Laguna Niguel Actress Tells 'Apocalypse Love Story'

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA — A young Laguna Niguel resident actress is spending her coronavirus shutdown starring in a new feature film by award-winning director and producer Justin Wilder Neese.

The themes for the recently released trailer for "Apocalypse Love Story" are vivid. The backdrop is a vivid, all too resonant reality as told by two 8-year-old children—sole survivors of a worldwide ecological apocalypse.

"Their struggle to survive and dependence on each other sets them on a journey of self- discovery, friendship, and love," Neese says of the project.

Enter Kayden Tokarski, 11, a 6th grader at Aliso Viejo Middle School, and an up-and- coming talent in Orange County.

"It felt amazing to be cast in a movie," she tells Patch. Playing the role of Sam: daughter of a survivalist father. Kayden's character possesses the knowledge and skills to survive on her own, and she'll need all of that to face what's coming.

Telling a post-apocalyptic tale amid a global pandemic, societal unrest, and a state on fire might be enough to bring many down.

For the Tokarski family, the story is relevant in every way to the world, at present: how the kids are growing up, what's on the news, nightly, and learning, together, how to deal with living amid a global crisis.

"We've tried our best to stay positive," mother Kelly Tokarski tells Patch. "The coronavirus shutdown has been challenging, but we've tried our best to stay positive, follow all of the rules to stay safe and healthy, and encourage Kayden and her brother, Hudson, always to be the best that they can be."

The pandemic will pass, but for the film's characters, "Apocalypse Love Story," they face a bleak future, punctuated with points of beauty and light-heartedness, as painted by Neese.

"I love all the different layers of her character," Kayden tells Patch. "It's an adventure going through her emotions."

In the film, Sam meets James (played by Byron McCray, 10), a domestic abuse survivor. Despite his kind, brave heart, he lacks any survival skills, Neese explains.

"Each character battles the overwhelming loneliness of this desolate world," Neese says. Then, their worlds change as the pair meets.

The movie also features cameos by actress and model Jena Sims, celebrity trainer Corey Calliet, Scout Victoria Lord, and actress Sage Kirkpatrick.

According to Neese, having two children as protagonists creates an "uplifting and inspiring tale: One where there is no prejudice or hate – only the harsh environment around them and a growing reliance on each other.

"Their minds are uncynical and unbiased … children see each other like we should see each other –as equals," Neese explains. "This film tells a story full of hope, something today's society is clearly desperate for, and its message is one the world needs right now."

Los Angeles-based Neese is the award-winning director of "Hummingbird" and "Glass of Scotch."

Apocalypse Love Story" is set to be released by early January 2021.