Until we meet again...
HAPPY TRAILS
A film about grief, sibling-hood, and the complexities of family tragedy.
What is the film about?
THE STORY
When the Hillcrest siblings reunite for their once-a-year camping jaunt with their aging father, some are at first reluctant– Rich Jr, caught up in his burgeoning music career, finds himself constantly distracted from this important time as a family. Harboring resentments towards his father, the pair get along sparingly.Ending the first act, his father, Richard Sr, after some ominous cognitive episodes, reaches his unexpected & untimely demise. The family is then thrown into an unwanted grief, and forced to reckon with their own flawed lives, Rich Jr at the forefront of our audience view into the guilt, regret, and every feeling in-between.Soon after, Rich Jr’s career is teased with a big new opportunity, and he then must choose between the complex and emotional task of holding his family together, or escaping into a dream he’s been blindly chasing for years.
the characters
MEET THE FAMILY
THE HILLCRESTSRICHARD SR. - an old-school, classic “hard ass father” type, but with a secret weight of past baggage & a soft interior. He’s hard on his oldest son due to pent up resentment towards his since passed wife, who bears similar traits to Rich Jr. He’s stubborn & strict, but also tender & nostalgic.RICH JR. - a misguided dreamer, stuck in his own self-inflicted role as the family outcast, the one with the big dream that overshadows family moments that deserve his primary attention. His relationship with his father is complex, due to the adherence to his pursuits & unspoken past secrets. He’s frustrated & bull-headed, but consistent & caringGRETA - Middle daughter, a little lost in life, but probably the steadiest force in the family. Gentle, kind, quiet, anxious.ROWAN - Youngest brother, nomadic, distracted, a glutton for experiences in place of feeling his emotions.AUNT JAMIE - Richard Sr’s sister, a narcissistic type who was consistently cast out by her family.ALLY - a character that exists mostly in memory, appearing in a few flashbacks weaved into the story. She is the ultimate source of pain for Richard Sr’s present life with his children. Much of her is unspoken, but inherently important to the fabric of the film.
From development to post-production
OUR TIMELINE
SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2026: DEVELOPMENT / MARKETING
JANUARY - SEPTEMBER 2027: FUNDRAISING & PRE-PRODUCTION
FEBRUARY - MARCH 2027: CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN
OCTOBER 2027: PRODUCTION
NOVEMBER - JUNE 2028: POST PRODUCTION
Help us make this movie
HOW CAN I SUPPORT?
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- Share the film & crowdfunding campaign on social media
- Donate directly through our fiscal sponsorship link (coming soon)
- Attend a fundraising event (coming soon)