> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thenewsboylocal.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Producer Melissa Kirkendall Gives THE END OF NOWHERE Somewhere To Go - URL: https://www.thenewsboylocal.com/producer-melissa-kirkendall-gives-the-end-of-nowhere-somewhere-to-go/ - Published: 2026-11-03T00:18:13.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T00:18:13.000Z - Description: Why an accomplished producer would go with an unconventional microbudget indie film shot in less than a week - Author: Jess Lovett - Tags: Film & TV AUSTIN, TX—It's a measure of producer Melissa Kirkendall's discernment that she went with a nonlinear, weird indie film with gusto as if she had evidence *The End of Nowhere* would evolve into something brave, beautiful, and meaningful. It did. The founder of her production company, Little Village, Big Mountain, has worked on commercials and television productions, is a fine art photographer, and has even owned and operated live music venues. But it doesn't stop there. Kirkendall has worked for more than 20 years in the film industry, including producing award-winners *The Vast of Night* and *You Are Me & I Am You*. Written and directed by award-winning writer Peter Mattei, *The End of Nowhere* was produced by Mattei and Kirkendall and stars Savannah Rose Welch (*The Good Doctor*) and Tommy G. Kendrick (*Fear the Walking Dead*). At the center of the story is intrepid Ella, played by Welch, who takes viewers for a ride as she drives through the West Texas desert. In search of "the lights" - an IRL phenomenon of ghostly orbs described as paranormal and extraterrestrial - she navigates loss and grief to find answers, et cetera. Audience members have said the film is beautiful, extremely moving, and intricate. Others have said it is a true love letter to the Big Bend or that it pulls heartstrings, causing waves of emotion. *The End of Nowhere*'s official release screening was sponsored by STLL Entertainment, a new filmmaking division of STLL Studios. The division celebrated its launch alongside the screeningon October 24, 2026\. Held at the popular, artsy event space dadaLab, this sold-out event offered a little something for a variety of folks: from lovers of Texas film and Austin live music to West Texas wilderness and arthouse cinema enthusiasts. The event even raised funds for the Big Bend Conservation Alliance. Austin band Highway Lights, a duo consisting of the film's score composer and synthesist Justin Sherburn and cellist Sara Nelson, performed prior to the screening. Kirkendall, a resident in the mountains of northern New Mexico, goes in depth with *The Newsboy Local* about *The End of Nowhere*, what her experience was like producing it, and what compelled an award-winning producer to take on a no-budget Texas-based indie film that came with a ruthless schedule. *This interview has been edited and arranged for length and clarity.* ![Film crew and production equipment on location in the West Texas desert at sunset during filming of The End of Nowhere. Crew members gather around cameras, lighting equipment, and a blue SUV, with rugged mountains and a colorful sky in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/bb/16bb6536-e3a7-4735-8fc0-bbf3bc923f32/content/images/2026/10/THE-END-OF-NOWHERE-credit-Tony-Drewry-4173.jpg) Filming **The End of Nowhere* in the West Texas desert. Photo credit: Tony Drewry **With the October 24 event celebrating both the film and the launch of STLL Entertainment, what does this new chapter mean to you? What are you most excited about moving forward?** I am very excited to start working with STLL! They are arthouse, indie, scrappy filmmakers just like me who want to tell stories that make people think and provoke discussion long after someone sees the film. They have some high hopes and a "can-do" attitude at a time when it can be hard to maintain that energy. They don't mind breaking rules (not to be confused with breaking laws) to achieve excellence and that is where I thrive - outside the box. **I understand the film's writer and director, Peter Mattei, first developed the story as an audio drama. When and how did it evolve into a film?** I am not exactly sure when he decided to make this into a stand-alone feature, but he called me in January of 2024 and asked if I might like to read the script and consider helping him make it into a film. Having read other scripts by Peter and being a fan of the TV series *Outsiders* that he created, I immediately said yes! **You're a multi-hyphenate powerhouse in the entertainment industry—music, movies, and beyond. Was there something in particular that encouraged you to be a part of it?** If you ask anyone who worked on this, none of us did it for the money as this is a no-budget feature. We all jumped in headfirst because the script and now film feel like an immersive non-linear poem…which, for a bunch of creatives, is appealing as stories like this invite you to stretch your creative side. **Have your different creative experiences influenced the way you approach producing a project like *The End of Nowhere*?** Probably? I am a bootstrap creative entrepreneur if there ever was one. I take on each project as if it were my own and *The End of Nowhere* is no different. Each film project is unique and has unique obstacles to overcome. My approach was to ensure everyone contracted for the journey had the right expectations and passion for making art, rather than just showing up to pay their bills. ![Portrait of film producer Melissa Kirkendall wearing a black hat and colorful patterned top, beside a pull quote: “My approach was to ensure everyone contracted for the journey had the right expectations and passion for making art, rather than just showing up to pay their bills.”](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/bb/16bb6536-e3a7-4735-8fc0-bbf3bc923f32/content/images/2026/11/My-approach-was-to-ensure-everyone-contracted-for-the-journey-had-the-right-expectations-and-passion-for-making-art--rather-than-just-showing-up-to-pay-their-bills..png) Melissa Kirkendall • Photo credit: Josh Vratil, courtesy of Melissa Kirkendall **What has been the most rewarding part of bringing *The End of Nowhere* to the screen?** The most rewarding part for me has been sharing this true labor of love with people and hearing their response to the film. Because it is an esoteric poetic experience, everyone forms their own personal connection to it, which may differ wildly from mine or anyone else's. Not all films can accomplish that. **Have there been any particular challenges along the way?** Ha. Challenges... yes. We made a feature film in five shooting days total with a very tiny budget. It was all challenging but we managed to pull together the right group of talented creative professionals to pull it off which was key to successfully completing the film and making it not just watchable, but impactful. And we did just that. **What has made this experience unique compared to other projects you've produced or worked on?** I have had some special experiences on other films where it felt like a group of friends out on an adventure together. This was one of those films where many of us were strangers when we started and now we are lifelong friends and colleagues. It's what you hope for on every movie set but rarely happens. I think the fact that we were all having such a great time while filming is part of why the film is so good. It may sound cheesy or woo-woo, but I swear you can feel that energy coming off the screen when you watch the movie. It's special and lasting. **What was the process like for casting Ella? Did Savannah Welch bring anything unexpected to the character or the production?** We had a lot of great actresses interested in the role, but Savannah's audition stood out over everyone else. Her performance felt authentic, as if she were Ella. Peter and I both honestly did not know she had a prosthetic leg in her audition, we already knew we wanted to cast her. Then when we found out about her leg, we just thought how perfect that also was for the character she became for us. She truly embodies this character in a way that I don't think anyone else could. **Who do you think this film is for? What do you hope audiences take away from it?** I think this film is for cinephiles and anyone who is tired of the same formulaic tried and true mainstream storytelling and for those looking for real arthouse filmmaking. I also think folks dealing with uncertainty and loss might find comfort and hope in experiencing this film. **What do you personally connect with most about this story or production?** For me, my personal connection has evolved over the course of developing, making, finishing and now sharing the film which is unique. **The way your personal connection has evolved is unique? Or the experience of developing and sharing the film?** I think I would say my connection has deepened in a unique way. While making a film you often can have your relationship to the project deepen, but what's been unique with *The End of Nowhere* is the emotions vary in that relationship which isn't normal for me and is a welcomed surprise. The experience has continued to evolve in the process. In development and execution, I connected with the art of making a film itself. In post, I connected with the telling of the story - how each character brought something new to the screen. Now, as we share our work, I am connecting more personally with the story as I lost my father earlier this year and this film has been cathartic in processing that. --- ![A woman wearing sunglasses, a gray tank top, and a patterned skirt stands beside a roadside memorial decorated with flowers, wooden crosses, and an animal skull in the West Texas desert. Sandy hills rise behind her.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/bb/16bb6536-e3a7-4735-8fc0-bbf3bc923f32/content/images/2026/10/THE-END-OF-NOWHERE-credit-Tony-Drewry-4223.jpg) Savannah Welch as Ella in **The End of Nowhere •* Photo credit: Tony Drewry Two more arthouse screenings of *The End of Nowhere* are scheduled in San Antonio and Fort Worth, and the film is coming soon to Terlingua. The production team is also planning a California mini-tour. They invite you to follow them on their Instagram and visit their website for more information and updates about the film. --- 🎬 UPCOMING SCREENINGS: 📍San Antonio: Slab Cinema Arthouse | November 8, 2026 [Buy tickets - SATX](https://www.slabcinemaarthouse.com/event-details/11-08-end-of-nowhere-cinephile-sunday?ref=thenewsboylocal.com) --- 📍Fort Worth: Amphibian Stage | November 20, 2026 [Buy tickets - Ft. Worth](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/indie-arthouse-film-screening-the-end-of-nowhere-tickets-2003797492240?ref=thenewsboylocal.com) --- 🎟️ TICKETS & IMPACT: General Admission: $10-$18.40 Giveback: 50% of net proceeds will be donated directly to the [Big Bend Conservation Alliance](https://www.bigbendconservationalliance.org/?ref=thenewsboylocal.com) to help protect the Texas landscape we love. [www.instagram.com/endofnowheremovie](http://www.instagram.com/endofnowheremovie?ref=thenewsboylocal.com) [www.littlevillagebigmountain.com/the-end-of-nowhere](https://www.littlevillagebigmountain.com/the-end-of-nowhere?ref=thenewsboylocal.com) *The End of Nowhere* is literally going somewhere.