Downtown Country: Filmed in Howard City MI

Downtown Country movie: Made in Montcalm County

Montcalm County has served as the backdrop for countless stories, but rarely does a full-length feature film embrace a local community quite like Downtown Country. On a recent episode of the Discover Montcalm Podcast, host Duane Weed sat down with producer Joseph Lewandowski to discuss the journey of writing, financing, and producing an independent, Hallmark-style romantic drama right in downtown Howard City, Michigan. Discover Montcalm Podcast is produced by DW Video.

Why Howard City?

Joseph Lewandowski has worked on numerous film sets throughout his career, but Downtown Country marks the first production he fully bankrolled and directed creatively from start to finish. After moving to downtown Howard City in 2017, Joseph fell in love with the town’s small-town energy and wanted to showcase its ongoing revitalization. Rather than inventing a fictional setting or swapping out signage, he designed the script as an authentic love letter to Howard City.

Local storefronts play prominent roles throughout the narrative:

• The Edgerton Gifterie serves as the aunt’s gift shop where the lead character spends her summer.

• Edgerton Alley provided the setting for an energetic bowling sequence.

• The Edge record shop and Tom Kropfnecki’s 210 Music Row served as authentic interior filming locations.

• Jeanne’s Pizza Cafe served as a filming site, with the film director even stepping in front of the lens to play the counter worker.

• Local business owners made cameo appearances, including Sherry shopping in her own store and Dan the Record Man appearing in the gift shop.

The Storyline and Cast

The film follows Sophie Barrett, a college student spending her summer in Howard City helping her aunt. While helping at the shop and navigating a blooming summer romance, Sophie harbors a secret passion for songwriting and music that she has never shared publicly.

Lead actress Annalie Eck was cast in November 2025 after Lewandowski heard her singing reels while working on a television project near Detroit. In an art-imitating-life parallel, Eck had never performed live vocals in front of a public audience prior to filming. Her first real-world open mic performance took place during production, bringing genuine emotion and nervous energy directly to the screen. The entire cast and production crew were sourced entirely from Michigan.

Regional Production Across West Michigan

While Howard City served as the core production anchor, key sequences were filmed within a 30-mile radius across West Michigan:

• Planet Sunday Studios in Rockford, owned by Joel Ferguson of The Verve Pipe, served as the recording studio where Eck recorded original tracks.

• The Rockford Start of Summer Celebration provided vibrant carnival rides and festival footage.

• Grand Rapids locations included a local horse stable, the iconic Blue Bridge downtown, and the historic St. Cecilia Music Center, where the climactic 600-seat theater concert was filmed on August 16.

What Lies Ahead

Filming wrapped in mid-August 2026 after 12 rigorous shoot dates, averaging 12-hour production days. With the project currently in the editing room targeting a 95-minute runtime, Lewandowski aims to host a local private premiere this winter before presenting the completed feature to digital distributors targeting platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.

Follow updates on the film’s progress on Facebook by searching for Downtown Country.  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589992203439 

To share your business, creative venture, or local community project on the Discover Montcalm Podcast or with DW Video & Multimedia, contact Duane Weed at 231-250-9624 or visit discovermontcalmpodcast.com or dwvideo.com. Remember to buy and shop locally!

To feature your business, community initiative, or local event on the Discover Montcalm Podcast or Chatting Local, contact host Duane Weed at 231-250-9624 or visit dwvideo.com or chattinglocal.com.

To feature your nonprofit, community initiative, or local business on the Discover Montcalm Podcast or Chatting Local, contact host Duane Weed at 231-250-9624 or visit dwvideo.com or chattinglocal.com.

To feature your business, non-profit, or local story on the Discover Montcalm Podcast or Chatting Local, contact host Duane Weed at 231-250-9624 or visit dwvideo.com or chattinglocal.com.

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