Kickstarter

Our story:

ENGINE BLOCK is a short dramatic comedy film that focuses on a man named GUS, his wife DAWN, and their neighbor HARRY. 

These are blue-collar people, their income disproportionate with the sweat of their brows.  They yearn for love and happiness like anyone, and on one particular day, Gus simply yearns to get out of his driveway to collect a paycheck; a day when his sanity and marriage depend on it. 

So what stops him?  Fear?  Insecurity?  Doubts?  Sure.  But there’s something else.  

There is a kitten stuck in his car engine. 

Gus and his neighbor Harry will spend the day trying to get the cat out of the car.  In the process, they might just come to understand what it really means to be stuck. 

Inspiration for the project:

ENGINE BLOCK is based on a true story!  Our characters are works of fiction but the situation actually happened.  A cat prevented someone from being able to start their car for over 12 hours until the feline could be safely extricated.  This happens more than you might think.  Kittens often burrow into car engines for warmth and the perception of safety.

It occurred to us that this funny incident would be good fodder for a short film.  As we began to conceive the story, we further realized the dramatic implications of having someone who really needs to drive their car but is prevented by such a strange circumstance.  All the better and more interesting if this individual is someone you wouldn’t peg as a “pet person,” let alone a “cat person.” 

And Gus ain’t no cat person.

We are hopeful, yet confident, that by mixing an unusual, comical situation with real world drama, and complex characters portrayed by some damn good actors, that we’ll be able to make something, dare we say, poetic and purposeful in addition to being entertaining and fun.

Our cast includes: 

Claire van der Boom  -  imdb

Jon Daly  - imdb

Bill Hoffman  -  imdb

Who we are:

Patrick Roscoe and Josh Feldman are collaborating as co-writers and co-directors.   Jonathan Wang is producing.

Josh Feldman spent five years working for Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s Playtone film and television company and is currently producing an on-line animated series for Playtone to be released later this year.   Last year, Josh made a short film, KOREATOWN, which won the audience award at the DancesWithFilms festival in Los Angeles.  feldmanfilms.com

Patrick Roscoe began his career in showbiz at NBC and then served as a creative executive at Tom Hanks’ and Gary Goetzman’s Playtone for six years.  He then went on to join the production of Playtone and DreamWorks' The Pacific, the epic World War II miniseries for HBO taking him halfway around the world and back involved in the process from development through post-production. 

Jonathan Wang has been working as a commercial and music video producer for the past three years. He has produced content for Steve Martin, Lenny Kravitz, Levi’s, and other notable actors, bands, and companies. The last short film he was involved in was an official selection to the 2011 Sundance Film Festival where it was well received. This year, he hopes to return to the festival with “Engine Block,” and two other films he helped develop and produce.

Your support:

This film will not be possible without your help.  We seek to produce this film to a high standard of richness and quality that you will be proud to put your name on.  Likewise, we’ll be very proud to put your name on the film, in addition to other incentives, listed to right. 

Your help is important and we intend to maintain an efficient and economical production with every dollar on the screen.

When funded, we will shoot August 13th and 14th.  We have ambitious film festival and screening plans.  If the film gets made, it will be seen.