What do you get when you cross Groundhog Day with Heaven’s Gate?
You might end up with And Through The Portal We Go—a darkly funny, genre-blending indie film that’s impressed audiences across the U.S. and UK. Now, it’s headed to Alabama for its local premiere. Catch it Friday, June 6 at 6:00pm at The Theatre at Lowe Mill, part of the Southern Fried Film Festival.
A Hometown Premiere for Allison Moy Hayhurst
The film is produced by Huntsville native Allison Moy Hayhurst, now based in New York City. It’s her first feature and marks a return home to share the project with her local community. She and Director Mike Hayhurst will attend the screening for a Q&A session afterward.
“Bringing my first feature film to Huntsville is a full-circle moment,” Allison said. “This is a personal story, but it also asks universal questions—about faith, friendship, and the communities we build to understand life.”
From Local Theater to Indie Film
Allison’s creative journey began in Huntsville’s vibrant arts scene. She graduated from Grissom High School in 2004, then earned a BA with Honors in Theatre from The University of Alabama. Locals might remember her from productions like Fame (Huntsville Community Chorus), My Fair Lady (Ars Nova), Ragtime (IMP), and Arsenic and Old Lace (Grissom).
“Huntsville taught me the value of creative community,” she said. “It’s where I discovered storytelling. I’m excited to return and share this film with an audience that shaped me.”
Cult Beliefs, Twisted Time, and Dark Comedy
The story follows the final three members of the cult Alyom—Katie, Craig, and Mikey. They step into a glowing forest portal, expecting transcendence like the 47 who came before. Instead, they’re trapped in a looping spiral of spiritual misfires and emotional chaos.
Critics have praised the film as “hilarious,” “sharp,” and “a clever twist on the time-loop genre.” With nods to Wild Wild Country and The Vow, the film explores belief, identity, and dysfunction—while keeping its dark humor front and center. One reviewer called it “a hilarious peeling away of hive mind thinking into raw, petty individualism.”
Festival Highlights and Industry Praise
The cast features Sarah Goeke, Joseph Lymous, Taylor Dalton Curtis, and Thomas Cambridge. Since premiering at the 2024 Gig Harbor Film Festival—where it earned nods for Best Feature and Best Director, and won Best Actor—the film has collected several honors:
Best Narrative Feature – Fisheye Film Festival (UK)
Best Fantasy Feature – Another Hole in the Head Film Festival (San Francisco)
Best Feature – Broad Street Film Festival
Best Acting Ensemble – Black Bear Film Festival
Don’t miss this award-winning exploration of belief, connection, and the strange places we go in search of meaning—with plenty of laughs in between.
?️ Tickets: southernfriedfilmfestival.org/tickets
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