The Story

Wayward follows the story of John Holden who, after experiencing the death of his Father, leaves behind his home of Arkansas. With no destination in mind, John embarks on a road trip across the State, which means leaving behind his family, the woman he still loves, and the only home he has ever known. Although John struggles to leave his past behind, the road he travels may leave him just as lost and aimless as when he began.

Our Ask

To make this film come to life, we need your help. Our goal is to raise $9000 to make this film the best we can, and any support is appreciated. These funds will go to the following categories:

15% for Talent

We want this film to have a strong lead actor to play our character, John Holden, as well as other strong supporting actors. To get the best actors possible, we may need to fly someone in from out-of-state and pay them for their hard work in bringing this character to life!

35% for Art and Production

This film has a lot of unique locations from a diner to a bar to a motel, all with a very specific look. To achieve the look we want, we may need to pay for locations as well as tons of production design elements like costumes and props.

30% for Food, Travel, and Lodging

We want to be able to feed our crew nice meals, lodge actors if needed, and pay for travel if necessary. It’s hard to do your best work on an empty stomach!

10% for Post-Production and Marketing

We want this film to go far and to do so, we will need funds to pay for submission fees to film festivals across the country. In doing this, we hope to get recognition for our film and potential distribution.

10% for Contingencies

Lots of things can go sideways on a film set. To make sure we have our bases covered, we’d like to have a safety net of funds to cover unexpected issues and expenses.

Tone

Wayward is a quiet and somber film about grief, loneliness, and where to go next when you’re lost. It’s been inspired by films set in the South like Paris, Texas & Mud.

Meet Our Team

Xander Hill--Writer/Director

Xander Hill is the Writer and Director of Wayward. He is a filmmaker currently attending the University of Central Arkansas and is creating this film as a part of his Senior Capstone project. He has a deep passion for film and storytelling. His previous film Funeral for a Redneck, a dark comedy set in the South, played at the Fort Smith International Film Festival. Wayward will be the third short film he has directed and he is so excited to begin shooting.

Skylar Nelsen--Producer

Skylar Nelsen is currently a senior at the University of Central Arkansas pursuing a bachelor's degree in both Film and Creative Writing. She has directed two of her own short films so far (one which has played in 5 Arkansas film festivals), and written three, including a film in Mexico. Over the last three years enrolled at UCA, she has been a part of over 20 film sets as a member of the camera department and the production department, and is the current President of UCA’s Film Club. She is excited to work as a Producer for this first time on Wayward and wants to make it the best it can be.

Samuel Forst--Producer & Cinematographer

Samuel Forst is a senior at the University of Central Arkansas working toward a bachelor’s degree in Film. While he has directed a few films of his own, his passion lies working behind the camera as a director of photography. In his time at UCA, he has been a part of countless productions at UCA and worked professionally on a few feature films. He is excited to work among friends and make this film come to life as a Producer and Director of Photography.

Isaiah Allen--Unit Production Manager

Isaiah Allen is currently a senior at University of Central Arkansas and is the Unit Production for Wayward. He enjoys movies, writing scripts, and helping others make their films come to life. He is also one of the winners of the Healthy Smiles, Healthy Lives PSA Contest from Visionari. Isaiah is excited to be part of the Wayward team and can not wait to get started.

Words from the Director

This is a story that I have been developing for over a year now, and I feel incredibly connected to and passionate about it. Having grown up in Arkansas my whole life, I’ve been inspired to create a story that captures the nature of this State and reflects how it is like to live here. But more than that, it’s a film about grief and confusion. There’s not a more terrible feeling in the world than losing someone you love. It leaves you lost and feeling like there’s nowhere else to go. As a storyteller, I would like to convey that emotion on screen for those who need it.

Production Timeline

Social Media

Thank you SO MUCH for your support!