Lisa, a middle class Chinese American, faces a fateful government interview that may forever alter the course of her & her daughter’s lives. Set in a near future where only US citizens are allowed to own real estate, JUS SOLI is a film about citizenship, immigration & who gets to call a place home.
Lisa, a middle class Chinese American, faces a fateful government interview that may forever alter the course of her & her daughter’s lives. Set in a near future where only US citizens are allowed to own real estate, JUS SOLI is a film about citizenship, immigration & who gets to call a place home.
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Story
Mission Statement
With a cast and crew predominantly people of color, the team behind this film embodies a deep commitment to diversity and inclusion. In a climate where POCs are increasingly othered and told to "go back where they came from" this film prioritizes their stories both in front of and behind the camera.About The Project
FILM SYNOPSIS
JUS SOLI is a speculative fiction thriller set in a near future where the US government has passed a number of restrictive laws targeting immigrants, including banning non-citizens from owning real estate in the country. Lisa, a Chinese American woman in her late 30s recently separated from her husband, is suddenly called in to speak to the authorities regarding "some problems with her documentation.” She obliges, assuming it’s all a misunderstanding, but soon realizes that what is about to happen is more terrible than she could have ever imagined.
The film opens on Lisa coming into a benign-looking conference room in the newly formed “Office of Land and Asset Ownership Review.” While seemingly routine at first, we watch in real time as the questioning progresses, and feel the same creeping horror as what is happening to her and her daughter begins to dawn on her.
PERSONAL CONNECTION
Though a work of fiction, Jus Soli is inspired in part by my own family history. I aim to expand the discussion around immigration and migrant detention, which is often seen as primarily a Latinx issue, and recontextualize these as wider and deeper issues with long historical roots. In a moment where xenophobia and racism are constantly making headlines, I wanted to make a film that follows this rhetoric to its logical, absurd conclusion in a way that is also informed by our nation’s past. As a filmmaker, I’m interested in how these issues shape individual lives, and in how to approach these stories through a human lens. In looking at the effects a byzantine bureaucracy has on both the enforcers of these policies and those they target, my aim is to challenge the inhumanity of our current immigration system.
HOW CAN YOU HELP
This June in a musty old office, a collection of us gathered for two days to shoot the film. Now we are raising funds to finish the film in post-production and bring it to audiences: We need to hire a picture editor, sound designer, sound mixer and colorist, as well as money for festival submissions, screeners and other deliverables
SPEND BREAKDOWN
- 3k - Editor
- 2k - Post Sound
- 1K- Color Correction
- 1k - Festivals (Submission fees, Deliverables, Travel )
- .5k VFX
- .5k - Platform fees
THE CAST
Lynn Chen - Lisa
A long-time indie darling and TV regular, Lynn Chen plays the lead role of Lisa. Lynn gives an outstanding performance as Lisa, a 3rd generation Chinese American who on most days feels the American part more than the Chinese. She’s never had much use for politics, and even though the escalating anti-immigrant policies make her a bit uneasy, Lisa’s mostly focused on her family and climbing the corporate ladder.
Circus-Szalewski - StanA veteran of both the screen and stage, Circus-Szalewski has brought myriad characters to life over the past three decades alone. John Lennon, Pontius Pilate, Harry S. Truman, Tennessee Williams, to name a few; in the role of Stan Circus-Szalewski rises to the challenge of conveying a humanity belied by inhuman actions.
Brandon Thomas - The GuardA recent transplant to the Bay Area from Baltimore, Brandon is better known by his YouTube / rap handle B-Doe.
Incentives
$5
Private Browsing
The most basic level of protection for data privacy.
You'll be listed under the supporters on the film's website and we'll give you a shout out on our facebook page.
$25
Proxy Server / Exclusive Digital Poster
A little extra protection.
Not only will we list you on our page but we'll give you an on screen credit in the film! See your name in giant letters on the big screen!
Backers at this level will also recieve an exclusive, backers only digital poster. High Resolution and printable up to full movie 40" movie poster size.
$40
Early Access Screener
Want to see the film before all your friends? Backers at this level get a private link to stream the film before it's available to the public. Be one of the cool kids. Backers at this level also get an on screen credit in the film.
$60
Two Factor Authentication
You take security seriously. Get an on-screen credit, an early access screener as well as a digital copy of the shooting script! See how the words on the page become images and sounds.
$100
Invite to the Cast and Crew screening
Come and be one of the first humans on the planet to see the film! You'll get an invitation to our super secret cast and crew screening in Oakland CA. You'll also get an on-screen credit, private link to the film for home viewing and a copy of the shooting script.
$250
BluRay of the Film
Who said physical media is dead? In addition to the other incentives below you'll get your very own, limited edition pressing of the film on an actual BluRay disk. Put it on your shelf and show everyone who comes over how cultured you are.
$500
Filmmaker Consultation
Got questions about how to make it in the film biz? Get a 30 minute consultation with our director Kevin, in addition to the incentives from the lower levels. Kevin has over 10 years of experience in the film industry including commercial directing and editing, Visual Effects, post production workflows and more. Pretty much everything that happens behind the camera, Kevin knows something about.
Claimed: 1 of 6
$1,000
Contributing Producer
Are you down for the cause? Be a contributing producer and not only will you be featured on a special title card in the film, you'll also get a BluRay of the film and an invite to our cast and crew screening in Oakland, CA.
Claimed: 0 of 3
$4,000
Executive Producer
Always wanted to be a big shot? Now you can be an executive producer on a film and have your own title card in the credits. Executive producer will also be invited to the cast and crew screening with a +1, receive a BluRay of the film and a copy of the shooting script.
Claimed: 0 of 1
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$5
Private Browsing
The most basic level of protection for data privacy.
You'll be listed under the supporters on the film's website and we'll give you a shout out on our facebook page.
$25
Proxy Server / Exclusive Digital Poster
A little extra protection.
Not only will we list you on our page but we'll give you an on screen credit in the film! See your name in giant letters on the big screen!
Backers at this level will also recieve an exclusive, backers only digital poster. High Resolution and printable up to full movie 40" movie poster size.
$40
Early Access Screener
Want to see the film before all your friends? Backers at this level get a private link to stream the film before it's available to the public. Be one of the cool kids. Backers at this level also get an on screen credit in the film.
$60
Two Factor Authentication
You take security seriously. Get an on-screen credit, an early access screener as well as a digital copy of the shooting script! See how the words on the page become images and sounds.
$100
Invite to the Cast and Crew screening
Come and be one of the first humans on the planet to see the film! You'll get an invitation to our super secret cast and crew screening in Oakland CA. You'll also get an on-screen credit, private link to the film for home viewing and a copy of the shooting script.
$250
BluRay of the Film
Who said physical media is dead? In addition to the other incentives below you'll get your very own, limited edition pressing of the film on an actual BluRay disk. Put it on your shelf and show everyone who comes over how cultured you are.
$500
Filmmaker Consultation
Got questions about how to make it in the film biz? Get a 30 minute consultation with our director Kevin, in addition to the incentives from the lower levels. Kevin has over 10 years of experience in the film industry including commercial directing and editing, Visual Effects, post production workflows and more. Pretty much everything that happens behind the camera, Kevin knows something about.
Claimed: 1 of 6
$1,000
Contributing Producer
Are you down for the cause? Be a contributing producer and not only will you be featured on a special title card in the film, you'll also get a BluRay of the film and an invite to our cast and crew screening in Oakland, CA.
Claimed: 0 of 3
$4,000
Executive Producer
Always wanted to be a big shot? Now you can be an executive producer on a film and have your own title card in the credits. Executive producer will also be invited to the cast and crew screening with a +1, receive a BluRay of the film and a copy of the shooting script.
Claimed: 0 of 1
- Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
THE FILMMAKERS
Kevin Duncan Wong - Writer / Director
Kevin D. Wong is a Bay Area-based director, editor, and producer. Following a stint at Lucasfilm’s ILM he ventured out into the world of freelance filmmaking where he writes, directs, edits and otherwise renders both fiction and nonfiction films. His short documentary, Home Is A Hotel won several awards including the Loni Ding award for social justice documentary and he was a 2016 BAVC National MediaMaker Fellow for the feature length version of that film. He has also written and directed narrative films including an adaptation of a Radiolab episode entitled Forgetting, and Be My Baby, a family drama that was featured on Comcast’s Pinoy TV. Wong’s feature screenplay Nellie was a 2nd round selection in the 2013 Sundance Screenwriters Lab.
Sean Gillane - Producer
From international murder-mystery to observational documentary, feminist sci-fi to absurdist trade war parable, Sean Gillane has sought out a unique collection of films as a producer and/or editor. GHOST BOX COWBOY (2018) premiered in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival and was a New York Times Critic Pick during its theatrical release. ADVANTAGEOUS (2015) took home a Jury Award from the Sundance Film Festival and was one of the first films ever to be purchased by Netflix at the festival. MAN FROM RENO (2014) earned the Best Narrative Feature Jury Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival and, like ADVANTAGEOUS the following year, went on to receive an Independent Spirit Awards nomination for the Cassavetes Award.
Vanessa Gentry - Producer
Vanessa is a producer for JUS SOLIS, RETURN SERVICE, I WISH YOU WOULD, and the music video for “Take the High Road,” which she also edited. She loves comics, cats, sci-fi, fantasy, monsters, whales, bright colors, and the sound of ice cubes clinking in a glass, although her cat hates it. She’d love to work with you, probably; and she’d love to talk with you over a beer about thrillers, horror, and Japanese experimental films from the 60s, definitely.
Ryland Walker Knight - Producer
Ryland is a writer and a filmmaker born and raised in Oakland, CA. He directed the short films HEADLANDS, Inside Voices, and Ghost comb and edits ads and feature documentaries, including the YouTube film, State of Pride, directed by Oscar winners Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. His new short film, I Wish You Would, is in post-production.
Seng Chen - Cinematographer
Seng Chen is a Singapore-born, Minnesota-raised, Chinese American cinematographer based in Oakland, California. He is particularly interested in questions of gender, resilient community building, and environmental justice. He was photo director at Hyphen magazine and has contributed camerawork to both documentary and fictional films including 9-Man (PBS America Reframed) and Advantageous (Sundance, Netflix). He is currently working on Home Is A Hotel, a feature-length documentary about residents of single room occupancy hotels in San Francisco, and is developing a feature screenplay about a climate scientist in exile.
Melanie Leandro - Production DesignerWith roots from Costa Rica, Melanie was raised in Miami, and moved to Brooklyn, NY to pursue a BFA in Film at Pratt Institute. After exploring various art mediums, she continued her education with a SFX degree at the Tom Savini Special Makeup Effects Program. She refines her personal style in various mixed mediums through the exploration of the natural world, societies and cultures. The idea of ritual and worship drives much of her aesthetic and allows her to feel more connected with her roots. Along with freelance fabrication and makeup effects for music videos, films and commercials; she also paints, draws, sculpts and designs. She has styled various sets in both commercial and feature settings.
Anna Rottke - EditorAnna was raised in the East County corner of San Diego on a steady diet of classic Hollywood and '80s New Wave. She has cut three indie feature films, along with a bevy of music videos, motion graphics and VFX pieces, commercial content, and just about anything else. She's currently based in Los Angeles and is a 700 IATSE assistant editor at Warner Brothers.
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