A film based on a "real" St. Petersburg neighborhood urban legend got just a little closer to being made earlier this month, as the film makers behind the project released a proof-of-concept trailer online in order to generate interest.

  • "Mini Lights" a fictionalized horror film version of the story
  • Urban legend comes from Roser Park neighborhood
  • Want to help fund the film? Visit the project's Indiegogo page
  • BAY NEWS 9+, NEWS 13+ APPS UPGRADED: The new releases have a block-style layout that makes it easier to navigate, as well as an added section for Attractions Insider. A new weather section includes hour-by-hour forecasts and marine buoy data. Update your app today!

Brothers John and Paul Vitale want to be the first to bring a fictionalized version of the "Mini Lights" urban legend from the Roser Park neighborhood of St. Pete to the big screen. The brothers are serving as executive producers on the project.

“For us it seems like it’s kind of like a mural come to life,” said John Vitale, who like his brother is a muralist by trade. “I kind of wanted to show our chops at what we could do and bring to the table.”

According to the folklore, "mini lights" are small humanoid creatures who can turn into balls of light and attack people after dark.

“The St. Pete legend says there was a woman named 'Mini Lightning' who was a voodoo priestess,” said John. “She had the property and she would have these little things as minions that would keep people away from her property.”

According to the urban legend, the small humanoid creatures known as "mini lights" make their home in the Roser Park neighborhood. (Josh Rojas, staff)

Another version of the legend says the Mini Lights live underneath a bridge at Booker Creek, and they travel at night using the sewer system. The Mini Lights can also be summoned by saying out loud, ‘Mini Lights come out tonight’ three times in a row.

John told us nobody on the film crew would repeat those lines while they shot the terrifying trailer.

“If you drive through Roser Park at night and the lighting is just right, your heart will start to beat faster,” he said.

Local approach

John said the proof of concept trailer was shot completely in St. Petersburg, with local residents. It's an approach to casting they want to continue to use when making the film.

“I don’t think anybody in the trailer is actually a professional actor,” he said. “We like to try and keep it as local as possible.”

Danielle Wells plays the heroine in the trailer. She got the part by sending a photo of herself looking scared to the Vitale brothers.

“I’ve never acted before in my life. I’m actually a registered nurse,” she said. “I remember growing up here and hearing the stories about the Mini Lights. It’s very exciting to be a part of that.”

Watch the trailer below.

Mini Lights - Proof of Concept Trailer from Javi Fick on Vimeo.

Generating buzz

The proof-of-concept trailer, shot by director of photography Javier Fick, is already generating buzz within the community where it was shot.

“They watch the trailer and they’re like, ‘So where can we find the film?’ They feel that it’s polished enough that something exists already and nothings made yet,” Fick said. “So, we’re hoping that we can get the funding.”

Vitale said it’s going to cost about $150,000 to make the film. He currently has about half that amount.

“We have a treatment, we have a basic idea, the basic story down but we haven’t written the script yet,” Fick said. “We want to make sure we get a little more funding behind it before we commit to that, because we want to make that a special script as well.”

John Vitale created a page on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo to try and raise the rest of the money needed to make the film. A $35 donation gets a donor an official "Mini Lights" t-shirt.

“It can only do good for St. Petersburg,” he said. “Or scare everybody out of St. Petersburg. We’re not sure how it’s going to work. Hopefully, it does a little bit of both.”