Passion Project to a Trending Title on Tubi: Ava and The Boy She Loved

emperium365
2 days ago
3 min read

Every film starts with a question.

For Ava and The Boy She Loved, that question was simple but dangerous: What happens when love, guilt, and memory collide, and the mind refuses to let go?

Written, directed, and produced by Dom Campbell, the film was born out of a desire to explore psychological trauma through an intimate lens. Not as spectacle. Not as shock value. But as something deeply human.

The Story at the Center

Ava and The Boy She Loved follows Ava, portrayed by Vivica Cartier - a woman unraveling in the aftermath of a forbidden relationship that ends in tragedy. As the film unfolds, reality becomes unstable, memories blur, and truth becomes something Ava both searches for and actively resists. Rather than spoon-feed answers, the story invites the audience into Ava’s inner world—where emotion dictates logic, and survival often means rewriting the past.

This wasn’t written as a traditional thriller.

It was written as an emotional puzzle.

Creating Ava

Ava is not designed to be “likable” in the conventional sense. She’s flawed, guarded, and contradictory—sometimes vulnerable, sometimes evasive. That complexity was intentional. Campbell has spoken about wanting Ava to feel real, even when the narrative begins to fracture. Her decisions aren’t always rational, but they’re emotionally honest. The film trusts the audience to sit with that discomfort.

Vivica Cartier brings Ava to life with a performance that balances restraint and intensity—never playing the emotion for effect but letting it surface naturally as the story demands.

With little formal acting background, Cartier first entered the Emperium universe in a small day-player role as Diamond in The Female Hustler 1 & 2. What began as a brief appearance grew into a long-term creative journey rooted in trust, consistency, and growth. Over the years, Vivica remained loyal to the Emperium brand, supporting projects whether she was cast or not—developing alongside the company as it evolved. That shared history made Emperium feel less like a production company and more like home. Ava and The Boy She Loved marks her first leading role and the culmination of years of quiet preparation, proving that presence, patience, and belief can be just as powerful as experience.

The Supporting Characters

Each supporting character exists as a reflection of Ava’s mental and emotional state.

Jared (Tarik Woods) represents connection, temptation, and consequence. His presence lingers even when he’s not on screen.
Detective (Dom Campbell) operates less as a traditional investigator and more as a force pressing against Ava’s constructed reality.
Malik Turner (Veon Selman) and Gabby (Brianna Farris) ground the story, offering glimpses of normalcy that Ava can no longer fully access.

None of these characters are accidental. Each was written to serve both the narrative and Ava’s psychological descent.

Wearing Multiple Hats

As writer, director, producer, cinematographer, and editor, Dom Campbell took on an unusually hands-on role in the making of the film. The goal was to ensure that the tone, pacing, and emotional language remained consistent from script to screen. When resources are limited, clarity becomes the most valuable asset.

The film was produced with a skeleton crew, relying on trust, preparation, and collaboration rather than excess. Every shot had to matter. Every scene had to earn its place. Special acknowledgment is owed to the film’s co-producer, Meshach Malley, who also served as first assistant director, lighting, and sound. For nearly 90% of the production days, the set was run solely by Dom Campbell and Meshach Malley. Their partnership was one rooted in rhythm and instinct, a return to how they first began making films. With combined years of experience behind them, the two transformed a passion project into a trending title on Tubi.

Why This Film Matters

Ava and The Boy She Loved is not meant to be consumed passively. It’s a film that asks viewers to engage, interpret, and decide what they believe. Some will see a romance. Others will see a thriller. Some will focus on guilt. Others on denial. That ambiguity is the point. Independent film doesn’t thrive by imitating what already exists. It thrives by creating space for stories that might otherwise be ignored.

Looking Forward

This film represents a chapter in a larger journey for Emperium Studios, one rooted in telling bold stories, supporting independent voices, and building meaningful work from the Midwest outward.

Ava and The Boy She Loved is now streaming on Tubi.

However you experience it, we invite you to watch closely, and decide for yourself what’s real.

WATCH HERE: Watch Ava and the Boy She Loved (2025) - Free Movies | Tubi