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CURRENT STAGE
DEVELOPMENT / RAISING FUNDS
INTRODUCTION
The Nature Of Silk is a gritty, intimate look at the storm behind caring for a parent crippled by their mental health, while trying to grow up, discover oneself, and explore one’s sexuality as a young adult in the (now) 2020s.
This is the struggle of teens who grow up with family crippled by depression and anxiety, all in a toxic social media culture that feeds shame and fear of the truth behind who they are and who they're called to be.
FILM CONCEPT
Story
An introverted eighteen year old tries to balance the needs of his mother with the burdens of growing up, until he meets two queer teens - outcasts in their small town - who guide him to the truth behind his pain, grief, and suppressed desires.
Genre
Perks of Being a Wallflower mixed with We The Animals.
It's a coming of age drama, with themes of mental illness, sexuality, gender identity, and trauma.
Possibilities for some arthouse elements.
Format
Feature length film
Concept
THE FILM'S PURPOSE. IT'S POTENTIAL
THE NATURE OF SILK is an emotionally charged young adult drama based within the tech savvy and inclusive (while not so inclusive) world we live in, representing stories from across a variety of backgrounds, genders, and sexualities.
It's a film that stays true and relevant to the Millennial and Gen-Z experience connected to social media, on their search to find who they are and where they belong.
REFERENCES
We The Animals (Cinereach 2018)
Perks of Being a Wallflower (Summit 2012)
Boy Erased (Focus Features 2018)
Call Me By Your Name (Sony Classics 2017)
Vision
Characters
CHARACTERS
BENJAMIN "BENJI" MILLER (18)
Benji, a timid eighteen year old, struggles caring for his family in the aftermath of his father’s sudden death. He finds refuge with Jude and Nate, discovering a freedom he has never tasted before. Desperate to keep his new group of friends, Benji is quick to make mistakes on his journey toward understanding vulnerability and the importance of living one's truth.
JUDE BELL (19)
A wise, old soul. Put together and calm, Jude is the oldest of the group (at 19). They try to help Benji open up and accept himself, despite the unstable, toxic situation they find themselves trapped in with Nate.
EMILIE MILLER (40)
A fragile woman burdened with anxiety and grief after her husband suddenly dies, assumedly by suicide. Suddenly a single parent, Emilie struggles with co-dependent tendencies, drawing a bit too much on Benji, on her desperate fight to get stronger, all so she - and her boys - can finally heal and grow.
NATE (18)
A gay, 18 year old rebel without a cause. Forced out of the closet before he was ready, Nate finds himself shunned by his family and local community. On a search to find anyone who will accept him for who he is, he isn't afraid to get angry or tell you how he feels.
MAGGIE (18)
CANDACE MILLER (20)
An 18 year old tomboy with a punk edge, she's been friends with Jude and Nate since they were kids. Forced into the role of peacemaker and tie breaker after Jude accidentally outs Nate to his family, Maggie tries her best to be all they need, often at her own expense.
Benji’s older cousin. A young woman who lives within the box of her constrictive, Christian town, albeit pushing the rules a little. She knows her place in this community, but will fight for some freedom. Incredibly empathetic, she does her best to help Benji and Jay traverse the town’s oppressive culture.
PASTOR KERRY (50)
A popular small town pastor who puts his heart into his work, tasked with trying to help the Miller family grieve. He finds himself unprepared to handle Benji’s needs.
JAY MILLER (7)
Benji’s 7 year old brother. While he can be cute, bubbly, and energetic, the trauma of losing his father has left scars, often seen through tantrums that push Benji and his mom, Emilie, to their limit.
LOCATION
Rural, midwestern spots (houses, churches, bars, parks) will be perfect locations for the shoot.
We are particularly looking into Colorado.
Team
THE PRODUCERS
Kylie Milusnic is an Emmy nominated producer and director. Most notably she directed the short form series Broken in 2018 which garnered two Emmy Nominations. She works regularly as a production consultant on various projects in both the scripted and unscripted world.
Aaron Guest is an American producer, screenwriter, and actor with appearances on networks like ABC, CBS, FX, & Nickelodeon - and has been seen in independent features, national commercials, short films, and musicals all over the country. He has several projects in development, as well as a pilot alongside SAG award nominated actress, Shakira Barrera.
Ali M. Aksu is an international film producer, director and entrepreneur. He is the executive producer of several groundbreaking projects, including the first-ever Hollywood feature film to cast digital media talent, that was distributed by Universal Studios. He is the founder of FilmCapital.io, a community focused Hollywood crowdfunding platform that was incubated at Singularity University; Auteur Academy, an educational platform to empower independent filmmakers. Ali is the Southern California Young Professionals Ambassador at the United Nations Association of America. He is an MBA candidate at Chicago Booth School of Business. He holds a B.A. in Economics, with a minor in film, TV and digital media from UCLA, and earned executive-level degrees from MIT, Wharton and Singularity University.
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