Lion statues guard St. Augustine's iconic Bridge of Lions. | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville Today
Published on August 22, 2025 at 2:12 pm
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An independent film studio is eyeing St. Augustine for a film shoot in the coming years, and the production team hopes the county might pitch in to help pay for it.
Cardinal Flix Producer Brian Long says the studio plans to begin shooting The Batting Cage in St. Augustine as soon as next year.
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According to the studio’s website, The Batting Cage will follow two sisters “on a mission to scatter the ashes of their third sibling.”
Speaking to the St. Johns County Tourism Development Council this week, Long said the movie, written by playwright Joan Ackermann, is a love letter to the area.
“There’s a number of the attractions in the area that are featured in some of the scenes. It’s a film we can only make if we do it in St. Augustine. It would never work anywhere else because it’s such a big character in the film.”
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That said, Long told the Tourism Development Council that his team is used to filming in areas that provide tax credits for film crews shooting locally. While some Florida counties do, St. Johns County does not offer benefits for filming movies in the area.
Long said the studios and preferred distributors require that 35% of the film’s budget come from incentives. Long said Cardinal is looking for local investors, sponsors and donors who may be interested in helping fund the project.
If the studio is able to obtain funding, Long said the current plan is to begin filming in April. The studio is currently casting for the movie.
Cardinal Flix has produced a handful of films going back to 2016. The studio’s films have received awards from film festivals in the U.S. and beyond, including the St. Augustine Film Festival.
Acclaimed films included the 2022 drama Life After You, about a family coping with their son who dies of a fentanyl overdose.
