Once Upon a Time At Once Upon A Vine

by Charles McGuigan 07.2026, Photos by Somer Mojica

Last month, a group of extremely talented young filmmakers and their mentors shot a movie in Bellevue. It was a sort of once upon a time, slice-of-life tale filmed on MacArthur Avenue at Once Upon A Vine.

Titled  “The Cost,” this film was written, directed, and produced by VCUarts/cinema majors. These students did practically everything else, too, from grip and costume designer, to sound mixer and boom operator. In one capacity or another more than thirty students and a team of professors worked on the production in a collaborative effort.

Runtime for the final version will be between eight and twelve minutes, and a screening of the movie will take place this February at either Studio Two Three, or Grace Street Theater. After that, the film might be uploaded on the cinema department’s vimeo page.

The plot of the film, which was co-written by Chris Blair and Logan Conners, will resonate with most Americans, many of whom have experienced first-hand the exorbitant cost increases for medications, enriching the bloated fat-cat drug manufacturers, and their CEOs and shareholders. Not to mention those politicians who seem to represent mega-corporations and not the citizenry.

It’s a pretty straightforward story: Jason Bryant, played by Mosiah Adé (a VCUarts/theatre graduate), cannot afford his sick mother’s medication. He’s lost his job and has suffered severe financial setbacks. An old friend convinces a reluctant Jason to rob a local liquor store which is what Once Upon A Vine masquerades as. Believing he has few options, Jason risks it all, only to realize after it’s too late that getting what he needed may well cost him far more than he ever expected.

“The scenes filmed at Once Upon a Vine were of the two main characters robbing the owner of the corner liquor store,” says Somer Mojica, an adjunct professor and the narrative media facilities and equipment coordinator for VCUarts/cinema. “We also filmed in a house in Bellevue. They were the scenes of the main character, Jason, in his home, talking with his friend over losing his job and his money troubles because of his sick mother.”

The film is part of a rigorous six-week course—Cinema Summer Intensive (CINE 490)—offered to film majors at VCUarts. But it all begins well before the summer.

This immersive production experience allows students to bring original films from script to screen, according to Yossera Bouchtia, director of VCU’s cinema program.

“Students develop screenplays in the fall semester and move into pre-production during the spring,” she explains. “From late May through late June, they culminate the process by producing and shooting their films during an intensive summer production period.”

At the beginning of each academic year, four scripts are selected to move into production through a competitive review process. “Students then pitch for key creative leadership positions—including director, producer, director of photography, and production designer—mirroring professional industry practices,” Yossera says. “While leadership roles are selected, every student works as a crew member on all four productions, gaining hands-on experience across multiple departments and learning the collaborative nature of filmmaking firsthand. The CINE 490 Summer Intensive is designed to simulate a professional production environment, giving students the opportunity to build technical skills, strengthen creative leadership, and graduate with substantial on-set experience.”

Their days began early, and they worked for long hours. Kelly Kocher of Once Upon A Vine remembers this well. “I had to open the store by six a.m. to allow the students to come in and set up,” she says. “It was interesting to watch them put it all together and make their own movie. The students were very nice and they had everything they needed just like a regular film crew.”

When the film is released, Kelly and her father, Bob, will get to see the premier. “I’ll get to walk the red carpet,” Kelly adds with a laugh.