A Hollywood premiere, Stillwater-style

Every scene of "The Thirteen Folds" was filmed in Stillwater. Now the town gets to see it first.

Sean Patrick Flanery, who wrote, directed and stars in the film, will hold its world premiere Friday, Oct. 16, at The Hub, Stillwater's new entertainment venue.

"I wanted to do the premiere here to show everybody involved. And so many people in the city were involved," Flanery said. "I want them to see that this project has borne fruit."

The production filmed in Stillwater last December. Locations included the Stillwater High School campus, First Baptist Church downtown, a Stillwater neighborhood and more. Community members filled the Fieldhouse stands as extras for a Pioneers vs. Blackwell wrestling match scene.

Behind the scenes of "The Thirteen Folds," clockwise from top left: the crew sets up a scene inside First Baptist Church in downtown Stillwater; director Sean Patrick Flanery walks with young cast members as cameras roll outside Old Central on the Oklahoma State University campus; the crew films in the Stillwater High School locker room and wrestling training room, both since demolished. – Photos courtesy of Ultra Violet Filmworks

The Hub has a movie theater, bowling, an arcade, pickleball, a sports bar and food trucks. The red carpet starts at 6 p.m., and the film will play on four screens at 7 p.m.

The screening is invitation-only. Seats are reserved for cast, crew, extras and locals. The rest of The Hub will stay open to the public, and Flanery wants people to come.

"We encourage everybody, even if they're not going to get to see the movie, to show up, help us celebrate, have a good time and meet a lot of people that helped make this film possible," he said.

The film is in talks with distributors. Flanery said the production has several offers and hasn't made a final decision. Even if the film gets another premiere somewhere else, he said, "I wanted Stillwater to see it first. This is my home."

Flanery and his family moved to Stillwater after falling in love with the town during visits for his sons' wrestling camps.

Buying or refinancing in Stillwater? Brittney, Misty and Angelica at the Oklahoma Community Credit Union bring local expertise and competitive rates to every home loan. And unlike many lenders, your loan stays right here — local.

Apply Today

Thirteen lessons

The title refers to the 13 folds of the American flag, which is folded into a triangle at military funerals and at the daily retreat ceremony on military bases.

"If your only lessons in life were those 13 lessons, you'd be okay," Flanery said.

The American Legion Auxiliary publishes the meaning of each fold.

The symbolism of the 13 folds of the U.S. Flag

If you’ve attended a funeral honoring a veteran who served our country, perhaps you witnessed the folding of the flag that once covered the casket of a loved one. Each of the 13 folds of the flag holds great significance.

At the ceremony of retreat, a daily observance at bases during which all personnel pay respect to the flag, “the flag is lowered, folded in a triangle fold and kept under watch throughout the night as a tribute to our nation’s honored dead. The next morning, it is brought out and, at the ceremony of reveille, run aloft as a symbol of our belief in the resurrection of the body.”

The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
The second fold signifies our belief in eternal life.
The third fold is made in honor and tribute of the veteran departing our ranks, and who gave a portion of his or her life for the defense of our country to attain peace.
The fourth fold exemplifies our weaker nature as citizens trusting in God; it is to Him we turn for His divine guidance.
The fifth fold is an acknowledgment to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right, but it is still our country, right or wrong.”
The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
The seventh fold is a tribute to our armed forces, for it is through the armed forces that we protect our country and our flag against all enemies.
The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor our mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.
The ninth fold is an honor to womanhood, for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty, and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded.
The 10th fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since he or she was first-born.
The 11th fold, in the eyes of Hebrew citizens, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The 12th fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.
The last fold, when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.”

Source: American Legion Auxiliary

Flanery said those lessons "are formed around a belief in our Lord and Savior," and he hopes that comes through in the story.

'It's hard and honest'

Flanery said the story is influenced by his own life's experience. He described his father and grandfather as profound figures in his life. He played sports as a young athlete, and he later coached both of his sons, first in jiu-jitsu and then in wrestling.

"I think all good writing comes from what you know," he said.

Sean Patrick Flanery, right, goes over a scene with his son Charlie at Stillwater High School's Pioneer Stadium on Dec. 10, 2025, during filming of "The Thirteen Folds." Charlie plays Tucker Tolly, a young Stillwater wrestler, in the film his father wrote and directed. – Photo by Chris Peters

He said the film is about faith and family at its core, and wrestling could have been golf or basketball. He chose wrestling because his sons wrestle, because of Stillwater, and because of the sport itself.

"It's hard and it's honest," he said. "I do not think there is another room that creates the level of character the wrestling room does."

That belief shapes how he coaches his own kids.

"Some people use their kids to pursue trophies, and other parents use the pursuit of trophies to create better human beings," Flanery said. "That's what we use wrestling for. I'm not saying we're not trying to win, but we're using the sport to create little hurdles of adversity to develop the kind of character that we want to see later in life."

The goal, he said, is "the type of grit and resilience that won't fall to its knees for very long."

A camera monitor in the foreground shows a teen in a tan canvas jacket reading a small book while seated in a wooden church pew. Behind the monitor, the same scene is out of focus in a sanctuary with red carpet and rows of pews, and a crew member stands in the aisle. — A production monitor shows Charlie Flanery, as Tucker Tolly, reading in a pew inside First Baptist Church in downtown Stillwater during filming of "The Thirteen Folds." – Photo courtesy of Ultra Violet Filmworks

Charlie takes the lead: 'Six minutes that felt like 30'

Charlie Flanery, 15, a freshman at Stillwater High School, plays the lead, Tucker Tolly, a young Stillwater wrestler. His younger brother Porter, 12, a fifth grader, plays Tucker as a young boy.

Charlie said the shoot never felt like work.

"I was having so much fun doing it that I almost didn't even realize that I was getting paid for this," he said. "I love the process. It was so fulfilling. It was probably one of the funnest week and a half of my life."

He spent his downtime learning how the production worked.

"I got to see all the camera stuff, see how everything works," he said. "I got to work with my brother, work with my dad. It was so much fun."

Charlie said his experience on the mat helped him with the character but the acting was harder

"Wrestling isn't too emotionally hard, like acting can be sometimes," he said. "But the wrestling definitely helped out, because I've been in these situations before. I've been in hard situations before."

Two teen wrestlers, one in a maroon Blackwell singlet and one in a blue and gold Stillwater singlet, lock hands at the center of a blue mat as a referee looks on. Wrestlers in maroon warmups sit along the edge of the mat in front of a Pioneers banner. — Ryland Sandoval, left, who plays a Blackwell wrestler, and Charlie Flanery, as Stillwater wrestler Tucker Tolly, tie up during the film's match between the Stillwater Pioneers and Blackwell Maroons. – Photo courtesy of Ultra Violet Filmworks

The match scenes brought a different problem. The wrestlers had a rough plan for the match but no set script for which moves to hit. The match in the film runs a full six minutes, and they shot it three times.

"The main problem was that I actually got too tired," Charlie said. "I was exhausted after every single go, because it's like you're wrestling live, but it's harder because you know what you have to do, but you have to make it look real and hard. It did not feel like six minutes. It felt like 30."

Porter's hardest scene: 'Pain behind the eyes'

Porter, who plays the younger Tucker, said the best part was being on set with people he knew.

"It was really fun to just be there with everyone there that I know," he said.

His toughest moment comes in the film's early scenes.

"In the beginning I had to cry, which was hard," Porter said.

"But he did it, and he sold that scene," his father said. "Wait till you see it."

A camera monitor displays a man in a gray henley and a young boy in a tan hooded jacket sitting together in a wooden church pew, the man looking off to the side with a somber expression. — A production monitor shows Sean Patrick Flanery and his son Porter, who plays the younger Tucker Tolly, during an emotional scene filmed inside First Baptist Church in downtown Stillwater. – Photo courtesy of Ultra Violet Filmworks

Flanery said crying on cue isn't the real test of an actor.

"A lot of people think being able to cry on cue is the gold standard, but that's not it," he said. "There's a pathos behind the eyes that makes the tears believable or unbelievable. The tear itself means nothing. If you can see pain in the eyes, that's what really sells the scene. The actual moisture is icing on the cake."

He compared it to yawning. A yawn makes your eyes water, he said, but nobody watching would think you were sad.

"When you're emotionally distraught, your pupils are dilating a different way, something very different is happening in your soul," he said. "And if you can replicate that, that's maybe not the top of the heap, but that's pretty close to the top."

Shop Stillwater Sundays — Spend $50 at Stillwater shops, restaurants, hotels or attractions the Sunday after an OSU home football game and you're entered to win a $100 gift card to a local business from Visit Stillwater.

Learn more

Flanery has acted professionally since the early 1990s, when he played the title role in George Lucas' "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles." He went on to star in "Powder" (1995) and the cult hit "The Boondock Saints" (1999). His more recent credits include Amazon's "The Boys" and the faith-based thriller "Nefarious" (2023).

Flanery also directed non-actors, including OSU coach John Smith and Wyatt Hendrickson. He said acting doesn't take formal training.

"I don't think you need to have gone to Juilliard to do it correctly," he said. "Some people can just do it, and if they're relaxed enough, they can do it efficiently and effectively."

Proud mom on set: 'He had a real job'

Lauren Flanery, the boys' mother and a former child actor herself, worked on the crew. She said the shoot was a real job for her sons.

"Filming a movie is a job. The hours are long," she said. "Charlie has a lot of lines to memorize, a lot of emotional scenes. So being able to watch him step into that role, as well as still manage his schoolwork and wrestling — he had a real job."

She said she tried to help wherever help was needed.

"Which was everywhere," her husband said.

Part of that job was keeping a crew of teenage wrestlers on task.

"Having a bunch of high school wrestlers filming, it's kind of 'do this and do that and don't be too crazy,'" she said.

A building that's gone now

Much of the film was shot in the sections of Stillwater High School that were built in the 1960's, which the district planned to tear down when the new campus opened. Demolition started in April with the old city gym, and the high school buildings came down in September.

Flanery said he learned about the demolition from SPS communications coordinator Barry Fuxa and filmed with that in mind.

Top, crew members set up and film a scene at the front entrance of Stillwater High School during production of "The Thirteen Folds" in December 2025. Bottom, crews demolish the old city gym on the Stillwater High School campus in April 2026, the start of demolition that took down the older high school buildings by September. – Photos by Chris Peters

"I caressed those trophy cases with the camera," he said. "We have it in posterity now. It is indelible. You'll always be able to see it — the interior, the exterior, the wrestling room, the hallways, the classroom."

Many of the faces in the crowd scenes belong to people he knows, Flanery said. He called it an authentic Stillwater crowd.

"They're the faces that you're going to see at Charlie's dual next year," he said.

Wrestling royalty on screen

The cast includes two of the biggest names in Stillwater wrestling.

John Smith is widely considered one of the greatest American wrestlers ever. He won Olympic gold in 1988 in Seoul and again in 1992 in Barcelona, part of six straight world titles from 1987 to 1992. He then coached Oklahoma State for 33 years before retiring in April 2024. His Cowboys won five NCAA team titles: in 1994 and four in a row from 2003 to 2006. He coached 33 individual NCAA champions and finished with a 490-73-6 dual record, the most wins in school history.

Oklahoma State wrestling legends appear in "The Thirteen Folds." At left, a production monitor shows former Cowboys coach John Smith during filming. At right, 2025 NCAA heavyweight champion Wyatt Hendrickson poses with young wrestlers including Charlie and Porter Flanery, in the Stillwater High School wrestling room. – Photos courtesy of Ultra Violet Filmworks

Wyatt Hendrickson, from Newton, Kansas, wrestled four seasons at the Air Force Academy before transferring to Oklahoma State for one final year. He went 27-0 that season and won the 2025 NCAA heavyweight title, upsetting Olympic champion Gable Steveson of Minnesota in the final. He also won the Hodge Trophy as the nation's best college wrestler. He made the U.S. senior world team that summer, still lives and trains in Stillwater.

If you go

Johnathon Schaech, Kevin Sorbo, Nicky Whelan and Jesse Hutch round out the cast. Flanery said the production worked closely with Cara Adney at Meridian Technology Center, and he called her a big help.

Before the film, Flanery plans to introduce some of the people who worked on it and talk about how it was made. A Q&A may follow the screening. For attire, Flanery suggests church clothes worn on a day other than Sunday.

"It's a big thank you to Stillwater," he said. "I hope people even that aren't seeing the film show up and help us celebrate, and just allow me to shake their hands individually."

What: World premiere of "The Thirteen Folds"
When: Friday, Oct. 16. Red carpet at 6 p.m., screening at 7 p.m.
Where: The Hub, 3601 N Perkins Rd, Stillwater
Admission: Screening by invitation only. The rest of The Hub is open to the public to enjoy.

Disclosure: The reporter and his spouse were extras in the Fieldhouse crowd scene, and the production gave them two seats for the invitation-only screening.