Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins, left, as Shakita, is pictured with Montclair State University alum Ethan Edward Metz as Jacob Freeman in ‘The Freemans' Oath,’ which was filmed in Orange.
A movie filmed in Orange featuring local residents was recently completed and should be ready for viewing by the end of the year.
J. Wingfield Productions, in association with Tony Award-winner and Emmy Award nominee Tonya Pinkins’ Production, recently announced the completion of “The Freemans’ Oath,” which is described as a “politically urgent short film blending drama, psychological tension, and expressionistic morality.”
Inspired, written, and directed by Montclair State University alum Jeff Lambert Wingfield, the film features Ethan Edward Metz joined by fellow Montclair State alumni Amanda Phillips, C. Frankie Spears, Christopher Livsey, Cariola Richards, Monika Kołodziej, Prince Bawuah, Nate Brown, and Emmy Award-winning editor Ronald J. Tomaino.
Pinkins stars as the film’s moral compass, Shakita, and serves as associate producer. Adding to the creative force are stage and screen performers David Sitler, Andrea Bianchi, and Felicia Graham, whose work bridges Broadway, television, and independent film.
This project is a civic declaration, one that positions the City of Orange not merely as a setting, but as a living, breathing character in a story about legacy, truth, and collective responsibility, according to Jeff Lambert Wingfield of J. Wingfield Production.
“’The Freemans’ Oath’ is a cinematic love letter to Orange,” Wingfield said. “A testament to what becomes possible when education, artistry, and civic vision converge. It is a call to inspire, to empower, and to create—side by side, in unity toward a common goal.”
The plot focuses on a rising councilman chasing his late father’s legacy who is pulled into a web of corruption by a shape-shifting political fixer and challenged by a mystic elder and an ex-lover who holds evidence that could either destroy him or save his soul.
“This film is not just about politics—it is about legacy, community, and redemption,” said Wingfield, who is the film’s writer, director, and producer. “To share this journey with my fellow Montclair State alumni, and to unite them with icons like Tonya Pinkins, demonstrates the transformative power of collaboration across generations and bridging education with professionalism.”
With filming complete, the film has passed to Ronald J. Tomaino, a Montclair State University alumnus and Emmy Award winner, for editing.
A December release is planned.
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