Much like any recipe on a mom's cooking blog, I'm here to provide loosely relevant backstory that no one asked for.

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO RECIPE

(JK… we’re not THAT tech savvy)

When I started at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in 2019, I was a bright-eyed girl from the suburbs of Pittsburgh who would proudly proclaim to anyone who would listen that Back to the Future made her fall in love with movies. I had grown up loving high-concept comedy and action films, and I dreamed of one day making something that could captivate an audience the way these kinds of movies captivated me as a kid.

I began to exchange hellos and pleasantries with my new cohort of filmmaking peers, and the first question out of anyone’s mouth was the obvious: What’s your favorite movie? I was mortified to find that each person I met had a more obscure and niche answer than the last. I learned to change my response to blend in (hello, imposter syndrome!) and spent the next four years catching up. When I graduated, a lot had changed, but one thing hadn’t:

I still really loved Back to the Future.

I learned not to be ashamed of my passion for films that are fun just for the sake of being fun. I knew I wanted to draw on my love for these types of movies as I embarked on my filmmaking career, all in my unique voice and style. Thus, a short film called Rocky Road was born…

Now, enough about me and more about what you’re all here for.

Henry doesn’t love his job at the ice cream truck that his grandpa, Al, owns. He does love weed, though, both consuming it and selling it in the form of “special” mint chocolate chip ice cream to his secret clientele of stoners. He’s managed to stay under the radar until…

One day, Henry realizes that Al has taken one of his special batches to cater a kid’s birthday party. Along with an unlikely ally, his straitlaced and vibe-killing teenage coworker, Jamie, he sets off on a race across town to stop Al from unknowingly serving weed to a bunch of kids.

Along the way, Henry and Jamie encounter parade road blocks, a vengeful lemonade stand proprietor, and an accomplice in a hot dog suit. It won’t be an easy journey for them- you could even say it will be a Rocky Road…

I’ll admit, I thought big when I wrote this script: kids, a parade, and best of all, ice cream truck stunts. We want to make this short film as wild and wacky as we can, but we’re going to need some help.

That’s where you come in!

Any contribution big or small will make a huge difference and directly help us make the film in the production and post-production phases.

STRETCH GOALS: If we're able to surpass our goal of $20,000, we're going to dedicate the extra money to go the extra mile in post-production with added elements such as an animated title sequence, a professional composer, and a live recording of the score.

We are currently in the midst of pre-production- building the dream team, securing an ice cream truck, and concocting the most rad recipe for this short film. We’ll be shooting over the course of three days in Los Angeles in June with plans to finish post-production and begin submitting to festivals in September.

Oh, us? We go way back. I met my producers, Maria Paula and Gabby, at USC's School of Cinematic Arts where we all studied Film and Television Production. We've collaborated on multiple projects together, and they have recently started their own production company, Odd One Out Films. I could not be more thrilled to join the Odd One Out slate and have them on board for Rocky Road!

Mikayla Davic is a writer and director born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her passion for the arts began in middle school when she founded an organization called Mik’s Wish. Through this endeavor, she wrote, directed, and produced five original musicals and raised $68,000 for Make-A-Wish from the proceeds.

Mikayla is a recent graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, where she has worked to cultivate her skills as a writer, director, and sound designer. She notably wrote a senior thesis film, Absit, a dramedy that centers around mental health and human connection. Her work often deals with mental health, family, and self-discovery through a comedic lens. Rocky Road is her directorial debut.

Maria Paula Quesada Quirós is a Costa Rican writer, director, and producer. Growing up in a tiny yet diverse country, with a big, close-knit family, she has drawn constant inspiration from her upbringing. Her approach to storytelling from an early age has been informed by vulnerability, humor, and empathy; aspects which continue to inform her work through a genre-bending approach.

A USC Film School Graduate, Maria Paula has produced award-winning short films, as well as music videos, and branded content in the US and Costa Rica. In 2024, Maria Paula has directed and edited content for the largest music festival in Central America, ‘Picnic Festival’, as well as directing, writing and acting in the comedy short film ‘Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday’.

Gabby Fiszman is a writer, director, and producer whose upbringing was just as eclectic as her storytelling. As a first-generation American raised by Brazilian immigrants across four different states, Gabby encountered a wide range of cultures, which instilled in her a deep sense of compassion and was crucial in her path to become a storyteller.

A graduate from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Gabby independently produces and directs narrative shorts, music videos, and more. Her project, Holy Smokes, was the recipient of the Kevin Smith Comedy Screenplay Award on American Zoetrope’s new platform, Decentralized Pictures, and she recently completed the proof-of-concept short, starring Mena Suvari, and Executive Produced by Kevin Smith.

Thank you so much for taking the time to learn more about us and Rocky Road! We are so grateful for your support and hope you consider helping us bring this sweet project to life. Donating isn't the only way to help- sharing spreads the word and lets more people know about Rocky Road. So let's all scream for ice cream!

Be sure to follow us @rockyroadthefilm on Instagram to find shareable content and stay updated!