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In the summer of 2003, on the east side of Detroit a Grandfather tries to hide his daughter’s incarceration from his young grandson in the midst of a city wide blackout and alien invasion.

The Story

THE STORY

a fable set in 2000's Detroit

SKHF is a narrative short sci-fi family drama set in Detroit during the historic blackout of 2003. Our story follows a Grandfather tasked with taking care of his Grandson after his daughter is incarcerated. Grandad may be the most dependable person in the household, but he has no idea how to meet his grandson’s emotional needs--starting with telling him the truth of his mother’s disappearance. Grandad’s situation is further complicated when he sees his grandson levitating under a street light succumbing to what he will soon find out is an alien possession.

The Story

DIRECTOR's STATEMENT

A PERSONAL CATHARSIS THROUGH A GENRE PRISM

SKHF addresses the themes of grief and loss, employing alien abduction as allegory for the effects of family separation at the hands of the legal system. The story was inspired by the difficult times my family experienced when my sister went to jail. My sister’s sudden disappearance exposed how emotionally unprepared we all were for those closest to us to be snatched away.

It was during this time of immense personal upheaval that I began to think of how my story could be told in a way to connect families experiencing the same pain. I began to process my grief through narrative, crafting a story based on the real emotions I felt, but through a more fantastical prism. By combining my specific story with a more universal storytelling form, I wanted to make something that would be accessible, connecting people and their pain in ways they don’t anticipate from a genre movie. It’s often the most fantastical stories that help us to process our pain, allowing audiences to open themselves up in ways a traditional drama or documentary couldn’t.

I hope to make something that can move, wow, and connect people. I hope you'll consider coming on this journey with us.

Sincerely,

eric

writer + director

Meet the CAST

GRANDAD

Gregory Thompson

Gregory brings over two decades of experience, with credits on shows like "Black-ish" and "Monk". His character GRANDAD is a Ford Motor Company retiree and part time Grandfather in over his head.

ERIC

EJ Childress

Introducing EJ in his first role as ERIC, the only grandson in the family, curious to a fault, a shy and unique kid who longs to be treated like a grownup.

RED

KYLA ALEXANDER

Introducing Kyla in her first role playing the part of RED, an older kid on the block who looks out for Eric. She's a tomboy and leader of the neighborhood kids.

DARNELL

ERNEST MOORE

Introducing Ernest Moore as DARNELL, Grandad’s best friend from the plant and a motor-mouthed shit-talker serving as neighborhood jester.

Meet the CREW

WRITER + DIRECTOR

Eric Vincent Riley Jr

Eric is a writer, director, and urban planner proudly born and raised on the West side of Detroit. His first feature script, DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK, a Detroit based gentrification heist film, advanced to the final round of the 2021 Sundance Development Track. He holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a Masters from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design.

WRITER + PRODUCER

Jasmin Joseph

Jasmin is a writer, researcher, and business strategist from Yonkers, New York. A graduate of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, she has worked in financial services, tech & entrepreneurship, and strategic communications before landing in entertainment. She is currently the Membership Manager at the Producers Guild of America.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR + PRODUCER

Gabriel Freeman

Gabriel is the co-owner of Go Take Media, a creative film production company specializing in visual storytelling based in Detroit. They have produced an award winning short film and a host of music videos & content for brands including ESPN, Quicken Loans, Ash & Erie, and more.

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Clark Bishop III

Born and raised in Detroit, Bishop is self-taught award-winning Director & Cinematographer with a genuine eye for visual storytelling. Bishop often looks to tell narrative stories through music videos, commercials and short films. Bishop is known for his moody-beauty style that is unadorned but commanding, a true example of less is more. Bishop founded Go Take in 2017 with a purpose to give creatives and himself an opportunity in the film industry.

CASTING DIRECTOR

Michele Mansoor

Michele is a casting scout at JV8inc casting, the casting agency behind A24’s EUPHORIA and UNCUT GEMS. Mansoor has casting credits on EUPHORIA (Sn 1 and 2), UNCUT GEMS, HONEY BOY and others. In addition to this project, she is currently directing a feature documentary produced by the Safdie brothers production company Elara Pictures. She was recently named one of the 25 New Faces of Film 2022 by Filmmaker magazine.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Emuni Sanderson

Emuni is an emerging film producer from Birmingham, Alabama. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, her filmmaking perspective draws from her scholarly roots in addressing health disparities for urban, black communities in the South.

VFX PRODUCER

Jeremy Brooks

Jeremy is an experienced writer, director, producer and VFX artist. He's worked with various filmmakers, including Mark Boal and David Lyerly. Jeremy’s dedication to the craft has earned him credits with major studios including Netflix, Apple, Marvel, HBO, NBC Universal, and Riot Games. Jeremy holds a degree in Motion Picture and Television Production from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

Composer

Livio Segnini

Livio is a talented blues musician and multi instrumentalist based in São Paulo, Brazil. SKHF is Livio's debut film score.

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Editor

Alexander Aquino-Kaljakin

Alex is an editor with deep experience in film and television. He's worked on the hit Netflix series You and Queen Sugar. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Alex splits his time between LA and Joshua Tree, CA.

PRODUCTION STATUS

SKHF is in post production, preparing the final cut to be submitted to festivals for 2024. We are currently seeking donations to support our post production crew.

THE PROCESS

COMPS

LOOKBOOK EXCERPT

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Storyboards

REHEARSALS

CASTING

rehearsals

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DONATE

We're currently fundraising $5,000, for our post production expenses, check out our kickstarter and if you miss the deadline you can donate through out Film Independent page.

Our production has been awarded a Fiscal Sponsorship through Film Independent, where the organization lends their 501(c)(3) status to our production LLC making all contributions to our project 100% tax deductible. Click the link to support, and help us finish this journey!