Come Morning

Come Morning is a 2012 independent feature film written, directed, photographed, and edited by Arkansas filmmaker Derrick Sims. The eighty-nine-minute drama thriller was produced by Fabled Motion Pictures and is set in rural southern Arkansas in 1973. The film premiered at the Austin Film Festival on October 21, 2012, and was subsequently screened at additional regional film festivals before receiving limited distribution.

Come Morning is set over the course of a single night in rural Arkansas. Frank, an older hunter, and his ten-year-old grandson, D, are hunting in a wooded area when they accidentally shoot and kill a neighboring landowner. After the incident, Frank directs the boy to assist in concealing what occurred, citing longstanding tensions between local families and concern over potential legal consequences.

As the night progresses, the two attempt to leave the forest while carrying the deceased neighbor. The film follows the pair through the woods, showing the increasing difficulty of maintaining secrecy as the boy begins to question the situation and Frank’s decisions.

The film was conceived by Derrick Sims, a native of Kingsland (Cleveland County). According to production accounts, Sims developed the project with the intention of setting the story within a rural Arkansas environment and a historical period preceding modern communication and navigation technologies.

Principal photography took place in October 2011 in Cleveland County near Kingsland. Filming was completed in approximately twelve days. Production was conducted primarily on location in wooded and rural areas, using natural light where possible and relying on nighttime exterior shooting for a substantial portion of the film.

Sims served as writer, director, cinematographer, and editor. The film was produced under the banner of Fabled Motion Pictures.

The principal cast includes Michael Ray Davis as Frank and Thor Wahlestedt as D. Supporting roles are portrayed by Elise Rovinsky, Thomas Moore, Blake Logan, Maurice Mejia, Dean Denton, and Richard Ledbetter.

Come Morning premiered at the Austin Film Festival in October 2012. Austin Fusion Magazine said the film was a “subtle yet profound emotional roller coaster that will pull on your heart strings and unsettle you all at the same time.” It was later screened at additional film festivals, including regional events in Arkansas and the surrounding region. The film won a special jury award for cinematography at the 2013 Oxford Film Festival. It also won the Best of Fest award at the 2014 Charles B. Pierce Film Festival.

Following its festival screenings, the film received limited theatrical distribution and was made available through home video and digital platforms.

For additional information:
“Come Morning.” Internet Movie Database. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2016168/ (accessed September 18, 2026).

Mejia, Lisa. “Austin Film Festival: Reviews and Previews Day 3.” Austin Fusion Magazine, October 19, 2012, via Internet Archive. https://web.archive.org/web/20130909040548/http://austinfusionmagazine.com/2012/10/19/austin-film-festival-reviews-and-previews-day-3/ (accessed September 18, 2026).

Todd Dial
Central Arkansas Library System