After an alien abduction, a group of friends go in search of the truth in Luminathe new sci-fi/horror/romance road flick from Gino McKoy, who writes, directs, produces and serves as the film’s co-composer and visual effects supervisor, among other roles. Filmed entirely in Morocco, Lumina it makes up for its low budget with its breadth of imagination and willingness to throw caution to the wind and simply let the story unfold across as many genres and tonal shifts as it can encompass.
Lumina has a cast anchored by the always game Eric Roberts. Alex, the main character, is played by Rupert Lazarus, but is supported by a group of friends played by Ken Lawson (Moesha), Andrea Tivadar (Warrior Nun, Killing Eve) and Sidney Nicole Rogers (Maya), each of which adds some variety to the adventure.
At New York Comic Con 2024, TelaRant interviewed Andrea Tivadar, Ken Lawson and Sidney Nicole Rogers. They talk about their work in Luminaand praises its writer/director, Gino McKoy. They talk about their characters and their role in the story, and praise the alien creature that stalks them in the last parts of the film. Finally, they talk about sharing the screen with the “space cowboy” himself, Eric Roberts.
The cast of Lumina in collaboration with Eric Roberts and Gino McKoy
“So, that’s the bottom line. Lumina: get some ride or die friends!”
Who are you playing in the film? Tell me a little about your characters.
Andrea Tivadar: I play Delilah in the film. Delilah is the intruder, the disruptor. She wants Alex and Alex wants Tatiana. She fights hard to get him back, but at the same time she has a beautiful arc in the film where she understands the power of friendship and how a friend is more important than anything.
Ken Lawson: My character’s name is George. He’s friends with the guy whose wife was kidnapped.
Where did she go?
Ken Lawson: She was kidnapped! For these strange situations that we cannot explain. But my character is really involved in conspiracy theories. So that’s what separated George from his friend Alex. But I become a resource. Then he reaches out to me and I walk in and lay out all the things I know. And we ended up going on a mission trying to find his lost girlfriend.
Sidney Nicole Rogers: I play Patricia and I love describing Patricia as that friend you love, but she stirs the pot. She likes a little drama, but is also a ride-or-die friend. And that’s what Lumina is all about. Lumina is not just a film about horror, but also a film about the heart. Because, I mean, our friend was abducted by aliens, but she has a gang of friends who are like, “We’re going to try to find you in the unknown. We’ve never done this before.” It takes a lot of heart and requires some do-or-die friends. So, that’s the conclusion. Lumina: Get some ride-or-die friends!
What was it like working with Eric Roberts?
Andrea Tivadar: Oh, he is. He is. He’s wonderful. He’s been so open to sharing different advice with me, industry advice, acting tips. He’s great. He is a great human being and is very supportive of young talents. He gets into character very quickly. He’s incredible. So hardworking. Possibly the hardest working actor in Hollywood!
Sidney Nicole Rogers: I like to describe Eric as a very easy-going, laid-back cowboy.
He even has the hat!
Sidney Nicole Rogers: He has the hat from the movie! It’s got a little bit of a slope and everything. For me, my best moments with Eric were off camera. Literally talking about him being a cowboy. Him telling me about his horses. I grew up riding horses. I’m from the interior. I’m from Virginia. So, having that connection was really good. So yeah, that was my best memory with him.
You don’t ride horses in the film, do you?
Sidney Nicole Rogers: No, they didn’t. (Laughter) But there is a donkey that someone rides in the film. I wish I could have ridden the donkey, but no.
Tell me about your director, Gino McKoy. He wrote, directed and played several roles in this film.
Ken Lawson: Gino, man, he’s a good guy, man. He is a true visionary. The fact that he was able to put everything together, from writing the script, directing, being able to draw some sets, you know, he’s a big influence in helping me develop the character and get into the positions that my character went through. It was a very pleasant tour. And he was a kind director! He was really cool, man. That’s my boy. I can’t wait to work with him again. Just the fact that he was able to make all these things happen, because we shot it in Morocco, and it’s one of the first science fiction films ever shot in Morocco.
Sidney Nicole Rogers: Gino had a vision, a very clear vision. And he executed that with his writing, his directing and also producing. He is very relaxed, easy going. There were a lot of collaborative moments where we were able to say, “Okay, I’m thinking about this and I’m going to move forward.” And he said, “Yeah, it looks great.” And that was really cool. It wasn’t too strict, which is really good.
I just think about all the crazy locations we filmed in Morocco. I don’t know how they explored these locations. I mean, there were some places where we had to walk to get to the place where we had to film. And, yes, he did it well. He made sure everyone was well taken care of and safe. It was amazing!
The cast of Lumina reacts to the presence of the film’s alien monster on set
“There was a guy in a suit. Yes, and he was about eight feet tall.”
It’s not a spoiler to say that there is a big monster in the film. Was it a guy in a suit or a tennis ball on a stick? What was it like filming those scenes?
Andrea Tivadar: Look, there is CGI in the film and I believe the monster was modified. But when I was on the set of Lumina, in the desert, on that film set, I was chased by some creatures.
So you have to shoot with a real thing.
Andrea Tivadar: Oh, yes. It was an immense fantasy. Very loud. Like, so, so cool. It really helped make it real, you know?
Sidney Nicole Rogers: There was a guy in a suit. Yes, and he was about eight feet tall. I mean, he was already a tall person anyway, but they had stilts on his uniform or costume or whatever you want to call it. And he was scary! The head, I think the head blinked, but like that, there was also a slime in the mouth that was dripping. I’m a very reactive person, I’m not the type of actor who can see a tennis ball and imagine…
I’m a very visual learner, so having that real person chasing you and running at full speed was scary and amazing as an actor. Then, in the post, I think there are some CGI moments, but I’m so glad it wasn’t CGI when we were filming, you know? There was a moment where I had to interact with a green screen, but even the special effects people, like, he was really good at describing what I was playing. Is it cold to the touch? Is it hot to the touch? Is it viscous? And I’m very grateful for that. But this alien costume is epic.
Ken Lawson: What was really interesting about shooting this movie was that we shot everything in chronological order. Everything that was happening was, like, real time. So we weren’t introduced to the monsters and aliens until later, at the beginning of filming. Coming into contact during these scenes was quite shocking because we had never seen aliens or monsters. It was really immersive because these guys are like… These guys are like seven feet tall. It was very intimidating! It was really fun filming this movie and going through all the transitions that my character was building to get to these moments. It was cool.
How does your sense of style compare to that of your characters?
Andrea Tivadar: She’s in fashion. She is quirky. We both like fashion, Delilah and I. I had fun choosing her clothes with Lindsay, our costume designer.
And when it comes to escaping these horrible creatures… Shoes?
Andrea Tivadar: I was wearing high heels! I was wearing high heels. I have been running through the desert in very comfortable boots, but with good heels. I remember those nights. My God.
Did you manage to keep them?
Andrea Tivadar: Yes! I did. I have to keep them.
Sidney Nicole Rogers: That’s a great question. Because that was… I don’t know how you would describe it. It wasn’t a fight. However, it was a great conversation. My style. When you see the film, you will see that Patrícia, my character, is always wearing pants. She’s always wearing pants, maybe flannel. There is always a type of jacket. Pants. And the other ladies are in dresses. And they are very feminine in the way they dress. They’re wearing high heels and all that stuff. Part of that was because they didn’t have my size! And it was a real struggle trying to find my size.
I didn’t know it would be a struggle, but I’ve dealt with that a lot in this industry. Be curvy. But it was also important that I had curves. And I’m rocking my natural hair. They didn’t straighten my hair for this movie. But everything was embraced. My full appearance was adopted in this film. And this is very important. I wear a lot of my own clothes in the film too. And that brought a little bit of Sidney, but a lot of Patrícia too.
More about Lumina (2024)
Lumina follows Alex and his three companions as they desperately search for Alex’s inexplicably kidnapped girlfriend, Tatiana. The quartet ventures from Los Angeles to the sands of the Sahara in search of a deep underground military base to uncover the mystery. On their journey, they encounter a multitude of dark and dangerous individuals, including the enigmatic Area 51 specialist Thom (played by Oscar nominee Eric Roberts). Whether the group finds Tatiana or not, their lives will be changed forever.
Check out our other NYCC 2024 interviews here: