Last week, we looked back. Now, we’re looking ahead. As we open the first issue of 2026, we’re turning our attention and imagination to what could be.

The start of a new year has a way of reopening that space in us. The willingness to try again, take a risk, and begin before the whole picture is clear.

That’s the spirit behind this issue. We’re spotlighting first-time feature films that marked a creative leap for their directors. Not because beginnings are easy, but because they’re real. They’re shaped by patience, persistence, and the courage to move forward before certainty arrives.

As we step into a new year, we hope these stories encourage you to start a little smaller, trust the process a little more, and believe that early steps can still lead somewhere meaningful.

The film follows a young man as he revisits a fractured family's past, letting quiet moments, open roads, and emotional distance shape the story. Rather than pushing toward easy resolution, Brian Lucke Anderson's feature debut takes its time. It's a reflective first feature that values restraint over urgency, trusting that meaning emerges through patience rather than polish.

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Centered on an aging farmer returning to the land that shaped him, the film explores pride, memory, and reckoning with a steady hand. Scott Teems’ feature directorial debut is a powerful, independent feature that lets character do the heavy lifting. It trusts restraint over momentum, finding its power in stillness, lived-in performances, and hard-earned emotional truth.

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Every filmmaker has a first step that rarely gets remembered. Short films made on weekends. Early experiments that don’t quite work. Years spent learning how to finish something before learning how to perfect it.

That’s why first features are so important. They’re often rough around the edges, sometimes imperfect, but deeply honest. They’re proof that someone stayed with the work long enough to see it through.

Directors like Brian Lucke Anderson and Scott Teems didn’t arrive fully formed. Before their feature debuts, there were smaller projects, long gaps, and returns to the drawing board. In Anderson’s case, a short film built around the core idea of East of Middle West became a way forward — both creatively and practically — helping him test the story and gather support before committing to the larger leap.

Filmmaking demands patience in a way few crafts do. Feedback comes late. Progress is slow. And momentum often looks invisible from the outside.

Which is why stories like these matter. Growth doesn't happen overnight. It accumulates quietly through repetition, restraint, and the decision to keep working when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.

Plumb News has always been about more than what we feature. It’s about the people and stories shaping what comes next.

This year, we want to hear from you!

Are you working on a film, script, or creative project that seeks Plumb? Or do you know a movie or filmmaker that deserves a closer look? We’re opening the door for reader submissions and recommendations as we continue highlighting stories rooted in conviction, craft, and a pursuit of True Vertical.

Hit reply below and tell us how your project, process, or recommendation seeks Plumb. We may feature select submissions in a future issue.

“For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.” - Zechariah 4:10a (ESV)

Small beginnings rarely feel important while we’re living in them. They tend to feel slow, uncertain, and easy to question. We wonder if they’re worth the effort, or if we’re already behind where we’re supposed to be.

This verse pushes back on that instinct. It reminds us that God isn’t measuring progress the way we do. He isn’t asking for scale or speed. He’s watching for faithfulness.

The plumb line in Zechariah is about alignment, not arrival. About building something straight and steady before it ever looks finished. That kind of work often happens quietly, without recognition or guarantees.

Most meaningful growth starts this way. One decision to stay present. One choice to keep going. One small act done with care.

So if what you’re carrying into 2026 feels unfinished or modest, don’t overlook it. God often does His most meaningful work there, building something lasting long before the outcome is clear.

Until next time,

THE PLUMB NEWS TEAM