• Independent Feature Film Project

About

Synopsis

22 Fillmore is a dramatic – fantasy, that chronicles the life of Jeff, a desperate drug addict, gripped in a downward spiral and haunted by images of his abusive Dad. After being served with an eviction notice, losing his job, being physically abused, and shot in a drug deal gone bad – Jeff ends up in the hospital.

After the police arrive, Jeff flees and overdoses on the “22 Fillmore” – a rough, inner-city San Francisco bus line. His world is turned upside down when he enters a trippy, alternate reality and three people from his real life turn into enlightened “guides”. They whiz back and forth in time, to allow Jeff to witness his past with a fresh perspective.

Jeff is faced with two possible futures and must finally confront his Dad, his past, and his own mortality – all in a climactic crash. Will he be able to embrace these new lessons and find hope for his life?

22 Fillmore is a moral tale that expresses hope for the individual and humanity. With startling power and beauty, it graphically explores the themes of addiction, abuse, despair and recovery. Lessons touch on taking responsibility for one’s life to remove harmful patterns and embrace the true self.

Visualize a modern, but gritty mash-up of of “A Christmas Carol” and “The Wizard of Oz” – on crack!

Where We’re At

22 Fillmore is currently in development with Buffalo 8 Productions – a full service media company, focused in production, post production, management, finance, based in Santa Monica, California with films premiering and awarded at Sundance, Berlin, Toronto, and SXSW.

Where We’re Going

When we finish our financial & casting efforts for the production budget, our goal is to be into production this coming year. Before and during production, we will work with our team to secure potential distributors and plan for our film festival premieres. Keep a close watch on our website and social media networks for progress on when 22 Fillmore will be brought to a screen near you!

“One of the narrative’s most commendable achievements is a sense of authenticity that adds depth and gravity to the events.”

Slated ProfessionalScript Reader

Visuals

22 Fillmore Pitch Video

22 Fillmore Storyboard Trailer

22 Fillmore Bus Logo

Image of 22 Fillmore that encapsulates the whole story, in one dynamic visual.

Quick Descriptor

A simple phrase, which clearly describes 22 Fillmore in one sentence.

Tagline

22 Fillmore’s tagline is precise, bold, and reflects the three acts of the story structure and arc.

Location

Writer/Director, Paul Oja introduces the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and her timeless city, San Francisco, where Jeff, the main character lives.

Storyboard

22 Fillmore has storyboarded the entire project, which includes 1,296 individual boards and over 1000 camera set-ups! Here is the storyboard for our opening shot of the movie

Character Concepts

Jeff, the protagonist and main character of 22 Fillmore meets three people from his real life – Angie, a drug counselor, Diego, an emergency room nurse, and Chinese Man, a liquor store clerk. They all morph into enlightened characters in act two. This image portrays their personas on the bus in the fantasy world.

22 Fillmore Interview of Paul Oja

The social media team of 22 Fillmore interviews the Writer-Director, Paul Oja to ask about the inspiration behind the story and more.

Follow Up Interview of Paul Oja

The social media team interviews Writer-Director, Paul Oja to learn more about the detailed inspirations, characters, story plot points, and more.

“…An overwhelmingly gritty, tragic series of events is offset by a strong tone of genuine, realistic emotion.”

Slated ProfessionalScript Reader

Team

Matthew Helderman

Executive Producer

Matthew Helderman founded Buffalo 8 Productions in 2012, as a feature film & commercial production company growing to deliver projects to clients such as, Sony and Lionsgate. Buffalo 8 Productions has built a library of content – touting 4 premieres at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival – a roster of commercial directors, a talent management division, and a full post-production facility.

In 2013, Helderman co-founded Bondit to solve the multitude of financing difficulties found in the entertainment & media business. By 2016 Bondit had participated in the financing of over 150 media projects. Helderman graduated with a B.A. in Philosophy with a minor in English from Lake Forest College. Helderman has been a featured speaker at the Cannes, London, and Bahamas Film Festivals, as well as guest speaker at the Chinese US Business Summit.

Jon Keeyes

Producer

Jon Keeyes began his movie career as an entertainment journalist. During this first phase of his career, he published over three hundred movie-related articles and interviews, and edited two books on the history of horror films.

Jon then moved into feature film production as a successful producer, director, and screenwriter. Among his producing credits are American Nightmare, Suburban Nightmare, Hallow’s End, Odd Man Out, Nightmare Box, Living & Dying and Fall Down Dead. Of the later two, Living & Dying was released to the European theatrical market through Warner Bros. and domestically by HBO Video. Fall Down Dead also had an international theatrical release through Warner Bros., a U.S. limited theatrical release, and a television release via Lionsgate. As a Line Producer, Jon’s credits include King Cobra starring James Franco and Christian Slater, Jack Goes Home starring Rory Culkin, Lin Shaye, Nikki Reed and Britt Robertson, My First Miracle, starring Sean Patrick Flannery, Ten starring China McClain, and most recently Pretenders, starring Jane Levy, Jack Kilmer, Juno Temple and Brian Cox, and directed by James Franco, and Shotgun starring Maika Monroe, Jeremy Allen White and Gina Gershon.

Jon is an Academy Award Semi-Finalist with his short film, Angela’s Body. Jon also produced the award winning steampunk short film The Mechanical Grave(currently playing on the Shorts International cable station worldwide) and line produced the web series Exposed for The WB.

Paul Oja

Writer & Director

Paul is an emerging feature filmmaker bringing fresh, unique stories to the independent film community. He is well rounded in the study of the arts, including photography, dance/choreography, and music, but has eagerly chosen cinema as his choice of medium to explore his life inspirations. He has been educated at City College of San Francisco and Arizona State University.

He has been writing, directing, and acting in short films over the past seven years, of which many have gone on to various film festivals, which includes, SIC and rE-fleKt. He has developed the story and project of 22 Fillmore over the past several years and believes it is ready to be created and shared on the global screen.

Most recently, Paul has been traveling worldwide to film markets to network and build relationships with industry professionals and companies, including, AFM, Berlin, and Cannes

Debbie Brubaker

Consulting Producer

Debbie is a seasoned producer in the world of feature films and is widely known as the “godmother” of the San Francisco Bay Area independent movie arena. Debbie recently helped produce, Sorry To Bother You (2018) starring Lakeith Stanfield and premiered The Diary of a Teenage Girl, starring Kristin Wiig and Alexander Skarsgard (Sundance 2015, Dramatic Competition) and sold that weekend to Sony Pictures Classics, also on Woody Allens’, Blue Jasmine, starring Cate Blanchett and Tim Burtons’ new movie, Big Eyes. Other production successes are co-producing, La Mission (Sundance 2009, SFIFF opener 2009), starring Benjamin Bratt. She has also produced an extensive list of other feature narratives, such as the big hit, The Darwin Awards, (Sundance 2006) directed by Finn Taylor, starring Joseph Fiennes and Winona Ryder and Dopamine, (Sundance 2003) directed by Mark Decena.

Other movies include Unflinching Triumph: The Phillip Rockhammer Story directed by J.R. McCord, Swing, directed by Martin Guigui, Teknolust, (Sundance 2002) directed by Lynn Hershman-Leesom, starring Tilda Swinton, Bartleby and The Californians by Jonathan Parker and Cherish, (Sundance 2002) also directed by Finn Taylor. Other feature projects include, All About Evil, Seducing Charlie Barker, documentary, Miss Representation (Sundance 2011), On The Road, directed by Walter Salles and Knife Fight, starring Rob Lowe. Debbie recently worked on two independent movies, Summertime directed by Gabriele Muccino, and The Etruscan Smile and TV mini-series, When We Rise, with two time Oscar nominated director, Gus Van Sant and Oscar winning writer, Dustin Lance Black.

Svetlana Cvetko

Director of Photography

Svetlana was born in the former Yugoslavia and first discovered her passion and talent for photography through the foggy viewfinder of a Zorki-10. It was there that she developed her skills to debut her documentary No War, which won the Grand Prix du Public at Films de Femmes in 2001.

Svetlana since has worked as Director of Photography on several feature films, including the Oscar winner, Inside Job (Cannes and Toronto Film Festivals, 2010), documentary, Miss Representation, (Sundance 2011) directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Untitled (SFIFF 2009) starring Adam Goldberg, directed by Jonathan Parker. She was the first indie-level DP to be entrusted with the Panavision Genesis Camera System on this project. Other features include, Unflinching Triumph: The Philip Rockhammer Story, directed by Mark Decena, Opal, (Mill Valley Film Festival, 2010) directed by Dina Ciraulo and Even Now, directed by Greg Watkins. Her most recent Director/DP work was a live-action, CG web series pilot, Freeway and a collaboration with Allen Daviau on a film starring Dick Van Dyke using 3ality’s 3D system.

Notable credits also include films, Birju (Sundance 2002, Berlinale 2002 – Special Mention), Raw(Sundance 2005, AFI 2005) and Dorme (Tribeca 2007) and professional clients which include, Mini Cooper, Banana Republic, The United Way, John Muir, The Fairmont, Sutter Home Wines, VH-1, and The Discovery Channel.

In addition to several other films, commercials, and documentaries, Svetlana was featured in American Cinematographer in July 2008. Recent project includes, documentary, Inequality For All, gaining critical acclaim and currently, feature movie, The Architect.

“The lead character is sympathetic and endearing, but he isn’t a tragic drug addict cliche.”

Slated ProfessionalScript Reader
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