Mount Dora, Leesburg theaters among those showing ‘No Vacancy’ locally

LEESBURG — “No Vacancy,” a film based on a true story that was shot in Leesburg last year, opens Monday “at a theater near you,” as they say in the promos.

It is scheduled for nine screens at AMC at Lake Square Mall, and will also be shown on Tuesday and Wednesday, said Art Ayris, the screenwriter, producer, and executive pastor of First Baptist of Leesburg. It will also be shown at the Epic theater in Mount Dora.

Based on the true story of a recovering addict, a church building a homeless shelter and a fictitious TV news reporter facing her own crisis, the film boasts three Hollywood actors and a powerful script.

“When people learn that it is based on a true story, they are blown away,” Ayris said.

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‘Inspirational’

Currently Ayris is looking for “influencers,” referring to churches and organizations that deal with the addiction and homelessness to get theaters to show the movie in their communities.

A longtime pastor in Oregon called “No Vacancy” “inspirational” in his recorded testimonial.

He has been working for years trying to help those struggling with addiction and to find what he calls “transitional housing” for the homeless, even donating his own money for the cause.

“The last two years, I’ve trying to work with the city to try and do homeless and they’ve blocked me at every corner,” the pastor said. “Now, just the other day, the city came to me and one of our groups and said, ‘Look, we see your program and we see what you’re doing. This is a $500,000 project and we’re going to make sure you’re going to get funding…”

‘People loved him’

The movie was a major undertaking. It features former football player T.C. Stallings, who starred in “War Room;” Dean Caine, who starred in “God is Not Dead” and the TV show, “Lois & Clark;” and Sean Young, who appeared in 1984’s “Dune,” “Blade Runner,” and several other movies and TV shows.

Caine will be on Fox & Friends Monday to promote the movie.

Stallings plays Cecil Johnson, a real-life addict who turned his life around, becoming a deacon, 12-Step instructor, landscape business owner, and loving husband.

“It’s an actor’s dream come true to play a real person,” Stallings told the Daily Commercial during filming in September. “It’s a lot of pressure. People loved him.”

Ayris said he is talking to various film distributors. Possibilities include network TV, cable, and streaming.

To get tickets for the movie, go to NoVacancyMovie.com.

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