Spending the final weeks of his summer in shore town Wildwood, New Jersey, Owen, a 13 year old boy inept at making friends, must confront his spiraling feelings of identity and his parent’s strained marriage when he meets 16 year old Danielle and her group of disorderly friends. Through new teenage experiences and unexpected romantic feelings, Owen must decide what type of person he wants to become as he wrestles with the illusive idea of maturity. 

Our Teaser Trailer

Below is a sneak peek of what we have already filmed this past January. We hope you enjoy!

Our Visual Mood Board

Our Themes

This story centers around powerful themes of dealing with one’s internal pain as well as the tumultuous and perpetual nature of adolescence. It is often stated that when you are a child you want to be an adult but when you actually become an adult you immediately want to be a child again. Our film revels in and ultimately celebrates this premise, finding both joy and tragedy in the non-stop, cyclical act of growing up. One does not simply stop growing into themselves after they reach a certain age. Rather, to truly live life is to welcome change no matter how challenging, to confront sadness no matter how daunting, and to accept love and happiness no matter how frightening. That, in a nutshell, is what our movie is about: coming to terms with what it actually means to be alive, even if living itself is at times the hardest thing to do.

Our Characters

An introspective, sensitive soul caught between childhood and adolescence. Owen is uncomfortable in his own skin, often isolated, and filled with a quiet longing to belong. A budding artist, he expresses what he can’t say with words. His deep need to fit in and be seen sometimes leads him down the wrong path, making choices that conflict with who he really is. A deeply internal role — searching eyes, vulnerable energy, and a sense of not quite fitting in.

A volatile and impulsive seventeen year old girl who is struggling to come to terms with her own deeper emotional trauma. Having grown up in an unstable household, Danielle prefers to numb her pain with alcohol and meaningless sexual encounters. She’s crude, crass, loud, and acts before she thinks, all of which is incredibly alluring and hypnotizing to Owen. Subconsciously, Danielle is in a desperate search for real connection and unconditional love in any way she can find it. 

Our Timeline

This past January, we wrapped filming on the first of three total shooting periods and are now looking ahead to our next filming block at the end of May. Following our final shooting period in the last week of July, we will spend the remainder of 2026 as well most of 2027 in post-production, doing everything from editing to color to crafting an original musical composition. The film will be completed at the beginning of 2028 in time for a full festival run.

Our Budget

Our budget for our May shoot sits at roughly $11,600, which is a fraction of our entire production budget of $50,000. Money raised will go towards properly paying our cast and crew, insurance, production design, location, and any necessary gear costs.

What Will You Get in Return?

We are so excited to be collaborating with Dock5 Films on our next filming period as our fiscal sponsor, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the aim of uplifting young creative voices and providing mentorship opportunities for student filmmakers and artists. As such, all donations to this project will be sent directly to Dock5 Films to aid in their mission (while supporting our film in the process.) You, the donor, will also be eligible for a TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION on donations $250 or more for the oncoming fiscal year. Please consider supporting us in our mission!

Why Us? - A Director's Statement

Everyone holds something close to their heart. It could be a piece of memorabilia, a time in the past, or a loved one. I hold Wildwood, New Jersey close to my heart. I’ve spent every one of my summers in Wildwood and have explored every inch of that island. I’ve had some of my best moments there as well as some of my worst. Wildwood is, for better or worse, a home. And with Atlantic Avenue, I have the opportunity to tell a story that has been with me my entire life. 

I find myself growing with every movie I direct, not necessarily as an artist, although I’d like to think so as well, but as a human being. With each project I take on, I learn a little more about life and exactly how I fit into the messy and complicated tapestry of existence. I already feel that path of discovery formulating in the making of this film. The writing process alone started with a series of difficult conversations between Nathan and I, breaking down and cutting open our adolescence and uncovering thinly veiled wounds in the process. And the rest of this journey has been turning those wounds into something beautiful and cathartic. I always figured it would be difficult to tell a story as personal as this. But it’s not. It’s easy. This movie is already living and breathing inside of me. Now, I just have the beautiful privilege of putting it to screen. So, thank you so much for your support, and I hope you enjoy the ride.

Why Now?

We are a group of young, student filmmakers on the precipice of graduation. As we prepare to enter the real world, we have found ourselves looking back constantly at the simplicity of youth...only to find that adolescence was not as easy as we once thought. Entering the world of adulthood, especially in times such as these, is an extremely frightening venture, not only for us but for everybody of our generation. Put simply, the clock is ticking. We only have so much time left before we will be forced to completely face adult responsibility and the unending struggle that comes with that. As we enter this reflective, final stage of youth and freedom, we would love the opportunity to make the feature film that so many of us have been dreaming about since we were thirteen years old ourselves. Completing this feature film, one that discusses the tumultuous nature of growing up, will serve as a reminder to not only us, but everybody of our generation, that we have faced challenges, obstacles, and heartbreak before and will continue to do so with strength and resilience as we finally enter adulthood.

Thank you so much for making our dreams a reality! We have wanted to make a full length feature film our entire lives and appreciate your unending support and encouragement as we take the next step in this process. Please feel free to follow us @atlanticavenuemovie on Instagram for updates!