Solstice Ranch
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, Romance
Solstice Ranch is a coming of age story that takes place over 48 hours. It follows four friends who find themselves committed to a whimsical yet eye-opening retreat. Set in the late 1990s, this lighthearted film tests the boundaries of friendships, relationships and family.
Solstice Ranch
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, Romance
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $12,230 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
150 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Solstice Ranch is a coming of age story that takes place over 48 hours. It follows four friends who find themselves committed to a whimsical yet eye-opening retreat. Set in the late 1990s, this lighthearted film tests the boundaries of friendships, relationships and family.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Solstice Ranch is coming of age story that takes place over 48 hours. It follows four friends who find themselves committed to a whimsical yet eye-opening retreat. Set in the late 1990s, this lighthearted film tests the boundaries of friendships, relationships and family. It’s basically Now and Then meets Can’t Hardly wait meets Wet Hot American summer.
The comedy is huge, the love is ferocious, and the friendship is loyal. As an audience, you get to immerse yourself in the lives of these four individuals and feel the nitty gritty, intensity of being a 20 something year old dealing with love, heartbreak, and a lot of the time, unnecessary drama.
Being in their mid twenties, our writers, Savannah and Katie, know all of these feelings all too well. They're familiar with heartbreak. They know how insecurities in yourself really can effect your every day actions. They wanted to share with viewers that even with these tough every day emotions, in the end it will always be okay if you’re surrounded by the right people.
MEET THE CAST
Mike is played by the unforgettable Matt Shively! He is best known, currently, for starring as Jimmy Oniel in ABC’S The Real Oniels. He is previously well known for his role as Ryan Laserbeam on Nickelodeon's television series True Jackson, VP. Shively's other television credits include Nickelodeon's The Troop and Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures, MTV's Teen Wolf, C.S.I., Disney’s Jessie and How to Build a Better Boy, ABC's Last Man Standing, and NBC’s Aquarious. Shively starred in the feature Paranormal Activity 4. We are thrilled to have this incredibly busy actor, and one of our very best friends as a member of this cast.
Ryan Pinkston will be playing the ever spiritual, always hilarious Evan. You may recently know Pinkston from Leading TBS’s Clipped, as well as his memorable characters on MTV’s Mary + Jane, and Freeform’s Young and Hungry. He is arguably most memorable, however, for his hysterical pranks on unknowing celebrities in the first season of Ashton Kutcher’s MTV Punk’d. Other television credits include CBS’s Veronica Mars and How I Met Your Mother, Disney’s Hannah Montana, and leading Cartoon Network’s live action series Tower Prep. Some of the films he has starred in have been Spy Kids 3D, Bad Santa, Soul Plane, and Undrafted alongside our film’s producer, David Del Rio. Pinkston has been a close friend of the cast and crew for a very long time and we are so grateful to have him aboard!
Essence Atkins will portray the beautiful barefoot bohemian owner of Solstice Ranch, Lola Solstice. Essence has been a power house in the industry since the 90s. She starred as Yvette Henderson in the beloved WB sitcom Smart Guy, starred as Dee Dee Thorne UPN’s Half & Half, and TBS’ comedy series Are We There Yet?, starring opposite Terry Crews. She also has had a ton of film success, including roles in films How High, Deliver Us from Eva opposite Gabrielle Union, and Dance Flick. Atkins later starred alongside Marlon Wayans in the parody films A Haunted House and A Haunted House 2. In 2016, she was cast opposite Wayans again in his NBC sitcom Marlon. We are absolutely ecstatic to welcome this seasoned talent to our film!
Katie Wallace will be playing the bitter, cynical character of Kristy. You may best know Katie recently from Fox’s Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life. Other television credits include MTV’s Awkward, NBC’s Are You There Chelsea?, Nickelodean’s Big Time Rush, and alongside our very own Matt Shively in Blue & Green. She will be shooting the thriler Sick For Toys this January. Katie studied acting at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts at The Lee Starberg Theater and Film studio. She won the award of “Best Performance” from Alec Baldwin for her role in Break at the Tisch 48 Film Festival. We are so excited to watch Katie take on this new role not only as an actress, but as writer and producer!
Savannah Mills will be playing Stephanie, our optimistic beauty who is in love with love. Savannah grew up in LA and has been acting in school and community theater plays since elementary school. She started taking classes in high school and now studies at Warner Loughlin Studios. She's been in a number of shorts and web series and currently has her own youtube channel. She even writes her very own fashion column for AwesomenessTV! Savannah is an incredibly hard worker who has transitioned from actress to writer/producer seamlessly. We are thrilled to watch her work on and off screen in this project!!
A modern-day Ella Fitzgerald seems a notion too good to be true. But anyone who's been lucky enough to find themselves within an earshot of Dana Williams can confirm the comparison is bona fide. Her versatility and ever broadening appeal can be found, not only: in her collaborations with Leighton Meester, but also in the oscar winning film Whiplash by Damien Chazelle, where her song 'Keep Me Waiting' is heard in the soundtrack, and also starring in the Holiday Apple Ad. Williams made it to the top 4 on ABC's Rising Star. In addition, further proof can also be found on her YouTube channel, where Williams has garnered thousands of views offering soulful takes on popular songs. Having given fans a teasing taste in 2013 with her debut single, ironically titled, 'Keep Me Waiting', Williams finally released her 5-track 'The Lonely One EP' in March 2014 followed by her sophomore EP which was released in December 2015 entitled 'Let's Fall'. We cannot wait for you to watch this astounding voice perform her original music in this film!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production
Costs $7,200
The money raised for production will go to our hard working cast & crew, equipment, and meals.
Film Festivals
Costs $2,500
Let's be real... film festivals are PRICEY. But with your help we'll be able to take Solstice Ranch to Film Festivals around the world
Wardrobe, Hair & Makeup
Costs $750
We want to make sure everything in this film properly represents the 90s - your donation will ensure that it does!
Share this update!
About This Team
Katie Wallace & Savannah Mills
The creators of Solstice Ranch
Katie Wallace and Savannah Mills are 2 best friends who absolutely love everything about acting and film. Savannah, one of the few who was actually born and raised in LA, has a strong talent and passion for acting, but has hit roadblocks every step of the way. Katie studied acting at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and worked as a theatre actress in New York City. Since moving to LA, she has worked in TV, film, and commercials, but has recently felt the need to take more control of her career as an artist. Thanks to Savannah’s push, these 2 decided to create work of their own. This is their first writing venture and they had a blast writing this script together and creating these fleshed out characters. These ladies have gathered a team of incredible actors, producers, and film makers and are SO excited to welcome you all to Solstice Ranch!
David Del Rio
Producer
David Del Rio comes to us from Broadway; he starred in Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights! Since moving to Los Angeles, you may have also seen him in Nickelodean's The Troop, Disney's Geek Charming, Pitch Perfect, Spare Parts (alongside Marissa Tomei and Jamie Lee Curtis), or Fox's Emmy Winning Grease: Live! David also directed the film A Second Opinion that won runner up at the Cannes Film Festival. Not to mention he is in Jame Gunn's thriller The Belko Experiment, coming out in 2017, set to direct a horror film in January of 2017, and the reel production company he founded. We’re so lucky to have his talent on our side!
Alyssa Tabit
Producer
Alyssa Tabit is a successful entrepreneur who wears many different hats, and we are thrilled for her to bring her business savvy talents to our Solstice Ranch family. Not only does she run a global anti-aging business that just brought her to Australia for two months, but she has recently partnered with a technology company in the wearable health space. She is also currently working on her memoir after surviving a nearly fatal car accident two years ago. This lovely lady stands for everything that is inspirational and we are so excited to have her positive energy onboard this project!
Christianna Carmine
Director
Born and raised in New York, our beautiful director, Christianna Carmine, had spent much of her early life as a stage actor, with a strong interest in the human condition. As she began to amass a body of stage and screen credits, her facisination with human nature continued to grow, influencing her work asa performer, and leading her to study psychology at the graduate level. After completing her Masters’ Degree in Psychology with a focus on criminal sociopathy, Carmine continued to pursue a career in film. While working professionals on network television shows and feature films as an actor, Christianna’s attention became drawn towards the art of filmmaking. In 2011, she wrote and directed her first short, To Live and Try in LA, shot on 16mm.
Shortly thereafter, Christianna wrote, directed and produced her second short film, Darryl which premiered at the GI Film Festival in 2016 and has had additional screenings at several other film festivals to date, winning awards for Best Female Director and Best International Drama. Christianna continues to create original content with a focus on socially culturally relevant themes and subject matter.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Solstice Ranch is coming of age story that takes place over 48 hours. It follows four friends who find themselves committed to a whimsical yet eye-opening retreat. Set in the late 1990s, this lighthearted film tests the boundaries of friendships, relationships and family. It’s basically Now and Then meets Can’t Hardly wait meets Wet Hot American summer.
The comedy is huge, the love is ferocious, and the friendship is loyal. As an audience, you get to immerse yourself in the lives of these four individuals and feel the nitty gritty, intensity of being a 20 something year old dealing with love, heartbreak, and a lot of the time, unnecessary drama.
Being in their mid twenties, our writers, Savannah and Katie, know all of these feelings all too well. They're familiar with heartbreak. They know how insecurities in yourself really can effect your every day actions. They wanted to share with viewers that even with these tough every day emotions, in the end it will always be okay if you’re surrounded by the right people.
MEET THE CAST
Mike is played by the unforgettable Matt Shively! He is best known, currently, for starring as Jimmy Oniel in ABC’S The Real Oniels. He is previously well known for his role as Ryan Laserbeam on Nickelodeon's television series True Jackson, VP. Shively's other television credits include Nickelodeon's The Troop and Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures, MTV's Teen Wolf, C.S.I., Disney’s Jessie and How to Build a Better Boy, ABC's Last Man Standing, and NBC’s Aquarious. Shively starred in the feature Paranormal Activity 4. We are thrilled to have this incredibly busy actor, and one of our very best friends as a member of this cast.
Ryan Pinkston will be playing the ever spiritual, always hilarious Evan. You may recently know Pinkston from Leading TBS’s Clipped, as well as his memorable characters on MTV’s Mary + Jane, and Freeform’s Young and Hungry. He is arguably most memorable, however, for his hysterical pranks on unknowing celebrities in the first season of Ashton Kutcher’s MTV Punk’d. Other television credits include CBS’s Veronica Mars and How I Met Your Mother, Disney’s Hannah Montana, and leading Cartoon Network’s live action series Tower Prep. Some of the films he has starred in have been Spy Kids 3D, Bad Santa, Soul Plane, and Undrafted alongside our film’s producer, David Del Rio. Pinkston has been a close friend of the cast and crew for a very long time and we are so grateful to have him aboard!
Essence Atkins will portray the beautiful barefoot bohemian owner of Solstice Ranch, Lola Solstice. Essence has been a power house in the industry since the 90s. She starred as Yvette Henderson in the beloved WB sitcom Smart Guy, starred as Dee Dee Thorne UPN’s Half & Half, and TBS’ comedy series Are We There Yet?, starring opposite Terry Crews. She also has had a ton of film success, including roles in films How High, Deliver Us from Eva opposite Gabrielle Union, and Dance Flick. Atkins later starred alongside Marlon Wayans in the parody films A Haunted House and A Haunted House 2. In 2016, she was cast opposite Wayans again in his NBC sitcom Marlon. We are absolutely ecstatic to welcome this seasoned talent to our film!
Katie Wallace will be playing the bitter, cynical character of Kristy. You may best know Katie recently from Fox’s Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life. Other television credits include MTV’s Awkward, NBC’s Are You There Chelsea?, Nickelodean’s Big Time Rush, and alongside our very own Matt Shively in Blue & Green. She will be shooting the thriler Sick For Toys this January. Katie studied acting at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts at The Lee Starberg Theater and Film studio. She won the award of “Best Performance” from Alec Baldwin for her role in Break at the Tisch 48 Film Festival. We are so excited to watch Katie take on this new role not only as an actress, but as writer and producer!
Savannah Mills will be playing Stephanie, our optimistic beauty who is in love with love. Savannah grew up in LA and has been acting in school and community theater plays since elementary school. She started taking classes in high school and now studies at Warner Loughlin Studios. She's been in a number of shorts and web series and currently has her own youtube channel. She even writes her very own fashion column for AwesomenessTV! Savannah is an incredibly hard worker who has transitioned from actress to writer/producer seamlessly. We are thrilled to watch her work on and off screen in this project!!
A modern-day Ella Fitzgerald seems a notion too good to be true. But anyone who's been lucky enough to find themselves within an earshot of Dana Williams can confirm the comparison is bona fide. Her versatility and ever broadening appeal can be found, not only: in her collaborations with Leighton Meester, but also in the oscar winning film Whiplash by Damien Chazelle, where her song 'Keep Me Waiting' is heard in the soundtrack, and also starring in the Holiday Apple Ad. Williams made it to the top 4 on ABC's Rising Star. In addition, further proof can also be found on her YouTube channel, where Williams has garnered thousands of views offering soulful takes on popular songs. Having given fans a teasing taste in 2013 with her debut single, ironically titled, 'Keep Me Waiting', Williams finally released her 5-track 'The Lonely One EP' in March 2014 followed by her sophomore EP which was released in December 2015 entitled 'Let's Fall'. We cannot wait for you to watch this astounding voice perform her original music in this film!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production
Costs $7,200
The money raised for production will go to our hard working cast & crew, equipment, and meals.
Film Festivals
Costs $2,500
Let's be real... film festivals are PRICEY. But with your help we'll be able to take Solstice Ranch to Film Festivals around the world
Wardrobe, Hair & Makeup
Costs $750
We want to make sure everything in this film properly represents the 90s - your donation will ensure that it does!
Share this update!
About This Team
Katie Wallace & Savannah Mills
The creators of Solstice Ranch
Katie Wallace and Savannah Mills are 2 best friends who absolutely love everything about acting and film. Savannah, one of the few who was actually born and raised in LA, has a strong talent and passion for acting, but has hit roadblocks every step of the way. Katie studied acting at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and worked as a theatre actress in New York City. Since moving to LA, she has worked in TV, film, and commercials, but has recently felt the need to take more control of her career as an artist. Thanks to Savannah’s push, these 2 decided to create work of their own. This is their first writing venture and they had a blast writing this script together and creating these fleshed out characters. These ladies have gathered a team of incredible actors, producers, and film makers and are SO excited to welcome you all to Solstice Ranch!
David Del Rio
Producer
David Del Rio comes to us from Broadway; he starred in Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights! Since moving to Los Angeles, you may have also seen him in Nickelodean's The Troop, Disney's Geek Charming, Pitch Perfect, Spare Parts (alongside Marissa Tomei and Jamie Lee Curtis), or Fox's Emmy Winning Grease: Live! David also directed the film A Second Opinion that won runner up at the Cannes Film Festival. Not to mention he is in Jame Gunn's thriller The Belko Experiment, coming out in 2017, set to direct a horror film in January of 2017, and the reel production company he founded. We’re so lucky to have his talent on our side!
Alyssa Tabit
Producer
Alyssa Tabit is a successful entrepreneur who wears many different hats, and we are thrilled for her to bring her business savvy talents to our Solstice Ranch family. Not only does she run a global anti-aging business that just brought her to Australia for two months, but she has recently partnered with a technology company in the wearable health space. She is also currently working on her memoir after surviving a nearly fatal car accident two years ago. This lovely lady stands for everything that is inspirational and we are so excited to have her positive energy onboard this project!
Christianna Carmine
Director
Born and raised in New York, our beautiful director, Christianna Carmine, had spent much of her early life as a stage actor, with a strong interest in the human condition. As she began to amass a body of stage and screen credits, her facisination with human nature continued to grow, influencing her work asa performer, and leading her to study psychology at the graduate level. After completing her Masters’ Degree in Psychology with a focus on criminal sociopathy, Carmine continued to pursue a career in film. While working professionals on network television shows and feature films as an actor, Christianna’s attention became drawn towards the art of filmmaking. In 2011, she wrote and directed her first short, To Live and Try in LA, shot on 16mm.
Shortly thereafter, Christianna wrote, directed and produced her second short film, Darryl which premiered at the GI Film Festival in 2016 and has had additional screenings at several other film festivals to date, winning awards for Best Female Director and Best International Drama. Christianna continues to create original content with a focus on socially culturally relevant themes and subject matter.