Family, friends, neighbors and old colleagues all offered their congratulatory hugs as UK’s journalist-in-residence  John Winn Miller stood in the lobby of the Kentucky Theater, patiently awaiting the Lexington premiere of his movie “Band of Robbers.”

“Band of Robbers” is a modern retelling of Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” This new twist on an old tale shows its two iconic characters as grown men with a knack for crime. When Huck Finn is released from prison, aspiring to change his life, his long-time friend Tom Sawyer, a corrupt cop, has other plans.

Trying to hold onto his past, Sawyer pulls together a band of robbers, composed of friends Joe Harper and Ben Rogers, to pull together a complicated plan to find a fictional hidden treasure.

Adam Nee, Miller’s son-in-law, and his brother Aaron Nee originally thought of the idea to show an older version of the story they grew up idolizing. The pair decided to write and direct together while Adam Nee fell into the role of Sawyer throughout the casting process.

“What made this film so special and awesome is the family production behind it,” Miller said.

With his close connection to son-in-law Adam Nee and his brother Aaron Nee, the whole family was on board and played some role in the making of the movie. Miller said the entire cast and crew was such a close-knit group — everyone was either related or friends through previous projects.

The film includes familiar TV celebrities such as Matthew Gray Gubler of “Criminal Minds,” Hannibal Buress of “Broad City,” Melissa Benoist of “Supergirl,” and “Avatar” antagonist Stephen Lang.

Miller said the experience has been a blast, but it wasn’t always an easy one. The film had troubles finding the proper financing early on, but it was a minor bump on a rather successful road.

“I read the script while the boys were still in the early stages. After three years of writing and finalizing I came in to help finance,” Miller said. “For six weeks I worked with the cast and crew toward the final product.”

Years of hard work and dedication have gone into the making of this movie. This is the first time the film has been shown in Kentucky and it is all the more special for Miller that the film is shown here in his hometown.

“Band of Robbers” was originally released at the Los Angeles Film Festival last summer. It was then re-released in January in 11 select theaters across the country for one week only. Now on this special night, Miller, along with brothers Adam and Aaron Nee, gets to share their hard work with their loved ones.

“This has been a real labor of love,” Miller said. “It is something I am very proud of.”