It is a pleasure to welcome director, screenwriter, recording artist, and songwriter Gino McKoy to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

Gino McKoy is about to release 2021’s breakout science fiction film LUMINA. The film is the first-ever science fiction filmed entirely in Morocco. LUMINA stars Golden Globe nominee Eric Roberts, Ken Lawson, and Eleanor Williams. The film is bold, cerebral, and distinctive from your average alien film. LUMINA follows a young college graduate whose girlfriend vanishes in a blinding flash of light. Determined to find her at any cost, he is drawn into a dangerous, otherworldly web of distortions as he seeks to discover the truth behind her disappearance.

Gino McKoy wanted to make LUMINA in Africa, and between its deserts and mountain landscapes, Morocco established itself as the perfect filming location. The filming took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, the director and his team’s production facilities landed in Marrakech last October, and they had 14 weeks of preparation and production. Nearly 250 international and Moroccan crew worked on the production as technical staff or extras. In addition to LUMINA, Gino is an independent recording artist that is verified on Spotify and produced and directed his own music videos.

In this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Gino McKoy revealed how he and his crew overcame the countless obstacles that presented themselves during LUMINA’s filming process. He also shared the stories behind several of his songs.