The script explores themes of desperation, family, and the consequences of one's choices. The tension builds throughout the script, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. Ultimately, the story challenges viewers to question the boundaries between reality and the protagonist's perceptions, adding a layer of psychological depth to the narrative.

CONNOR HILL - A kind old man. Connor was a lawyer before being incarcerated. He’s smart but isn’t some mastermind. Prison has worn on him but hasn’t taken away his love for his family. 

DUKE ROBINSON - A grizzled hard cancer patient. Duke at 70 years old still runs the joint. There’s a fatherlike quality underneath the tough skin. He helps Connor escape. 

SUNNY HILL - A single mother in her twenties. Sunny tries to move on with her life after her mother’s passing and her father’s incarceration. She's married and has a one year old son.

Making films is expensive. The materials needed to execute the production of this ambitious vision, such as paying cast & crew, equipment rentals, food & transportation, and action stunt work are costly. Not to mention the location fees of filming inside of a real prison. 

Your donation will be a meaningful influence on the vision of our film. We are grateful to have a talented team who believe in this project and it’s the hope of the crew that our hard work will land the film at a major festival. That’s why we ask for your help raising our projected production budget of $45,000.

We deeply value any support you can give, whether it is sharing or donating to this campaign. As a supporter, you have access to exclusive perks, from social media shout-outs to behind-the-scenes footage. Along with the lifelong gratitude from our director Dakota Ticheli, who will be forever indebted to you.

Working in collaboration with the SEAT CENTER, a YouthBuild (an organization to empower young people to improve their lives) located in Schenectady, New York, Dakota will be working with eight to ten underprivileged students ranging in age from 18-24-year-olds to supply them with jobs as production assistants. The film will teach them the requisite skills needed to work in the professional world of film and television production. Due to the humanitarian themes of the project within its narrative and technical construction, the entirety of the film will be fundraised through 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status through fiscal sponsorship via Fractured Atlas as well as crowdfunding.

Ultimately, the distribution goal of Wherever You Are, I’m Here is to submit to a wide-range of professional and prestigious film festivals for a large festival run, such as Sundance, Venice, Cannes, Tiff, Berlin, SXSW,  and Tribeca. Our team, has an array of industry professionals and crew members who have been accepted at these festivals meaning our dream is possible!

Our director Dakota also plans to use this thesis as a proof of concept film, seeing the short film as the third act to a feature. He is working on expanding the world so the first two acts are where the protagonist plans his escape and the third being the short film as the actual escape

Dakota Ticheli was compelled to make this film because he is estranged from his biological father and wants to explore this complicated dynamic through his storytelling. “I wanted to tell a story about separation and what it means to live in a broken family. Furthermore, in high school, I took a Religion and Social Justice class where wrongfully convicted inmates came and shared their stories about surviving prison life and the brutality of solitary confinement. Fixing the unjust legal system that causes mass incarceration and divides families became important to me from that moment on. The system has many broken families and I want to tell a story so the audience can see this reality and hopefully start conversations around how to fix it."

In 1972, the imprisonment rate was 93 per 100,000 people. The prison expansion that commenced in 1973 reached its peak in 2009, achieving a seven-fold increase over the intervening years. In 2024, over five million people are under supervision by the criminal legal system. Children of incarcerated parents suffer tremendously; imprisonment of a parent leads to significant declines in academic and health outcomes for children.

Most importantly, I want the show the world I’m not just a filmmaker but a storyteller. I want to use my powers in cinema to tell stories that can change the world and make you feel entertained while doing so. 

And not sure what to say when sharing? Feel free to copy and paste:

- Help Support @prisonescapefilm and help young filmmakers fulfill their goal on Fractured Atlas!