72 Whaler: A Coastal Coming-of-Age Story | Virginia Beach News

A hauntingly beautiful indie film, “72 Whaler,” just wrapped filming in Hampton Roads, weaving grief, growth, and coastal serenity into a coming-of-age tale born from director Stephen Miles’ own memories. With a shoestring $115K budget — 70% of which went straight to crew and cast — the ultra-low-budget project shot in just 12 days, casting standout actors like Ezekiel Ajeigbe as Hayes, a grieving young man finding peace on his late father’s boat, alongside Joseph Adams and Daisy H. Davis. Inspired by Miles’ childhood fishing trips and set against Virginia’s stunning inlets, the film explores how nature heals and how life’s inevitable changes shape us — all while proving small-budget cinema can still make waves. Release slated for spring, with festival submissions already in motion. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/3f9308a04ec1d3d8