A PROJECT INVOLVE SHORT FILM
synopsis
In MOSH, Otto, a father struggling with marital issues, hopes to reconnect with his teenage son, Lobo, by celebrating his birthday with a concert of their once-favorite band. When they discover their tickets are invalid, Otto’s desperate attempts to salvage the day—from buying fake VIP tickets to sneaking into the venue—only drive them further apart.
Forced to confront harsh truths about their family, the two find solidarity through the vulnerable act of moshing.
Director Statement
"Mosh" is more than just a film to me; it echoes my own journey through loss and how it can forge deeper and unexpected family bonds. At 13, my mother’s battle with lupus forced us to move from the suburbs of Chicago to the humid city of Houston to be closer to family. While waiting for my mother to regain enough strength for us to get our own place, I was forced to live with my strict, fanatical aunt. Our relationship was fraught with tension and tons of antagonism until tragedy struck, and my mother unexpectedly passed away. In the wake of me losing my mom, and my aunt losing her sister, the two of us went from tolerating each other to becoming each other's everything.
"Mosh" delves into the story of Lobo and Otto, a father and son, who are, in essence, an odd pairing connected by blood but, currently, not much else. Much like my own story, it's this pivotal moment of having their world collectively shattered that thrusts them into a position where, in order to heal, they must learn to be understanding, and appreciate each other. The chaos and vulnerability of moshing together symbolizes this turning point—a physical manifestation of the pain they feel inside, where, in the midst of chaos, they find more than just catharsis; they find each other.
-Portlynn Tagavi
Otto
(40’s) Latino
Otto, a man seemingly incapable of expressing his true feelings, struggles to give his son Lobo the perfect birthday as he deals with the news that his wife has cheated on him.
When it becomes clear that his efforts to aggressively overcompensate for his grief creates a strain on his relationship with Lobo, and their special day, he must learn to put aside his ego and do something he rarely ever does… be vulnerable with his son.
LOBO
(16) Latino
Lobo, a shy and awkward teen out celebrating his 16th birthday with his overbearing father at a concert, discovers that his dad is struggling to deal with his mothers recent infidelity.
Realizing that his family is now on the brink of implosion, he must learn to be there for his dad in a way he’s never had to be before.
MEET THE PIT
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Portlynn Tagavi / Director
Portlynn Tagavi is a Persian/Creole filmmaker based in Los Angeles. An AFI directing alum, Tagavi's distinctive voice first echoed in her award-winning short, They Won't Last. This film established her penchant for balancing dramatic themes with comedy, earning her a Student Emmy and recognition i over 50 festivals worldwide. Tagavi is currently finishing her festival run with her latest short, Out of Tune. In addition to working on her latest short We're Gonna Die Alone, she has been working as a story artist at Netflix, where she just finished developing and leading their 2023 Story Trainee Program.
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Harim Sanchez / Writer
Harim Sanchez is a writer/director hailing from the dusty little hamlet of Adelanto, CA (where you take your bathroom breaks on your way to Vegas) and is presently based in Los Angeles. He was a Writer's PA on Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches on AMC and is currently a Showrunner's Assistant. In 2021, he conned his close friends and prior roommates to help him make a feature-length mockumentary. called Bonerman (you read that right) which he directed you can find that gold on YouTube. You can typically find him roaming the streets of LA, searching for the perfect breakfast burrito.
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Lauren Lukow / Producer
Lauren Lukow is a producer based in LA. Her latest film, Mara Has Three Jobs in San Juan, Puerto Rico, premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival as part of Indeed's and Hillman Grad's Rising Voices initiative. For five years, Lukow worked for the Sundance Feature Film Program, recently as their Manager of Producing & Artist Support. In this role she oversaw the Producers Track, while providing support to 40+ artists/projects in fiction features annually. Before Sundance, Lukow worked in development at Pixar Animation Studios where she assisted their in-house filmmakers in the earliest phases of their creative process.
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Xinyu "Ciao" Zhao / Creative Executive
Xinyu "Ciao" Zhao is an aspiring creative executive currently on the film team at Rideback. Hailing from Shanghai, she moved to LA in 2018 to study Communication and Jewish Studies at USC. Her producing career began at the Chinese video brand DxChannel, where her works have garnered over one million views online. Collaborating with predominantly female and AAPI filmmakers, her narrative shorts earned acclaim at festivals, including Palm Springs International Shortest and LA Shorts. Having spent her teens reading detective novels and sci-fi novellas, she is dedicated to telling female- centric genre stories with an emotional impact that transcends cultural borders.
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Jeremy Brockman / Cinematographer
Jeremy Brockman is an EMMY award-winning filmmaker and cinematographer from Detroit. He has lensed a number of productions in narrative, documentary, experimental art and branded content. Brockman was awarded a NATAS Michigan Regional EMMY Award for Lyricist Society, a documentary short about an alternative music program at a high school for young men in Detroit. His narrative work has been screened at several festivals including American Black Film Festival and Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival. With his work, Brockman seeks to create images that truthfully represent and inspire his community.
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Olivia Eliseo / Editor
Olivia Eliseo is a Los Angeles-based film and television editor who quickly became obsessed with the craft after figuring out how to edit together her family's VHS tapes. She most recently cut Season 3 of All Rise for OWN and two award-winning short films. Wolves won Best Horror/Fantasy Short at the DTLA Film Festival, and Lucha Noir won the Grand Prize at the McDonald's Spotlight Dorado Competition. She is a member of both the Motion Picture Editors Guild and the Television Academy, and is represented in film and television by Dattner Dispoto & Associates.
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DANNY CISTONE / PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Danny is currently designing the Stop-Motion animated film “Astray” as well as Art Directing the flagship Seasons of Quantum Leap(NBC/Universal), Kindred(FX), Our Kind Of People(FOX) as well as season 3 of YOU(Netflix). He has also Designed Season 2 of Black Jesus(Adult Swim), and Seasons 2 and 3 of Disney XD’s #1 hit Walk The Prank.
As a designer he has embraced the challenges of shooting an entire season on location with limited budgets and time (Final Witness - ABC/ Disney, School Spirits - SyFy) and the Emmy Award winning A Crime to Remember (Investigation Discovery). His flashy, exuberant designs have been seen on giant stadium screens (Katy Perry’s Candifornia Tour, The Eagles’ History of the Eagles Tour and Pink’s European Tour). He has artfully executed the vision of the first SAG deaf Director and now Oscar Winner, Troy Kotsur’s feature film No Ordinary Hero, and his stage sets have won numerous accolades (multiple Ovation and LA Drama Critics Circle nominations).
donate!
Through Project Involve, we have access to incredible in-kind sponsorship opportunities (including camera equipment, sound facilities, color grading, a composer from the Indiana University School of Music, and more!), but this means we need to raise a bit of funding for some key remaining elements – particularly locations, crew, and production design. To make up for the rest of our anticipated budget, we’re currently fundraising and hope you can join us on this journey.
If you decide to contribute, you can claim any one of these cool benefits:
A $25 contribution will get you a personalized digital postcard from the film team, with original artwork by our film’s director & storyboard artist, Portlynn Tagavi
A $50 contribution will get you a close-up look into our creative and visual development process with access to our original design deck + a high-resolution copy of our digital poster
A $75 contribution will get you listed in the "Special Thanks" section of our film's end credits
A $100+ contribution, or more, will get you a personalized caricature of yourself (or whoever you’d like!) by our film’s director & storyboard artist, Portlynn Tagavi
A $250+ contribution, or more, gets you all of the above!
Regardless of what level you are able to contribute, know that we mean it when we say every single dollar makes a difference.
Furthemore, your donation is tax deductible! By donating to MOSH, you are donating to an IRS-recognized 501(c)3 via Film Independent, LLC, which can reduce your taxable income. We're also happy to provide you with a written letter of acknowledgement, if requested.
Project involve
ABOUT PROJECT INVOLVE
For 30 years and counting, Project Involve has been Film Independent's most vital and impactful program. We're proud to be a leader in the ongoing fight to build a more inclusive and equitable industry by supporting emerging filmmakers from communities underrepresented in film and entertainment.
This robust program provides invaluable hands-on filmmaking experience from inception to completion. Participants are paired with mentors at the top of their respective fields, and receive personalized guidance to help move their projects and careers forward.
Each year, 30 filmmakers from diverse backgrounds are given the opportunity to hone skills, form creative partnerships, create short films and gain industry access needed to succeed as working artists.
Previous FELLOWS
Project Involve has proudly fostered the careers of more than 800 filmmakers.
Meet the 2024 class of Project Involve Fellows right here.
Fellows include Andrew Ahn (Fire Island); Linda Yvette Chavez & Marvin Lemus (Gentefied); Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians); Jomo Fray (Selah and the Spades); LaToya Morgan (Into the Badlands); Justin Simien (Dear White People); Lulu Wang (The Farewell) and Kim Yutani (Director of Programming, Sundance).
Our extensive list of past industry mentors and guest speakers includes Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings); Ava DuVernay (Selma); Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk, Moonlight); Charles D. King (Fences, Mudbound); Reed Morano (The Handmaid's Tale); Christine Vachon (Carol, Boys Don't Cry) and Bradford Young, ASC (Arrival, Selma).
