Timeless
Austin, Texas | Film Short
Sci-Fi, Drama
How is one supposed to have blind faith in a system that was built to destroy them? When C.J learns that he's no longer able to pay for his grandma’s treatment, he hatches a dangerous plan to go back in time to undo the tragic event that set his family down a path of generational poverty.
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$12,577
Goal: $20,000 for production
How is one supposed to have blind faith in a system that was built to destroy them? When C.J learns that he's no longer able to pay for his grandma’s treatment, he hatches a dangerous plan to go back in time to undo the tragic event that set his family down a path of generational poverty.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
TIMELESS is a science fiction dramedy that blends the tropes of a time traveling spectacle with a mesmerizing space odyssey – and a dash of a revenge film. This film borrows experimental techniques to craft a mind-bending narrative that maintains a strong throughline of love and hate.
The story follows CJ, a 20-somethings physics prodigy, who has been confined to a life of poverty from a lack of generational wealth. He’s stoic, spiteful, and impulsive. Sandra, his grandmother is dying of a terminal illness, he can’t pay his bills, and he lives life suppressing a ferocious rage within him. When he learns that he will no longer be able to pay for his Grandmother’s treatment, he hatches a dangerous plan to go back in time with stolen technology to undo the tragic event that set his family down a path of generational poverty. However, C.J.’s rage gets the better of him. His actions lead to the destruction of his machine, sending him on a journey phasing through space and time. This horrific experience causes him to release his desire for a world he thought he was owed. Instead, he chooses to use his machine to completely shred the space/time continuum - setting him and his family free from a lifetime of suffering.
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This is a film born out of love and hate. My love for my family along with my hatred for the world that has mutilated them are in constant conversation with one another.
Rage is a driving force of the narrative. I wanted to give the audience a glimpse into how the black man’s built up rage can lead to their own suffocation if left untreated. As black people, we are constantly fighting a battle of respectability and combatting false narratives about our bodies, education, and civility. This draining fight could make anyone go insane, and I strive to captivate our audience by bringing them on a journey to empathize with someone’s descent into their own madness.
The science fiction aspect of this film speaks to the wonder of the Black experience. It’s beautiful, yet complex. I’d even go as far to say that it’s a spectacle...and at times...a horrific one.
— Xavier Ingram, Director
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We are in the development phase of our project: reaching out to key crew and securing financiers. A comprehensive review of total funding will determine if the project can be greenlit or if the funding period needs to be extended. Should projections align, pre-production will then commence at full capacity, aiming to finalize all essential elements, including cast, crew, locations, and stunts. Principal photography will begin in Austin, TX early next year with post-production anticipated to conclude by summer, enabling submissions to film festivals to commence shortly after. The film festival circuit is projected to span approximately one year to ensure premieres at target festivals.
Comps: “Back to the Future” mixed with “Interstellar” and “Django: Unchained.”
The visual language of this film is all about deviating from the expected while paying homage to what’s come before. The visuals and tone call back to classic science fiction adventure films – but it’s shot more like a horror flick. Many of the scenes are illustrated with high contrast and darker tones to simulate a more disturbing and mysterious world. This makes the inclusion of boldly saturated colors, such as extremely warm tones, more impactful and in line with the narrative structure of the short.
Our protagonist, C.J., lives in a world surrounded by high contrasting cool tones. However, as his rage builds and builds, more warm tones begin to leak until they bleed into the frame as a ferocious red. Story comes first, and everything that graces the eyes of the audience will be in service of immersing them into a complex world through the perspective of our relatable yet extremely flawed protagonist.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Equipment
Costs $6,000
These funds will help cover renting equipment such as: cameras, lenses, lighting, and sound equipment as well as a truck for transportation.
Production Expenses
Costs $2,300
Production expenses would include insurance, transportation, permits, etc.
Art Expenses
Costs $3,300
This would help our art department acquire period accurate resources and help pay for production design, wardrobe, and hair and makeup.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Xavier Ingram is an award-winning writer and director from Texas. In just his first year of working in Los Angeles, he gained representation that has allowed him to meet with executives at some of Hollywood’s top players, such as Paramount, CBS, Sony, Amblin, and more.
He is known for creating comedic genre films that incorporate timely social commentary. He aims to bring authentic stories of the Black American experience to the forefront of his work. His short film, There’s a Klansman in the Trunk—winner of the Texas Short Film Award at the 2024 Austin Film Festival—encapsulates the creative boundaries he’s willing to push to confront audiences with the truth. His recent Spider-Man fan film based on Miles Morales also garnered a large following, crossing over a third of a million views on YouTube that same year.
His love for his community shines through in his work as a founding member of Texas Black Lens, an organization centered on mentoring Black student filmmakers at the University of Texas at Austin. Ingram currently works in Los Angeles and is represented by Yak Yak Management.
The Timeless producing team is comprised of Marlon Rubio Smith and Avery Gann, founders of MXR Films LLC and Velle Pictures respectively. This duo has produced and directed award-winning short films featuring under-represented perspectives ranging from the Latinx experience to disability justice.
Their most recent notable collaboration with Xavier was a half hour action film detailing the high school life of Miles Morales’s spider-man, a film dubbed The Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) that has garnered over 400k views worldwide.
They each have multiple shorts currently in development through their production companies and are thrilled to be embarking on the new film endeavor of Timeless.
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Josh Bowlin is an Austin-based filmmaker and cinematographer with a diverse portfolio spanning indie short films, network television, and commercial work. His credits include projects for major brands and platforms such as Netflix, Lifetime, and Coca-Cola.
Timeless marks his third collaboration with writer/director Xavier Ingram. Their previous film, There’s A Klansman In The Trunk, won Best Texas Short Film in Texas at the Austin Film Festival. As a director of photography, Josh is deeply story-driven and shares, “I’ve never been more excited to DP a project than this one.”
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
TIMELESS is a science fiction dramedy that blends the tropes of a time traveling spectacle with a mesmerizing space odyssey – and a dash of a revenge film. This film borrows experimental techniques to craft a mind-bending narrative that maintains a strong throughline of love and hate.
The story follows CJ, a 20-somethings physics prodigy, who has been confined to a life of poverty from a lack of generational wealth. He’s stoic, spiteful, and impulsive. Sandra, his grandmother is dying of a terminal illness, he can’t pay his bills, and he lives life suppressing a ferocious rage within him. When he learns that he will no longer be able to pay for his Grandmother’s treatment, he hatches a dangerous plan to go back in time with stolen technology to undo the tragic event that set his family down a path of generational poverty. However, C.J.’s rage gets the better of him. His actions lead to the destruction of his machine, sending him on a journey phasing through space and time. This horrific experience causes him to release his desire for a world he thought he was owed. Instead, he chooses to use his machine to completely shred the space/time continuum - setting him and his family free from a lifetime of suffering.
This is a film born out of love and hate. My love for my family along with my hatred for the world that has mutilated them are in constant conversation with one another.
Rage is a driving force of the narrative. I wanted to give the audience a glimpse into how the black man’s built up rage can lead to their own suffocation if left untreated. As black people, we are constantly fighting a battle of respectability and combatting false narratives about our bodies, education, and civility. This draining fight could make anyone go insane, and I strive to captivate our audience by bringing them on a journey to empathize with someone’s descent into their own madness.
The science fiction aspect of this film speaks to the wonder of the Black experience. It’s beautiful, yet complex. I’d even go as far to say that it’s a spectacle...and at times...a horrific one.
— Xavier Ingram, Director
We are in the development phase of our project: reaching out to key crew and securing financiers. A comprehensive review of total funding will determine if the project can be greenlit or if the funding period needs to be extended. Should projections align, pre-production will then commence at full capacity, aiming to finalize all essential elements, including cast, crew, locations, and stunts. Principal photography will begin in Austin, TX early next year with post-production anticipated to conclude by summer, enabling submissions to film festivals to commence shortly after. The film festival circuit is projected to span approximately one year to ensure premieres at target festivals.
Comps: “Back to the Future” mixed with “Interstellar” and “Django: Unchained.”
The visual language of this film is all about deviating from the expected while paying homage to what’s come before. The visuals and tone call back to classic science fiction adventure films – but it’s shot more like a horror flick. Many of the scenes are illustrated with high contrast and darker tones to simulate a more disturbing and mysterious world. This makes the inclusion of boldly saturated colors, such as extremely warm tones, more impactful and in line with the narrative structure of the short.
Our protagonist, C.J., lives in a world surrounded by high contrasting cool tones. However, as his rage builds and builds, more warm tones begin to leak until they bleed into the frame as a ferocious red. Story comes first, and everything that graces the eyes of the audience will be in service of immersing them into a complex world through the perspective of our relatable yet extremely flawed protagonist.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Equipment
Costs $6,000
These funds will help cover renting equipment such as: cameras, lenses, lighting, and sound equipment as well as a truck for transportation.
Production Expenses
Costs $2,300
Production expenses would include insurance, transportation, permits, etc.
Art Expenses
Costs $3,300
This would help our art department acquire period accurate resources and help pay for production design, wardrobe, and hair and makeup.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Xavier Ingram is an award-winning writer and director from Texas. In just his first year of working in Los Angeles, he gained representation that has allowed him to meet with executives at some of Hollywood’s top players, such as Paramount, CBS, Sony, Amblin, and more.
He is known for creating comedic genre films that incorporate timely social commentary. He aims to bring authentic stories of the Black American experience to the forefront of his work. His short film, There’s a Klansman in the Trunk—winner of the Texas Short Film Award at the 2024 Austin Film Festival—encapsulates the creative boundaries he’s willing to push to confront audiences with the truth. His recent Spider-Man fan film based on Miles Morales also garnered a large following, crossing over a third of a million views on YouTube that same year.
His love for his community shines through in his work as a founding member of Texas Black Lens, an organization centered on mentoring Black student filmmakers at the University of Texas at Austin. Ingram currently works in Los Angeles and is represented by Yak Yak Management.
The Timeless producing team is comprised of Marlon Rubio Smith and Avery Gann, founders of MXR Films LLC and Velle Pictures respectively. This duo has produced and directed award-winning short films featuring under-represented perspectives ranging from the Latinx experience to disability justice.
Their most recent notable collaboration with Xavier was a half hour action film detailing the high school life of Miles Morales’s spider-man, a film dubbed The Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) that has garnered over 400k views worldwide.
They each have multiple shorts currently in development through their production companies and are thrilled to be embarking on the new film endeavor of Timeless.
Josh Bowlin is an Austin-based filmmaker and cinematographer with a diverse portfolio spanning indie short films, network television, and commercial work. His credits include projects for major brands and platforms such as Netflix, Lifetime, and Coca-Cola.
Timeless marks his third collaboration with writer/director Xavier Ingram. Their previous film, There’s A Klansman In The Trunk, won Best Texas Short Film in Texas at the Austin Film Festival. As a director of photography, Josh is deeply story-driven and shares, “I’ve never been more excited to DP a project than this one.”