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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 is self-aware that she is a character in a story with an ending she cannot accept. She is trapped in a time loop on July 17th, the first day of a couple’s vacation. Three days later, on July 20th, she will break up with her boyfriend, Ezra, her best friend, and the best part of her life. Rather than let that ending play out, Isla breaks the simulation she lives in and refuses to let time move forward.

Breaking the simulation is simple. You follow intrusive impulses that ruin the simulation’s tidy, predestined story. Notes left by Isla’s past self cover the walls of her self-made HQ Room, warning her that “It happens on the 20th.” Every night, Isla destroys objects in the vacation house, then goes to sleep and wakes up on July 17th again. Her prison may be self-induced, but a small price to pay to avoid breaking Ezra’s heart.

Before the loop, Isla and Ezra were vacationing with Isla’s college friends Faith and Donnie, a married couple now stuck behaving like NPCs. They endlessly push the vacation forward, which annoys Isla. When they get too annoying, she resets them (usually by punching them in the face). They freeze and fall to the ground, then reboot as if nothing happened. An invisible barrier traps everyone inside the rental house. Cross it, and you blip out of existence, only to reappear by the front door.

Ezra, meanwhile, has been missing. Isla believes the simulation removed him to stop them from living on July 17th forever. She convinces herself this is necessary because messages from Past Isla warn that Ezra’s presence, especially “ANY intimate contact,” could advance the timeline. As long as he is gone, Isla can keep July 20th at bay. If she never lives July 20th, then she never breaks his heart.

Then Ezra suddenly reappears, acting as if the original timeline is intact. Panicked, Isla repeatedly resets him, demanding the simulation take him back. It does not. However, each reset makes Ezra violently ill. Now Isla faces the dilemma she created. Stay trapped, and Ezra suffers. Move forward, and she loses him.
 

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.