FARAWAY SKIES

A Short Film by Nick Sokoloff



PREMISE / SYNOPSIS

Living in the shadow of a parent can have an impact on a person, especially in a small town.

That tension is present from the start with Paul, a man in his thirties who has just returned home after a long time away.

Right away, Paul is stopped in his tracks when he notices a father and son walking past him on the street.

We are not told why they catch his attention. However, something about them clearly shocks Paul.

Without explanation, Paul begins to follow them.

This is how the film opens.

The moment is presented without much context, allowing more questions than answers to form:

• Who is Paul, and why is he watching them?
• Is he recognizing something, projecting something, or losing his footing altogether?
• Are his motives sinister or moral?

The film holds back, letting the audience sit with that uncertainty rather than resolving it right away.

"The audience can be more engaged when the film suggests rather than reveals... making viewers participate mentally rather than passively absorb."

- Alfred Hitchcock.

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THE 4 WHY's

WHY ME?

As a director, I’ve spent years working on commercial projects that prioritize clarity, efficiency, and oftentimes fast, punchy delivery.

Faraway Skies is the opposite of that.

I want to make something slower and more deliberate. A film that trusts the audience and leaves room for interpretation, allowing meaning to surface through observation rather than explanation.

Without giving away any major spoilers, this project is personal because it reflects where I am in my own life. Entering my thirties and watching my parents grow older has changed how I think about time and responsibility. It has reshaped how I see my parents - not as people who had everything figured out, but as individuals moving through life without a roadmap, doing the best they could.

That realization isn’t unique, but it is deeply familiar. And because of that, I believe the film has the potential to connect in a lasting way.

WHY THIS?

This film does not rely on spectacle to create meaning. Instead, it finds meaning in ordinary moments that only reveal their weight later. The good days. The small interactions. The memories that don’t feel significant while they’re happening, but grow heavier with time.

That is why I want to make it.

I’m drawn to stories that make the audience work for an answer, especially in the beginning. Faraway Skies opens with a simple but unsettling question:

Why is Paul following these people?

From there, the film walks a fine line between mystery and the supernatural, while at its core remaining a family drama. As the day unfolds, the question shifts.

Did Paul witness something inexplicable, or is he simply a man in the middle of a personal crisis?

While the film's core centers on a complicated relationship, it avoids spelling out its history. Short films often compress drama or manufacture stakes that belong to longer stories. This film resists that. Instead, it allows the audience to bring their own experiences into the story and sit with the feeling, rather than being told what to think.

"The more you leave to the audience’s imagination, the more they take away from the film."

- Stanley Kubrick

WHY NOW?

In a moment where violence and trauma already feel omnipresent in real life, I wanted to see how much humanity could be communicated without putting those things on screen. Faraway Skies finds its tension by placing a warm, familiar memory against the present day. Rather than leaning into spectacle, the film explores sadness and regret without steeping the experience in misery, by focusing on a good day rather than the worst one.

From a craft standpoint, this feels like the right moment for me to make this film. I’ve spent the better part of my twenties learning how film sets operate and how stories come together through collaboration. I’m now in a place where I feel confident bringing a project like Faraway Skies to life and delivering on its intentions.

CONTEXT

Where We Are Now

The script is locked, the core creative team is coming together, and we are actively raising the funds needed to move the project from pre production into production.

What Happens Next

Over the next month, we will finalize casting, lock our crew, and complete location scouting and permitting. Once locations are secured, we will move directly into production. The goal is to begin filming by early March.

Goals for the Film

The intention is to complete the film by August and begin submitting it to festivals where it can be experienced in front of audiences.

Stretch Goals

The current budget is designed to cover the core production of the film. It prioritizes what appears on screen and the essential crew required to execute the project properly. It does not fully account for post production costs, festival submission fees, or expanded creative opportunities.

If we are fortunate enough to exceed our goal on Seed & Spark, additional funds will be used carefully to strengthen the film and support its full life cycle. Below are examples of how stretch funding would be allocated:

• $35,000 raised: Editing covered.
• $40,000 raised: Post production fully covered, including editing, sound design, and color correction.
• $45,000 raised: Festival submission fees covered, allowing the film to be submitted broadly, with the potential to add an additional shoot day focused on the lead character.
• $50,000 raised: Expanded location options and increased production design for Paul’s father’s home, with the possibility of shooting select portions of the film on 35mm.

OUR TEAM SO FAR:

TIM LYNCH - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

TARA SHEFFER - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Director - Nick Sokoloff

Producer - Jefferis Grey

If any of this resonates with you or you hope to get to see this film on screen, the only way that can happen is with your support!