You are a camp counselor. You've lost a kid in the woods. Now what?

Hi, I'm Anders! I'm the writer and director of Backtrack. I've also worked at summer camps since 2017.

Because of this, I'm no stranger to chaos. But nothing was more choatic than the afternoon where I lost a camper myself. There I was, doing a routine headcount, when I came up one kid short. As the reality sunk in that a child was in grave danger,* the first thing that crossed my mind was: "I might be out of a job." Then I thought: "What kind of a person thinks like that??"

From that moment of embarrassing, selfish panic – Backtrack was born.

Backtrack follows Kat and Todd, two self-absorbed camp counselors who lose one of their campers on the last day of a hiking trip. As they venture back up the trail in search, their differences cause their fragile romantic situationship to explode.

Kat is a veteran counselor who's worked one summer too many. Now a year out of college, the clock is ticking for Kat to line up a post-summer job. As a seasoned pro at Camp Waldon, she was hoping to be hired for a coveted year-round position.... which definitely won't happen if she loses a kid in the woods.

Todd is a first-time counselor who is a bit out of his element. The only thing he knows for sure is that after a full summer working with her, he is completely in love with Kat. When the two of them finally hook up the night before, Todd decides he needs to tell Kat how he really feels... which is hard to do when there's a kid missing.

Backtrack is a biting comedy driven full-tilt by these lovably anxious protagonists. Watching Kat and Todd struggle to cover their asses, keep their jobs, and detangle their messy romance will make you cringe and laugh in equal parts. Even if you've never been a camp counselor, you will recognize yourself in this fast-paced, summertime freakout.

This is a story about being lost: lost in the woods, lost in your 20s, lost in a relationship.

I lived it.

Having spent nearly a decade working as a camp counselor, I experienced the full range of what summer camp has to offer. I juggled the role of parent, teacher, hotel concierge, combat medic – often all at once. The characters and conflicts in Backtrack are pulled directly from my own first-hand experiences. It's a film about camp by someone who knows it inside and out.

It's not your regular camp movie.

Plenty of movies take place at summer camps, but Backtrack cares what summer camp means to its characters. As much as this story draws from its camp-movie-forebearers, it provides a new perspective by adding the best qualities of other genres. This is a workplace comedy as well as a character piece. Kat and Todd are the nuanced, neurotic products of their high-stakes jobs, not comedic caricatures.

It's about connection.

These days, so much of our life is mediated by devices and algorithms. Kat and Todd, however, alone in the woods without their cellphones, are forced to be at each others' throats on the analog level. Backtrack is an examination of what communication means at its rawest, most vulnerable level. For as comedically stressful as this story is, it's also hopeful that two human beings can still work something out. Even if it's messy.

Our goal for Backtrack is to raise $10,081 in crowdfunding to completely reimburse our production costs. That will cover:

• compensating our professional cast and crewmembers
• feeding our 22-person crew for all 3 days of production
• round-trip transportation from Chicago for our crew and equipment
• shooting on-location at a Michigan State Park
• bug spray. Lots and lots of bug spray

(Check out our wishlist for a complete budget breakdown!)

Any amount over our asking total will go directly into additional cast/crew compensation!

Go all in

The truth is, indie filmmaking isn't cheap, and Backtrack is my most ambitious project yet. We're filming 3 days entirely outdoors, on-location, and across state lines. Because of this, our cast and crew need to be fairly compensated and properly fed/hydrated. Our budget reflects our desire to do this story and our crew justice.

Get involved

Here's the good news: this is a reimbursement campaign. That means we've locked in our total budget, and have even started making out-of-pocket production purchases. It's a risk, but it shows how eager we are to make Backtrack happen. By donating to this campaign, you're helping us make back these costs, while also buying a front-row seat to our entire process. You'll be treated to moment-to-moment filming updates and behind-the-scenes content. Backtrack isn't a hypothetical ambition – it's an ongoing production that you can be a part of.

Support indie artists – with a few perks

Our cast and crew is made up of Chicago-based film students and up-and-coming film professionals. Your donation directly supports this incredible team of independent artists. But there's even more in it for you, because we've got some awesome tiered donation perks, including:

• your name in the credits
• a 4K UHD downloadable copy of the finished film
• early-access streaming links
• movie posters, BTS content, and merch
• in-person screening opportunities

And more!

*Don't worry. I immediately found the camper I lost. He had just snuck off to pee.