Local independent filmmaker Ricky Burchell released his feature film One More Dream in May.

After living in New Jersey, South Carolina, and Georgia, Burchell moved to Murfreesboro in 1996 to attend MTSU.

He has called Murfreesboro home ever since.

Burchell graduated with a degree in science, but the recording industry is what initially drew him to the university.

Also a songwriter, Burchell wrote most of the songs on One More Dream.

Creating films had long been a dream that felt out of reach for Burchell, while music came naturally to him, he told the Pulse.

“I started doing music videos, and that was my first step in combining what I did and what I wanted to do: filmmaking,” says Burchell. “After that, I started doing commercials, live events, short films and documentaries until I worked my way up to making films.”

Burchell wrote One More Dream to be an inspiring coming-of-age story with a multiracial cast, and it blossomed into a work that tackles a variety of controversial elements including racism, sexuality, drug use and domestic violence.

“People are going to be able to look at this in so many different ways, and people of all ages, races, and backgrounds will be able to relate to something in the film,” says Burchell’s colleague, Brenda Bailey.

Bailey and Burchell met on-set for another film project in 2018 and have worked together ever since.

“The thing I love most about working with Ricky is that he encourages young people who want to get in the industry to follow that desire, and he’s willing to give anyone a chance,” Bailey says.

Burchell took this film as an opportunity to explore heavy subjects in a lighthearted and casual way that was enjoyable and easy to watch.

“I didn’t want to push the dialogue too much; I wanted to make sure it was subtle, because that is the reality of racism today,” Burchell says.

Filming for One More Dream started shortly after COVID hit, so there were many adjustments that had to be made in response to the virus. Big group and party scenes had to be rewritten, and some had to be completely cut.

Despite many challenges with the virus, casting, and budgeting, Burchell never slowed production.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is to just go for it,” says Burchell. “COVID was going on, we didn’t have all of the cast a week before filming, our budget didn’t come through, but we just kept going for it and it always worked out.”

Burchell did what he had to do to see the film through and, in May 2022, One More Dream played at Premiere 6 in Murfreesboro and the Malco in Smyrna.

The filmmaker doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon; he has multiple films in the works set to be released over the summer.

Find more on One More Dream and Ricky Burchell at b4entertainment.com.