Anything for Something

In 2026 Montana, two brothers, fragmented by a past shared love, navigate trauma, betrayal and a fatal prognosis as they come together on a road trip in a decrepit ice cream truck to make it in time for their nephew's birth.
Project type: Fiction Feature
Project status: Development
Writer/Director: Chae Talley
Producer: Auggie Mares
Cinematographer: Jon Pham
Email: ctalley@usc.edu
Instagram: @theicecreamtruckmovie
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Logline
In 2026 Montana, two brothers, fragmented by a past shared love, navigate trauma, betrayal and a fatal prognosis as they come together on a road trip in a decrepit ice cream truck to make it in time for their nephew’s birth.
Synopsis
In the days preceding their nephew’s birth, Cade arrives unexpectedly at his brother Brendan’s home. Brendan’s appearance is sickly and it is revealed that he has no interest in remedying their fractured relationship because Cade slept with his ex-wife. Cade forces Brendan’s hand by stealing his bus ticket and cancelling his credit cards, leaving him with no option except to accompany Cade on an interstate road trip in a decrepit ice cream truck to join their sister Ruby.
While talking to his fiancée, Cade quickly gets the sense that Brendan has relapsed. While Brendan is constantly sneaking pills whenever he is not watching, Cade has a secret of his own: his current fiancée is Brendan’s ex-wife Lisa. Over the course of the trip, Brendan slowly begins to let his guard down and the two begin to mend their sibling-hood. After a wildly drunken night at a cowboy bar, Cade carries a passed-out Brendan to their motel room where he finds Brendan’s stashed pills. After a heavily conflicted deliberation, Cade flushes his pills down the toilet.
As the two continue to grow closer, Cade contemplates telling Brendan about Lisa but Brendan starts experiencing frightening symptoms. When he goes to find his pills, Cade reveals that he threw them away and this sends Brendan into a blind-rage. After rushing to a pharmacy in the middle of the night, Brendan reveals that he has not relapsed but is in fact dying of hepatitis. It has progressed too far and it is inevitable that he will pass.
Meet the Filmmakers
Chae Talley — Writer/Director
Chae Talley is an award-winning director, screenwriter and producer currently residing in Los Angeles, California. Chae made his directorial debut in 2021 with the premiere of his short film Goodbye to Yesterday which received 53 awards including: Best Short, Best Director, Best Original Story, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Producer, Best Editing, Best Sound Design & more. The film’s success drew international attention and Chae was invited to screen his film and speak at the Cannes Indie Shorts Awards. His first venture as a creative was as writer/executive producer of his award-winning pilot Thank You For Your Patients. It was a made-for-TV hospital comedy that gained him a write-up in the November 2018 issue of “The Hollywood Reporter.” Chae is set to graduate from USC School of Cinematic Arts with an MFA in December 2025.
Auggie Mares — Producer
Auggie Mares is an East Los Angeles-based producer with a background in development and production across film and television. Most recently with Dylan Clark Productions, Auggie has contributed to over 100 original titles. Auggie began his career at Paramount Television Studios, assisting on series like Cross (Amazon) and Murderbot (Apple TV+), and has worked closely with top talent, studios, and buyers. A USC Film & TV MFA graduate, he brings a sharp creative instinct and deep production knowledge to every project he joins.
Jon Pham — Cinematographer
A graduate of the USC SCA, Jon Pham is a cinematographer whose work is defined by bold visual language and authentic, character-driven storytelling. Selected as a Cinematography Fellow for Film Independent’s Project Involve program, Jon’s work on All I Ever Wanted premiered at BFI Flare, Outfest, and 36 other festivals across the U.S. and internationally. In 2022, he was named a mentee in the American Society of Cinematographers’ Vision Mentorship Program under the guidance of Fernando Arguelles, ASC, AEC (Prison Break, Hemlock Grove). His work has been recognized by Film Independent, the ASC Vision Committee, and festival juries worldwide.
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Contact
For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.