While she causes some disorder in the court as star prosecutor Grace Nancier on PASSIONS, soap veteran Tonja Walker (ex-Marie, GUIDING LIGHT; ex-Alex, ONE LIFE TO LIVE; ex-Olivia, GENERAL HOSPITAL) reports that she's been hard at work producing a project for the big screen.

"The film is called The Derby Stallion, and it's a coming-of-age film about a boy who decides what to do with his life. He decides to not follow in his father's footsteps, and instead become a steeplechase jockey," explains Walker, who reports that fellow soap actors Crystal Hunt, (Lizzie, GUIDING LIGHT) and Colton James (ex-Neil, PORT CHARLES) are in the cast, as well as Walker herself and her two daughters.

"We shot the film in some gorgeous horse country outside Atlanta. We finished in April, and I've been in post-production since then. We'll be completely finished by September, and then we'll be taking it to the American film market in November. I've already sold it internationally, and so far I've had a lot of different offers domestically. I'm just trying to get the very best offer that I can." Next up is producing her second film, Stranglehold.

For Walker, the films realize a long-held ambition to go behind the camera. "I like the whole creative process, and I wanted to see something through from the beginning to the end. I have a whole new respect for producers now," she says with a laugh. "It's a very hard job!"

The Derby Stallion marks another first for Walker. "It's the first time I've ever played just a really nice mom. I've never gotten to play a nice, normal person," she laughs. "If I hadn't cast myself, I probably would never have gotten to play a nice, normal person. So it's really good for me."