“For The Moon” is a coming-of-age story set in 1959 that follows a precocious nine-year-old Black kid who enters an all-white library and refuses to leave without his books. The film, based during a time when South Carolina was deeply segregated, chronicles the true story of the late astronaut Ronald McNair, who died during the launch and explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986.
Nile Price’s award-winning short film premieres on Monday, March 18, as part of the monthly Black Public Media (BPM) AfroPop Digital Shorts series. Viewers can watch it on BPM’s YouTube channel.
“I never heard of Mr. McNair,” Price admitted during an MSR phone interview. “I remember asking my mom about it, and she remembered the day everything went down with the Challenger.”
Price is a Virginian filmmaker now based in New York. A Norfolk State graduate, he is a 2023-24 Fellow at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Marcie Bloom Fellowship. He is also an MFA film candidate at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Shooting “For the Moon” took three days in the fall of 2021. Casting was an early concern due to COVID-19 and other factors. “Coming out of the social unrest in the summer of 2020, there were still a lot of white actors who were resistant to being in anything race-related,” explained the filmmaker.
He added, “It was hard trying to find a child actor at that time because we were shooting during COVID.” However, he noted that his mother, an elementary school teacher, ultimately helped him in his search for the lead actor, Jeremiah Spain.
“My mother is a fifth-grade teacher in Richmond, and she said, ‘I have the perfect kid,” recalled Price. “I met with [Spain] and wanted to have a conversation with him. He said some things that struck my ear.”
After that first meeting, Price said he was convinced, like his mother, that the young Spain was ideal for the part. “It was a done deal for me,” he continued. “Even though he and the other boys never acted before, it was great to have this natural chemistry with each other.”
Price’s previous film work includes short films he wrote, produced, and directed – “Bitter Earth,” “Home Again” and “Wander. ” His films appeared at the Toronto Black Film Festival, Afrikana Film Festival, and Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival.
“For the Moon” recently won the Programmer’s Award for Short Narrative at the Virginia Film Festival.
Price said he initially didn’t see himself as a filmmaker. “I never grew up wanting to be a filmmaker. I grew up wanting to be a lawyer. But in high school … film found me,” he said.
Price credits Ella Kazan and Spike Lee, among others, as influences.
Furthermore, he believes that streaming and public media are excellent vehicles for young Black filmmakers like himself to showcase their work.
“I think for a lot of us, that is the best option,” said Price. “I’m very grateful for Black Public Media helping this film to get out to people. That is a wonderful option for this generation of filmmakers.”
AfroPop Digital Shorts is the latest film series from BPM, an arts nonprofit organization based in Harlem. It showcases Black films and other content about the global Black experience and is an offshoot of BPM’s acclaimed documentary series, AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange.
Price said he is currently working on a new short film on triage nurses dealing with survivors’ guilt after losing a patient. “I’m also in development and trying to do a feature on ‘For the Moon.’ I have a couple of drafts down. We are doing a lot of writing,” Price said.
Go here to watch “For the Moon” on Black Public Media’s YouTube channel.