Set in rural Texas the story chronicles an unnamed man with a broken spirit. In the beginning we see him returning to his family from an unknown place. In spite of his family’s warm welcome the man can’t shake an anger that builds in him so he must leave them again. This time to return to the land that was once theirs, a land that had been in the family for generations, a land that has been stolen, plundered, and sewn with seeds of greed. The man decides to lay his stakes down and pits himself against it all. He is on a ruinous mission to sate the hatred in his heart with the knife he carries in his hand.

Knife is a slow-burning, mysterious short film that examines the journey of a man driven by vengeance. Told entirely in silence over a period of only a few days, the film does not concentrate solely on why he is seeking revenge, thus there is no reliance on melodrama or narrative platitudes.

By stripping away the dialogue and removing any overbearing plot elements Knife strikes at the core of the Southern Gothic mythos without falling into redundancy. Visually, every composition, every bit of lighting, every movement the character makes will be telling you something.

Writer/director James Johnston, producer Alec Jhangiani, and executive producer Dennis Bishop collectively have over 45 years of filmmaking and film festival experience. To get the polished and pristine images Knife deserves they are committed to a very high standard of production with the most proficient and technically adept crew and proper equipment. There is a specific visual emotional resonance; a gritty timelessness that is being sought for Knife and the team feels that 16mm cinematography is the truest way to accomplish that. They have already secured a 16mm camera package from Panavision Dallas and will be hoping to shoot on Kodak 16mm film. Knife has already received a grant from the Rooftop Films Filmmakers Fund Short Film Grant in collaboration with Cinereach. This prestigious grant was only awarded to four short films and is reserved for projects they find meaningful, personal, and unique that demonstrate creativity, visual artistry and take a character-based approach.

The producers are currently seeking to raise $5,000. With this money as well as additional commitments they will be able to achieve the standard of production desired on the film as well as a robust and dynamic distribution strategy.