(RUTHERFORD, NJ) -- After a four-year-long production process, filmmaker and New Jersey native, David Joseph Volino, is sharing the full-length feature, Wayward Kin, with local audiences. See the film for one night only at The Williams Center in Rutherford on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The screening begins at 7:00pm with the cast and crew in attendance.
Adam Lowder directs and he also co-wrote and co-produced the film with Volino, who stars as Caleb, a father who sets off an incendiary custody battle with his ex when he picks their daughter up from school after being released from jail. Lowder also acts in the film.
David Joseph Volino was born and raised in Elmwood Park, New Jersey. He attended William Paterson University and graduated with a degree in Theater. He went on to study the Meisner Technique at Playhouse West Brooklyn Lab, a two year intensive program.
Tickets are $20 and available for purchase online. The Williams Center is located at 15 Sylvan Street in Rutherford, New Jersey.
The genesis of Wayward Kin can be found in the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many creatives during the pandemic, Volino and Lowder were uncertain about the future. The two were close friends, but with Lowder’s relocation to Texas at the time and no clear time frame for when actors would be able to find work again, it was a challenging chapter in their lives.
Both had previously written and produced short films, and Lowder wanted them to collaborate on something new to give them something positive into which they could pour their energy.
“I called him, and I kind of forced him to write with me a little bit," recalls Lowder. "And then he started to get really excited."
Together, they conceptualized a vague idea — a story about brothers was fleshed out after they asked themselves what kind of story they would want to share if they never had an opportunity to tell another one. The result was Wayward Kin.
It is hard to argue with the results: a brisk and well-acted family drama that builds to a shocking conclusion. Even without the resources of a large studio, Lowder and his team are able to leverage talented actors and confident filmmaking to make an impact with Wayward Kin.
The hangdog weariness exuded by Volino, Katie Barbaree’s committed performance as a mother trying to protect her daughter from her father’s worst tendencies, and the actors surrounding them keep the film engaging through every argument, cross-examination, and twist.
Avery Dunn, who plays the couple's daughter Sophie, is at the film’s heart, bringing an innocence that will make viewers invested in the outcome, no matter which parent they think is in the right. Jeff Nicholson, an experienced trial lawyer who plays Lillie’s attorney, is another standout.
“The script is always king," says Volino. "And if the script is born from your heart, if it’s coming from a place of real conviction, then you’re set up for success in a way that the audience will be on the ride with you.”
And Wayward Kin makes for a winning ride. It’s a reminder that the regions just outside the big cities are still fertile ground for independent filmmakers with a vision and a story to tell.
