Update:

We could not be happier with our lead cast of Larson, Meghen, and Matthew. They are all incredible actors with amazing chemistry who understand and relate to this story. Their portrayals of the characters, even in auditions, gave our team a newfound appreciation for the story that we're telling!

Letting Go of Jack is a classic desert road trip film that explores the journey of processing grief.

Our main character, Brandon, is physically avoiding his grief by driving hundreds of miles through the desert from Southern California to Colorado to catch a meteor shower. However, that's not an easy tasking when you're driving "Jack" an old Ford Bronco that has a lot of quirks, like overheating CONSTANTLY. When Jack runs out of gas in the middle of nowhere, a young artist named Amber agrees to help if she can get a ride out of her small town. They later pick up Hughie, a Mormon missionary leaving halfway through his mission term to see his dying father. All three are processing their own forms of pain, regret, and heartbreak, and since Jack only goes 45 mph, there's plenty of time to talk about it all.

However, this film doesn’t focus on the pain each character feels; but on how three strangers help each other look towards the freedom of life after grief.

Our Purpose - a note from the Director

"This story comes from a personal place. When my grandmother died, I was away from home, and couldn’t make it back until the funeral. Even then, surrounded by family, I found myself unable to grieve. Eventually, I found that by talking with my sisters and my parents, who were also experiencing grief, I was finally able to process my own. This experience bled into my storytelling and became the underlying theme of the film. I know that with all the events of the last few years, people have experienced incredible amounts of grief, and I know many who are unable to move through it. We’re making this film in the hopes that it’s not only a great story, but that it can become a stepping-off point for people to see the light at the end of the tunnel."

-Andrew Koltuniuk

Writer / Director

Our Inspiration

There are a lot of films that say nothing, but life's too short to make one of those! We are inspired by indie films that cut to the main character’s core and let us know them personally, like Lady Bird, The Spectacular Now, and Peanut Butter Falcon. We're emulating how these films stray away from a "good guy vs. bad guy" narrative, and focus instead on a persons's struggle of deciding how they want to live their life.

This film literally puts you in the passenger seat on Brandon, Amber, and Hughie's journey of self-discovery, learning more about them through what brings them to a stop (in many cases, literally). We are compelled to give a realistic look at the emotions that come from holding onto huge amounts of pain and grief. This means working with actors to create performances that sound to an audience member as if they were from a close friend confiding in them. In doing so, we are able to give this heavy topic the weight it is due.

Our Credentials

You've probably never heard of The Guild, so let us introduce ourselves! When graduating from film school in the middle of Covid, we were put at a disadvantage; Hollywood was shut down, and the normal path into the film industry was closed. Instead of waiting until the world returned to normal, we decided to start our own studio to tell our stories ourselves. This is even more important now, as the fight for fair pay, creative control, and original storytelling heats up between creatives and businesses. Our goal is to be an example of how independent film studios are able to create stories that are visually beautiful and emotionally compelling while still respecting the rights and dignity of every person on set and behind the scenes.

We are proud to say we're already putting our goal into practice! Guild co-founder Joe Kusic's short film Kaiketsu is a western/Samurai story about peace and revenge, shot by Letting Go of Jack Director Andrew Koltuniuk. We were honored to have this film receive 18 laurels worldwide, including in London, Paris, and Rome! Click here to watch the film!

Speaking of Andrew, he's had the rare opportunity over the past 5 years to work on three feature films and over 150 short films. Having directed twelve of those short films, we're excited for him to direct our first feature film! We also have on our team an experienced Hollywood Cinematographer, Assistant Director, and Business Producer to make this a holistic powerhouse!

Our Financial Plan

We have already raised $65,000, and your participation in this film will help us finish funding production and post-production. Your pledge will be used in one of the following ways:

Respect for Cast and Crew

Unlike many first-time films, we are not deferring costs (waiting to pay cast and crew only if the movie is successful) and will be directly paying a fair wage to our amazing cast and crew, with our core team’s payments coming last. Additionally, we will also be providing respectful accommodations, such as lodging and food.

Production Value

We will be ensuring that the quality of our completed work rivals that of major Hollywood productions. To do so, we will be securing state-of-the-art gear and beautiful locations, as well as the work of accomplished professionals.

Safety and Security

We're working with moving vehicles, and want to ensure that every day on set is as safe as we can make it. These funds will provide above-average film insurance, on-set safety precautions, and an emergency fund.

However, if your participation exceeds our goal, here's what we'll be able to do:

$47,000 - Increased Festival Circuit

At this level, we'd be able to submit to more film festivals, getting Letting Go of Jack in front of more audiences and increase the chance of a distribution deal!

$50,000 - Upgraded Sound

Hitting this milestone would allow us to secure the services of an advanced sound mixer who would remix the film's audio for theatrical audiences!

$55,500 - This Film Has Now Been Rated

At this milestone, we'd receive a rating from the Motion Picture Association, giving the film more credibility as a feature film and the ability to distribute it more widely!

$100,000 - National Theatrical Event

Wouldn't it be incredible if we could do a one night only showing of Letting Go of Jack in theaters across the country? But there's no way that many people give to the project....or is there?

What happens after?

Our goal is to use the potential success of this film as a way to grow our studio and continue telling powerful stories! As such, your gift is not merely for this film, but an investment into us and our Studio.

If you connect with our mission and are looking to participate in a major way, we invite you to join us as an Investor! Click here to watch Producer Connor McLaughlin breakdown our business plan for the film and what investing means for you!

Spread the Word!

If you connect with the story but can’t contribute directly, you can still help us! Please share about the project and help expand our reach, and follow us online to not miss out on the final product. Also, be sure to follow our campaign on Seed and Spark, as it will open us up for additional rewards from the platform!

theguildfilms.com

Instagram: @theguildfilms