Photos by Wyatt Kostygan. Above: Guide dog Connor rests at Southeastern Guide Dogs. Top: Burt Reynolds, right, speaks at a panel with "And Then There Was Light" co-star Amy Smart.

Burt Reynolds just violated an old Hollywood proverb. He confessed to it during a break from filming the film production And Then There Was Light. 

“You’re not supposed to work with horses, animals or children,” he said. “That’s all I’m working with. They are all terrific, and they are stealing everything.” Whether or not he can stop every scene from being stolen, Reynolds certainly grabbed attention as he walked into a press conference at Southeastern Guide Dogs on Wednesday morning. Wearing tinted shades and the uniform of an animal trainer working at the Palmetto facility, the Hollywood legend proved that while he may not have as much swagger as during his Smokey and the Bandit days, he still knows how to charm a crowd.

The film, written and directed by Terra Ceia filmmaker Castille Landon, tells the story of a girl who begins to go blind after an accident and ends up working with both a guide dog and a small show pony trained by Reynolds’ character. The film, also starring Amy Smart (Road Trip) and Liam McIntyre (Spartacus), will be shot entirely within a three-mile area of the nonprofit’s campus.

McIntyre said he expects audiences to find plenty to relate to in the film. He plays the girl’s father, a character dealing both with the traumatic event in his family and with outside professional failures. “It is nice to be part of saying something important,” he said. Smart said her part will stretch her professionally as an actress as she plays the mother to the girl learning her way through the slow deterioration of vision. “I’ve never experienced that sort of loss before,” said Smart, who has quickly learned what she can about vision loss the same way a parent would binge on information should a similar tragedy strike home.

Of course, Southeastern Guide Dogs as an organization enjoys the attention as well. In addition to potential proceeds, the film will prominently showcase the Manatee County organization both in the content of and marketing. A character played by A.J. Michalka (Super 8) is directly based on Suzy Wilburn, Southeastern Guide Dogs’ director of Admissions and Graduate Services. And real trainers will consult the production on the reality of guide dog training.

Photos by Wyatt Kostygan. Above: Guide dog Connor rests at Southeastern Guide Dogs. Top: Burt Reynolds, right, speaks at a panel with "And Then There Was Light" co-star Amy Smart.