LORMAN, Miss. – Former four-year Alcorn State University men's basketball student-athlete
Tyrel Hunt was the director, writer and producer of his debut film titled April Again.
The film is about when a homeless mute, young couple and reformed criminal's fates tragically intersect on one unforgivable day in Queens, New York. The movie can be watched on Amazon Prime.
The movie premiered in March 2019. Hunt has since taken the film on the road where it's been accepted at six different festivals. The film won Best Feature Film at
The People's Film Festival on June 1.
Hunt began filming April Again in May 2017. He started with the concept and auditions for casting, and shot the film in Summer 2018. The film was then edited in Fall 2018. From beginning to end, the process took about two years.
"It was a really fun process. Since it was my first time, it was a learn-on-the-go experience. The team around me helped me so much to the point where I felt comfortable. It was really rewarding to see the outpour of support that I received from the community," Hunt said.
Hunt first became interested in film during his studies at Alcorn. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in mass communications in Dec. 2016.
"Alcorn was an experience that I'm definitely grateful for and appreciative of. I want to say thank you to the University for helping me develop my skillset. I learned so much there," Hunt said. "I really cherish the great memories that I have from Alcorn. It's one big family, which is something that you don't always get at a lot of schools around the country. I also was able to see a lot of parts of the country that I'd never seen before traveling with the basketball team."
As a member of the Alcorn men's basketball program, Hunt scored 474 points and grabbed 214 rebounds from 2012-16. His senior year in 2015-16 was the first year of current head coach
Montez Robinson.
"Tyrel was always a very hard-working, goal oriented student-athlete at Alcorn. He always had the mindset of being great and becoming successful," Robinson said. "I'm really proud of what he's been able to accomplish. When he was at Alcorn, he was just starting to get his feet wet with the camera, and I'm not surprised at the amount he's been able to achieve. I wish him nothing but the best of luck as he continues his career making movies."
Hunt said he is currently raising money to begin working on a second film, and wants to continue in the film industry.
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