His short film, The Tombs, has been traveling the film festival circuit all year, and now award-winning director Jerry LaMothe is prepping to begin production on his next feature film, titled The Promise Keeper.

LaMothe's last feature-length project was 2007's Brooklyn blackout-set drama titled Blackout, which starred Jeffrey Wright (also one of the film's producers), Zoe Saldana, Melvin Van Peebles, Michael B. Jordan, and others. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was very well received.

He calls his next feature, The Promise Keeper, also set in Brooklyn (and Haiti, as well, post-earthquake), his "most anticipated project of his career."

The film is described as…

… an intense drama about two childhood best friends from Flatbush, Brooklyn, that spans over two decades, which showcases the vastly different directions they each takes in life. When one gets deported back to Haiti, the other takes his first ever visit to the island, in search of answers, only months after the tragic earthquake that devastates the country.

Principal photography is tentatively scheduled to begin this fall, although no casting news has been announced yet. 

The film would've have begun production this summer, however, for a number of reasons, including the fact that LaMothe was selected for the 2012-14 ABC DGA Directing Program, dates had to be pushed back.

“There are several projects in development about Haiti, but few with the intention of actually shooting there… I’ve been in talks with people and aligning myself with some key individuals from the Haitian community. They’ve been extremely supportive and enthusiastic about the overall plan with the film. I think it will be a great experience for everyone,” LaMothe (who is Haitian-American) says.

He is this year's receipient of the Paul Robeson award for best short film (for The Tombs), by the Newark Museum, presented by The Newark Black Museum and Bank of America; and later this summer, he'll also be screening the film at this year's Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, where he his a finalist for the Saachi & Saachi "Nothing Is Impossible" producers award, which we've highlighted on S&A.

When we know more, so will you.