His lens captures the joy, the sorrow, the anger of a town being replaced-and the love still rooted in its soil. Through his camera, Bobby shows us what is truly being sold: connection, memory, identity. But more importantly, he reveals what still lives-resilience, family, friendship, and the unbreakable spirit of a boy determined to keep Mill Town alive in film and in heart. Reel Echoes is a powerful tribute to what community and tradition means, to the fight against forgetting, and to the belief that no matter how far things fall, there's always something worth saving. Through Bobby's eyes and reels, we're reminded not just of what we've lost, but of what's still possible-if we hold on, tell our stories, and never stop believing in the people that come from a place we call home.