Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program opens the door to nonprofit funding for independent filmmakers and media artists. Donate today and help bring Night At The Oasis to life.

Logline

At a Florida highway rest stop, a sheltered pre-teen is accidentally abandoned while accompanying her truck driver father on a delivery.

Synopsis

The film opens on intimate iPhone footage: Sebastian, Mia, Leo, and Lilly laughing beside his semi-truck. The image freezes mid-laugh.
Seven years later, 12-year-old Lilly watches that same footage in her bedroom, aching for escape. After a fight with her mom, she’s punished by having to join her truck-driver dad on an overnight run. At a routine stop, Sebastian leaves her asleep in the cab. She wakes and wanders into the Oasis, gift shops, food courts, neon adulthood. She buys a cheap silver charm bracelet. Behind her, Sebastian drives off, assuming she’s still asleep.

Stranded, Lilly masks fear with curiosity. She falls in with a group of Oasis workers (Sam, Raymond, Nadia, and Yun), feeling, for the first time, seen and almost grown. As night falls, the Oasis shifts: cigarettes, lies about her age, blurred boundaries. Meanwhile, a tire blowout delays Sebastian. When he realizes Lilly is gone, panic sets in. A police stop, dead phone batteries, and distance compound his guilt. When he finally reaches Lilly by phone, his fear explodes into anger. Devastated and convinced she has no home to return to, Lilly leaves with Sam and her boyfriend, Tate.

The fantasy collapses quickly. Tate throws Lilly out of the car. Alone on the highway, she shrinks against the dark before making her way back to the Oasis.
When Sebastian arrives, the Oasis is nearly empty. He searches frantically, clashing with a police officer in desperation—until he sees Lilly. They reunite. It isn’t forgiveness. It’s relief. For the first time, he doesn’t yell. For the first time, she lets herself be held.

On old iPhone footage, Lilly gets ready for her school dance. The frame is shaky, intimate. The family gathers in the background—unposed, imperfect, together. Lilly grabs the phone and runs out the door laughing.

Meet the Filmmakers

Kim Caicedo — WRITER/DIRECTOR
Colombian-American writer/director Kim Caicedo brings over a decade of experience in New York advertising and production to her films. She holds a master’s degree in film directing from the American Film Institute, where her thesis film Francis won the DGA Student Jury Prize in the Latino category. She is also an alum of the Panavision New Filmmaker Program.

Her work has been recognized by Creativity International, the Webbys, and Fast Company’s Design Awards. Her clients include – Adidas, META, BlackRock, and T–Mobile. Her debut feature, The Pines was nominated for Best Feature by NewFilmmakers LA .Her second feature Sheepwell, is currently in post-production and slated for release in 2026. Kim’s films have screened at festivals around the world. Dedicated to preserving the art of celluloid, Kim often works with 16mm and 35mm formats, embracing the distinctive texture and specificity that film brings to her visual. storytelling.

Heliya Alam — PRODUCER
Heliya Alam is a producer who believes the best stories are the ones that shake you awake, whether through emotion, facts, or a single image you can’t forget. With a background in cinematography and a degree from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, she began her career at Warner Bros. marketing department producing promos and teasers.

She left the studio to chase her true passion, storytelling, and to this day she has produced seven feature films. Some of her films include but are not limited to, The Birthday Cake (Ewan Mcgregor, Val Kilmer, Penn Badgley), On Our Way(Michael Neeson, Jordana Brewster, James Badge Dale), A Place In The Field (Mishel Prada, Marlene Forte, Don DiPetta).

Her projects have partnered with distributors such as Lionsgate, Screen Media, and Gravitas Ventures. While producing independent films, she continued to work with networks and studios on TV and film campaigns and nurtured those relationships with clients such as Netflix, Hulu, and Apple TV.

Heliya’s work as a producer has screened at festivals including Cannes International Film Festival, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, and many more.

Warner Davis — PRODUCER
Warner Davis began his career at MGM Studios before holding key roles at both Starz and Lionsgate Entertainment. He is the co‑founder of Hemlock Circle Productions and an active member of the Producers Guild of America and the Television Academy.

Over the past decade, Warner has produced and packaged a slate of successful independent films, including ‘The Re‑Education of Molly Singer’, which became a Top 10 title on Netflix in 2024 and starred Jaime Pressly, Britt Robertson, Nico Santos, and Ty Simpkins.

His additional credits include the cult‑favorite horror comedies ‘Black Friday’—featuring Michael Jai White, Bruce Campbell, and Devon Sawa, ‘The Funhouse Massacre’,— starring Robert Englund and Jere Burns. Warner’s recent projects continue to earn industry attention: ‘Coup!’—starring Peter Sarsgaard—premiered at the prestigious Venice Film Festival, while ‘Bad Man’, featuring Seann William Scott and Rob Riggle and written by the screenwriter of ’30 Minutes or Less’, and also critically acclaimed ‘Marshmallow’ which premiered the summer of 2025.

Camila Pons Del Toro — PRODUCTIONS DESIGNER
Architect. Intuitive and creative, with a great sense of organization, logistics and problem solving. Passion for visual arts and design. Constantly exploring how it influences and moves us as humans and incredibly curious about the story objects and spaces hide within.

Camila Pons Del Toro is a Los Angeles-based production designer and set decorator originally from Mexico. She is known for her visually captivating storytelling and innovative design approach. She holds a Master’s degree in Production Design from the American Film Institute and has crafted immersive worlds for film using handmade elements, bespoke props, and maximalist aesthetics. Although her passion lies in fantasy and period films, her love for world-building and attention to detail shines through in all her work, from indie feature films to music videos and commercials. Her work has been nominated and awarded at numerous film festivals, including AFI Fest, the DGA Awards, Palm Springs International Film Festival, GLAFF, and HollyShorts. A passionate collector of coffee table books, vintage holiday decor, and quirky memorabilia, Camila draws inspiration from diverse cultural influences and is dedicated to creating powerful narratives through thoughtful design.

Her design philosophy is rooted in creating spaces that resonate emotionally, making people feel they belong within the worlds she builds. Known for her creativity, intuition, and knack for organization, she strives to unearth the hidden stories within objects and spaces. For Camila, design is about more than beauty; it’s about crafting environments that tell stories, inviting people to connect deeply with the spaces around them.

Jessica Arzate — CINEMATOGRAPHER
Jessica Arzate is a Mexican cinematographer based in Los Angeles, working across narrative and commercial formats with an emphasis on intimate, character-driven storytelling. A graduate of the American Film Institute, her visual sensibility is shaped by cross-cultural experiences across Mexico and the U.S. Rooted in collaboration and guided by intuition, Jessica approaches image-making as both a technical craft and a reflective practice, often drawing from her background in philosophy to ground each project in authenticity. When she’s not on set, she’s hiking the trails of Los Angeles or developing her next film project.

Make a donation to Night At The Oasis.

Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.