Adam Michael and Makayla McIntosh turn personal trauma into artistic inspiration with the movie “Shredded.”

Michael, a New Jersey native who now lives in Poland, is director, producer and co-writer of the film; McIntosh, a Newton Falls native who now lives in New York, is co-writer, producer and star, and “Shredded” will have a red carpet premiere on Saturday at the Columbiana Cultural Collective.

The two first met on Michael’s short film “Theater 4,” which was shot at Golden Star Theaters in Austintown.

“Our work relationship blossomed into a friendship, and we started talking about how we got to where we are,” McIntosh said. “I was in a pretty traumatic bicycle accident that pretty much ended my dance, musical theater career. That’s why I shifted into acting. Adam was telling me about his journey with breast cancer.”

“Eight-and-a-half years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer,” Michael continued. “It was a very traumatic experience for me, and I suffered permanent nerve damage in my shoulder because of the surgery. Makayla said I think these stories can make sense together in a film. I was very hesitant at first because I’d never publicly talked about having cancer. But after hearing her story and what she went through, and having a good personal relationship on top of our professional relationship, we trusted each other and started writing the story.”

McIntosh plays an accident survivor, and Anthony Dain plays a cancer survivor. She incorporated her interest in surfing into her character Riley, who turns to the sport as part of her recovery process. McIntosh always was interested in surfing, but there aren’t any waves in Newton Falls. She finally got an opportunity when visiting Costa Rica.

“Even if you don’t stand up on the surfboard, it was such a healing experience, being out on the water and seeing the waves and feeling the waves,” she said. “The more I started getting into surfing — when I went back to New York we actually moved to a beach where there is a lot of surfing– I realized it was such a beautiful metaphor for life and healing.”

There are programs where surfing is used as therapy for veterans suffering from PTSD and cancer survivors, and McIntosh wanted to incorporate those elements into the screenplay.

However, shooting outdoors made the independent filmmakers prisoners of the weather and the surf forecast. Inclement weather and a lack of surfing weather on certain shooting days along the shores of Rockaway Beach forced Michael to adjust his shooting schedule and even rework the script.

Those initially aggravating problems ended up creating some happy accidents. When weather wiped out the chance for a fire on the beach, it led to the creation of a monologue for one of the supporting characters, played by Cat Yudain.

“I think it’s one of the most beautiful moments in the film,” he said.

McIntosh agreed the obstacles ultimately made the movie better.

“We got more to the meat and core of the story instead of the surfing,” she said. “It’s more about the healing journey of that. That might have been lost a little bit more if we would have gotten the epicness that we originally envisioned.”

There were fewer obstacles in the scenes shot locally. Locations included Nova Coffee in Warren, the Youngstown Playhouse and the office of Pediatrician John Cox, who also is president of the Playhouse board and has appeared in some of Michael’s past projects.

Following Saturday’s local premiere, Michael and McIntosh said they hope to do a similar event in New York so the cast and crew who worked on the film there can see it in a theater. They also are submitting it to film festivals in hopes of landing a distribution or streaming deal.

Regardless of what happens with “Shredded,” Michael’s and McIntosh’s professional collaborations will continue.

“We’ve already filmed a couple other things I’m in the process of editing,” Michael said. “I can’t get into too many details yet, but I’ve signed a deal with an author and will be adapting many of his books. The first is a short horror film, and Makayla will be the lead in that film. We’ll be working together on the adaptation of his books, either as co-producers, writing together and acting, probably for the foreseeable future.”

If you go …

WHAT: Screening of the film “Shredded”

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday with doors open and red carpet at 6 p.m.

WHERE: Columbiana Cultural Collective, 5 N. Main St., Columbiana

HOW MUCH: Tickets are $20 and are available online at www.columbiana culturalcollective.com.