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Logline

Isla broke her simulation to avoid fate forcing her to break up with her boyfriend, Ezra; now, she’s living in a self-induced time loop.

Synopsis

Isla lives in a time loop on July 17th, the first day of a couple’s vacation. This broken simulation is her chosen rebellion against her predestination. She disrupts the timeline by following her impulsive thoughts. Every night, she breaks items in the vacation home she’s trapped in. Then she goes to sleep and wakes up on July 17th, thus stopping the timeline from moving forward to July 20th, the day she inevitably breaks up with her boyfriend, Ezra.She knows this because of messages left by her past self, plastered on the wall of her self-made HQ Room. Among them: “Avoid him. Garage.”, “It happens on the 20th.”, and “It won’t work out. He can’t go with you.”

Isla wants to move to New York City to revive her music career. Ezra hates New York and has his ideal life in Boulder. So, she planned to break up after the trip. But an overheard phone call spoiled the surprise—now Ezra’s using the vacation to win her back. Outside the house is an invisible perimeter. Cross it, and you get “blooped”—teleported back to the house. The simulation won’t let Isla leave, and she won’t let time move forward. Also stuck inside are Isla’s college friends, Faith and Donnie, a married couple who act like NPCs. When they become too annoying, Isla resets them, usually with a punch. They freeze and then reboot.

Ezra, however, is missing—until he suddenly reappears, acting like nothing’s wrong. Past Isla warns: “No intimate contact”—it might move the timeline forward. So Isla keeps resetting him, desperate for the simulation to take him back. But now, each reset makes Ezra sick. Stay put, and he suffers. Move forward, and they break up—an inconvenient pickle she’s made for herself.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Scott Mckinney— Writer/Director/Producer
Scott McKinney is a filmmaker from a small town in Nebraska, passionate about telling stories that bring laughter and empathy into the world. An MFA graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design in Film and Television, Scott has written, directed, and produced numerous short films and music videos. His latest short, Here’s the Rules, is currently on the festival circuit. The comedy explores ADHD by following a guy who loves hanging out with his friends but zones out when they explain the rules of their unnecessarily complex board game. Scott graduated from the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) improv program and taught several screenwriting courses, bringing both comedic instincts and a strong narrative structure to his work. He served as the 2nd Unit Director on an indie feature, As Real as You Make It, and was a writer/director on the narrative podcast Black Rain. His films have won Best Comedy at several festivals, and in 2024, he took home Best Director and Best Film at the LA 48-Hour Horror/Comedy Festival. His upcoming feature, Oh, No!, continues his exploration of mental health—this time focusing on trauma—blending emotional depth with humor to create space for conversation

Jackson Brown — Producer/Composer
Jackson is a giggle away from a good time. He has worked in many facets of film, but his passions lie in composing and sound design. With both a marketing and an accounting degree from the University of Arkansas and his audio engineering education from Icon Collective, he’s excited to get to wear multiple hats as we try to tell the stories that mean something to all of us.

Benjamin Hatmaker — Producer
Benjamin Hatmaker is a PGA West producer specializing in narrative content in scripted productions and studio/network relations. He is best known for overseeing the transition from broadcast to streaming platforms at WarnerMedia, helping craft innovative post-production workflows for the new HBO Max streaming service and legacy broadcast networks like TNT and TBS. As coordinator of post-production for Turner and Max Scripted Originals, he worked on over 70 narrative live-action and animated shows and films like Kaley Cuoco’s thriller Flight Attendant, Ridley Scott’s epic sci-fi drama Raised by Wolves, to Olan Rogers’ animated comedy Final Space.

Sarah Redd — Cinematographer
Sarah Reddy’s journey took her from Bristol, Indiana to Los Angeles, where she earned her MFA in Film Production with a focus in Cinematography from Chapman University. After graduating, she began shooting an array of projects—from commercials to music videos—while working as a technician at a film rental house. This hands-on experience with cameras and lenses sharpened her technical skills and sparked a passion for visual innovation. She has collaborated with brands like Blazar and Kinefinity, and crafted the look for A Good Hang, a multicam music event filmed at PLYRZ Studio. Sarah’s technical expertise and passion for storytelling have prepared her to bring Oh, No! to life.

Anna Telfer — Lead Actor
Anna Telfer is a bicoastal actor and singer whose recent screen credits include The Puppetman (Shudder), Lost in Tomorrow (AppleTV, Tubi), and We’re So Sorry (post-production). She has appeared in over 20 national commercials and numerous stage productions, including the national tour of Madagascar the Musical and the Off-Broadway run of Ode to the Wasp Woman. In 2024, Anna won Best Actress at the 48-Hour Horror/Comedy Film Festival for her performance in VisionRey’s Idle Hands (directed by Scott McKinney). She also has an upcoming role on AppleTV set to be announced later this year. Anna is represented by Daniel Hoff.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.