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One person against the oligarchy doesn't stand a chance. So, what does it take? The Park People is about just that.
They're not solving world peace, but their stand for their park gives them purpose and a new community. It's a beacon of hope and laughter as we fight through this lapse in history.
'The Park People' is an ambitious combination of indie-dramedies like Juno & Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and absurdist satires like Parks and Rec.
This satire follows four normal people, spinning in place because of the absurdity of their world. That is, until they find their local park is shut down to make room for new "luxury" apartments.
We explore this unlikely troupe as they team up to save their park. They quickly find themselves engulfed in an ever-expanding web of nonsensical roadblocks, ridiculous bureaucrats, and shameless corruption. As their protests continue to fall on deaf ears, they discover the intrinsic value of the fight they're in together.
The Park
The titular park is in a quiet corner of the city. It's locally infamous as the hangout for drunks, stoners, and people who need a place to sleep. It used to be the crown jewel of the neighborhood, but years of apathy have left it littered and slightly eerie.
It's represented on screen by the much more joyful BB Clarke Beach Park!
Most people don’t think twice when it’s set to be turned into luxury apartments. Except for…
The People
Katie, Tom, Rickie, and Parker (Park-er, get it?). Very different people, coming together over the love of parks. Because who doesn’t love a good green space?
- Katie is a listless young adult with an overachieving family, misfit friends, and an addiction to doom scrolling. Her local park’s closing becomes a catalyst for changes she needs to make in her life, and she gets close to some cool folks along the way.
- Tom is a bitter old man with the energy of someone half his age. As a former activist throughout the Civil Rights and Gay Liberation movements, he’s got a bone to pick again… In the form of the park across the street.
- Rickie is Tom’s better half and the sweetest old soul one can have the pleasure of meeting. He’s usually very mild-mannered and non-confrontational, but his favorite park’s closure and the surrounding corruption ignites a rageful fire.
- Parker is a kid down on his luck. He doesn’t have much to go back to, and spends his time rebuilding from his past life. He’s found peace in nature and when he gets looped into the chaotic closure of a small park, his search for good people seems to finally be over.
Beyond the park people, so many more weird characters populate the insane city they live in. There’s the corrupt pawn of a mayor, the burnt-out parks director, the former mayoral-candidate-turned-city-employee, Katie’s out-of-touch parents, her polar-opposite little siblings, a sell-out journalist, and so many more...
The Production
Like our characters, we’re up against a much bigger system than ourselves. Producing this movie in a grassroots way means pulling favors, using what we have, and involving the local Madison and Wisconsin community as much as possible.
We'll be filming over 21(ish) days in the early summer of 2027! This is where the magic will really happen.
We'll be preparing throughout the fall, winter and spring. This gives us ample time (ten months!) to polish the story, scout locations, design sets & costumes, and so much more to ensure our production goes smoothly.
The end goal is to be in competition with national indie films at festivals and in theaters across the country (and the world!)
After filming, we'll edit, color and sound design for the rest of the year and get it ready for a Spring 2028 release.
The Proof-of-Concept
Last summer, we produced our take on a no-budget short film that shows the tone, style, and value of the feature!
Watch it here: The Park People Short
The characters and the story were altered to fit the shorter time frame, but it still follow the same themes of activism, coming together, and hope moving forward.
Madison, Wisconsin
There are over 280 parks in Madison! That’s a lot of beautiful green space that has fostered an amazing community of park people. We feel so grateful to live in a city that takes its nature seriously.
We’ll be filming in a few of these wonderful parks, and all over the city, but the world in 'The Park People' is everything Madison isn’t. Where Madison’s citizens and public servants are progressive, hard working, and active, our world’s citizens are burnt-out, apathetic, and greedy.
Madison and Wisconsin talent, crew, catering, businesses and more will all benefit from filming this feature!
Once it’s done, 'The Park People’'s release will bring people into our parks and show the magic of Madison and Wisconsin through its theatrical run and further marketing.
The story will resonate with Wisconsinites and beyond. It’s about finding community and fighting for what’s right.
At the end of the day, it’s in our state motto, ‘Forward.’
Get Involved!
There are so many ways to support this project beyond just donating! We love hosting events, so follow along with the production on our Instagram for updates.
If you really want to see this project happen, get excited!! The bigger and more passionate our community gets, the easier it’ll be to fund-raise and make the movie as great as it can be.
Email Corey for more information and to start a conversation!
Thank you!
With love,
The Park People team