Regina Wells is no stranger to the stage. She has written, directed and acted in dozens of plays for her church, A Place of Refuge, and now through her fledgling production company, Gena-Mae Productions, along with the help of some friends, she is turning one of them into a movie.

She wrote the original play, “What Little Boys Are Made Of,” for her church for a Fathers’ Day production, for the men of the congregation. However, Barry Walker, her pastor, liked the play so much, he asked the group to perform it the next night for the entire congregation.

“We were very excited,” Wells said. “Once we did it the second time, everyone that came out, they really enjoyed it, and they were expressing to me how it was so real and how the situations in the play really spoke to them in their situation in their lives.”

She began to wonder if the play might make a good movie. She had some experience working on the movie “Angel’s Secret,” which was filmed in Villa Rica a couple of years ago. So, she adapted the play to a screen play, “Between Love and a Hard Place,” and started looking for investors. She approached Unique Be ‘Ans, the producer of Angel’s Secret, and the two were able to secure financial backing for the movie. They also created a partnership with Brent Brooks of Blank Stage Productions in Atlanta who will help with co-directing, lighting and filming.

They are still in the process of lining up actors for the film, and so far have had a good response.

“We want to market this on a national level,” Wells said. “So, we started seeking out some names and faces that will help us do that and some professional actors who can take this movie to another level.”

Christian musician Canton Jones, comedian Darian Perkins and actress Bern Nadette Stanis, known for her portrayal of Thelma on the 70s’ sitcom “Good Times,” have signed on to the project, along with some other local actors such as Kaira Akita Whitehead, Nina Nicole and IronE Singleton. Carrollton will also be represented in the film with some actors and local musicians Raymond Woods of Kingdom Beats and Terrell Walker, who she knows from her church.

“The church is being very supportive,” Wells said.

In fact, everyone in Carrollton she has approached for help has been supportive. They will be filming in different locations throughout town including McGee’s Bakery, Place of Refuge, Da Spot, Feathers and Twigs, Vic’s Barbershop and Fred O’Neal’s office at Edward Jones.

City Councilman Gerald Byrd will also be presenting actress Stanis with keys to the city when she arrives for the filming on Dec. 16.

Wells expects filming to begin on Dec. 18 and to wrap up on Jan. 4.

She expects to promote the film in much the same way Be ‘Ans promoted Angel’s Secret. They plan to enter the film into festivals and send the film to companies that can distribute it nationally and locally, including Maverick Entertainment, which distributed “Angel’s Secret.”

“We have already been in talks with Maverick Entertainment, and they’re interested in it,” Wells said. “We haven’t done a deal or anything with them yet. We’re not going to do a deal with anyone until we’re finished.”

However, she has high hopes that this movie will be successful because of its ability to speak to people and change lives.

“That’s the type of film Unique and I like to do – films that mean something,” Wells said. “What we feel like can come from a film like this (is) not just financial gain but spiritual gain.”