JACKSONVILLE — Nobody seemed to mind when a woman Facetimed her family as a feature film was being aired at the AMC Regency 24 last Friday. They were just as giddy to see themselves in “The Honey Dripper Lady” and share their excitement during the World Premiere.

Many of the characters in Dr. Shaun Powell’s first endeavor as a writer and director were also new to the craft. Seeing their work being cut and pasted into the final product was exhilarating. And surprising.

The cast finally learned how their movie ended, except for leading actress Davenia McFadden and a handful of crew members.

“I don’t think any of us really knew from beginning to end,” said Julie Jones, who played Janae, a lead character who moved back to Jacksonville years after one of her friends went missing as a child. “We knew snippets, but not everything.”

The movie was filmed in Jacksonville and Middleburg’s Orange Park South neighborhood. One scene included the playground adjacent to the Silos Shoppes of Middleburg on County Road 220.

The premiere sold out five theaters at Regency Square. It included the cast and other dignitaries, including “Days of Our Lives” star Matthew Ashford and McFadden, who has appeared in 88 different movies and television shows, including “Double Jeopardy,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” “Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins” and an episode of “Monk” called “The Big Reward.” But “The Honey Dripper Lady” was her first as the lead character.

“My husband and I turned to each other, and we wept,” she said. “We’ve been married 36 years, and he’s been with me every step. The red carpet is a long walk. This was amazing for me.”

Honey drippers are syrupy-sweet frozen concoctions in Solo or Styrofoam cups. McFadden’s character, Ms. Patricia, sold them to neighborhood children. One of the children, Alice, goes missing. One of Alice's best friends, Janae, moved away shortly after that, but more than 20 years later, she joined her husband Bobby and her children Noah and Mia in returning to Jacksonville. Then Mia and another boy suddenly disappeared. They suspected a man who lived across the street from Ms. Patricia.

That’s when things unravel.

Terry Star played Noah. He saw a casting call on Facebook, and auditioned for the position on Zoom. Two days later, he had the role.

“It was all pretty quick. It was definitely a serious process,” the University of North Florida student said. “I was honestly surprised. It’s so different when you’re only filming your own scenes but then seeing the whole thing together. I was in ‘wow’ the entire time. I honestly didn’t know how it ended. That was the last thing in my head. I didn’t know how it ended. That was my first time knowing anything. I was genuinely surprised.”

Several of the cast appeared in another movie shot in Jacksonville and Clay County, “Rights of a Father.” Jones also played attorney Jordan Moss in “Rights of a Father,” Dalaiah Simeon (Mia) played juror No. 7 in “Rights of a Father” and Felecia Blackshear played Holly in “The Honey Dripper Lady” and the court stenographer in “Rights of a Father.”

Like others, Jones wasn’t sure how the “The Honey Dripper Lady” turned out.

“When you’re shooting the movie, you’re shooting your scenes, but you don’t see everybody’s scenes until it all comes together,” she said. “I was just so proud to be a part of such a good film that everybody’s part adopted. The directing and writing were so amazing. Working with Davenia McFadden was amazing.”

The premiere was a special viewing. The movie will soon be available on various streaming networks and services.

“We finished it,” Dr. Powell said. “We got it to the finish line, so there’s a sense of relief. I’m just glad we could give it to the theater. It was really amazing.”