Flatland 2 is a 35-minute live-action dance film with an original score, set in a cartoon world where two menial laborers stumble through cartoonesque alternate realities and inadvertently dismantle hierarchies.

Dancers move through sets with hand-drawn props while animation careens around them, the camera dances with them, and the soundtrack conducts it all. Flatland 2 is a slapstick social commentary with a heartbreaking core: we can't see what we're capable of until something cracks.

The Flatland Trilogy is three standalone films, each inspired by a classic genre – Noir, Cartoon (this one), and Western – and united by a single question: who could we be if we saw past the structures built to contain us? Each film has an original score, original choreography, and its own visual world. With two cinematographers—one trained in film, the other in dance—the camera doesn’t just capture movement; it moves with it, creating a new kind of intimacy.

An ode to the Cartoon genre, Flatland 2 is the most visually explosive entry in The Flatland Trilogy.  Films 1 and 3 are separate productions; your support here goes entirely toward Flatland 2. 

Constant John Productions (CJP) is a production company founded by Robin Cantrell and Alexis Gideon that creates dynamic art films where the narrative is expressed entirely through dance and music. Neither dance film nor music video, but danced narrative films where the music and movement are the backbone of the story. 

Flatland 1 was nominated for Best Short at the International Sound and Film Music Festival in 2024. Their previous collaboration, Triptych, won Best Screendance Short of the Year at the Independent Shorts Awards in 2022.

 
Cantrell and Gideon's work has been presented in over 60 countries including at American Dance Festival, Dance Camera West, Dance Camera Istanbul, Ashland Independent Film Festival, the New Museum, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Moderna Museet Stockholm, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Málaga, Andy Warhol Museum, New York Live Arts, and The Schimmel Center. 

Your contribution goes directly toward cast, crew, space rentals, prop fabrication, set fabrication, and post production. Our goal of raising $25K (out of the 35K total cost) covers what we need to finish the film properly and get it in front of audiences.

Rewards range from early digital access to  executive producer credit and a cameo in the film. See the reward tiers for details.

Thank you for supporting independent film that takes genuine risks. Flatland 2 is strange, kinetic, powerful and unlike anything else being made right now. We can't wait to show it to you. 

Born into a distinguished family of LA surf bums, Casey forsook her sunshine and freckled destiny for a life of sweat, criticism, and pliés. After graduating from SUNY Purchase, Casey moved to Brooklyn and joined Pilobolus Dance Theater, where she learned how to tell a story, harness the forces of light and shadow, and defy gravity. In 2021, Casey helped create and starred in NYT Critic’s Pick Endure: Run Woman Show, a site-specific immersive theater piece in Central Park. Casey is also half of Leggy Bones Physical Theater, a multi-disciplinary creative vessel she started with her partner.

Standing at 6 feet, 6 inches, Jacob excels at seeing over people’s heads in crowds, and struggles in Economy Class on airplanes. He grew up playing soccer and saxophone, spent most of his time trying to be a ninja, and really hasn’t let go of any of those influences.  He is one half of Leggy Bones Physical Theater, one sixth of the Harmonica Lewinskies, and one whole gentle-giant, despite playing hulking, violent villains the majority of the time. When he’s not teaching, choreographing, or performing, he’s probably shoveling noodles into his mouth, or trying to prove that gravity is a myth and youth is a lifestyle choice.

 

JoVoNNA PARKS

JoVonna Parks is an NYC based freelance dancer, teacher and choreographer currently performing with Clymove and Konverjdans. She has been a guest artist with Ballet Vero Beach and a member of Elisa Monte Dance. Her own creations have been performed at Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company, as well as the all female collaborative choreography festival CounterPointe in 2019, 2022 and 2023. JoVonna recently made an appearance in Season 2 of HBO’s Random Acts of Flyness. 

Robin Cantrell's career as a professional dancer, choreographer, and teacher has spanned over two decades and more than 60 countries.

As Artistic Director of Indelible Dance she has produced countless large-scale immersive multimedia dance events. Her narrative dance films have garnered numerous awards and selections in film festivals globally.

Alexis Gideon is a visual artist, composer, and performer best known for creating innovative animated video operas and installations.

Gideon’s novel and category-defying work has been hosted by many prestigious institutions including: Moderna Museet Stockholm, New Museum, the Warhol, ICA Boston, MCA Chicago, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Málaga, Yerba Buena center for the Arts.

Joe is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker and photographer. While producing international photo and video stories for non-profits, Joe has worked with communities in remote areas of Nepal, India, Guatemala, Uganda, Tanzania and Cambodia. 

Joe currently splits his time between producing content for global brands, making films in collaboration with contemporary dance companies, and pursuing his deepening interest in photography.

Amy Saunder is a Brooklyn-based artist who was born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe and is the co-founder and co-director of konverjdans (converge/dance).

Her 10+ years of experience as a professional mover informs her unique style of cinematography which aims to seamlessly blend camerawork and dance.

Khotomeh (they/them) is a queer, two-spirit Cherokee freelance artist, teacher, yogi, ceremonial space holder and psychonaut. They strive to cultivate collaborative work created to explore the cosmic furnace of consciousness.

The spirit of our collective mission of mindfulness is to expand the human condition through art/movement/sound/psychedelic/harm reduction/integration therapy with the intention of deepening one’s connection to our true inner nature.