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Logline

A gifted perfumer who can recreate any luxury perfume, except his own original scent, must go home to the father and the Georgia land he’s spent his life running from and build a perfume from what he finds there.

Synopsis

Henry Logan Jr., known as Olf, a play on “olfactory”, 32, brilliant and emotionally sealed. He can reverse engineer any luxury perfume. A certified hydraulic systems technician by day and secret perfumer by night, selling dupe perfumes outside Atlanta clubs. Olf doesn’t stay still. He lives in a customized RV. Staying still would mean confronting the father who abandoned his family twenty-seven years ago, the 500-acre South DeKalb County farm that has held four generations through history that wasn’t always appreciative of African American landowners, and the grief living in his body since age eight, where he lost his mother, and briefly, his sense of smell. But while Olf can recreate any luxury perfume, he cannot make his own original scent.

When a sponsorship sends him to study at a prestigious perfume academy in Grasse, France, Olf is technically dazzling and emotionally empty. He has spent his life trying to recreate what he has lost. He has never once let himself grieve it. His teacher’s verdict is swift: “Your scent is too technically pleased with itself.” Dismissed, nose-blind for the second time in his life, he returns home.

There his sister Jasmine is quietly holding the family together, and Big Henry, his father, ill, is trying to find his way back to the family. What follows is a story of three people learning to become a family.

Olf finds his formulas in the Georgia red clay, the fermenting peaches, the bourbon-soaked air of their Cherry-Logan farm. With Big Henry he creates a successful niche perfume, Southern Alchemy, made from generations of African American owned land and love. It is a gift from father to son, and from son to the world.

Meet the Filmmakers

Ayoka Chenzira — Writer/Director/producer
Ayoka Chenzira is an Emmy and NAACP nominated director whose work spans film, episodic television, animation, and interactive media. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Directors Guild of America, Ayoka made history as the first African American woman animator with Hair Piece: a film for nappyheaded people, now preserved in the National Film Registry. Her feature film, Alma’s Rainbow, developed at the Sundance Institute, placed her among the first African American women to write, produce, and direct a 35mm feature film; the Academy Film Archive restored the film with funding from the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.

In television, Ayoka has directed for Kindred (FX), A League of Their Own (Amazon), Queen Sugar and Greenleaf (OWN), Trinkets (Netflix), Dynasty (The CW), and Beacon 23 (MGM+), and directed four of the eight episodes, including the finale, of the upcoming Amazon series Joseph of Egypt.

Ayoka created HERadventure, an interactive cinema project that debuted at South-by-Southwest. Her body of work has been shown internationally and many of her films are in permanent collections including MoMA and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Ayoka’s films are available on the Criterion Channel, and through Kino Lorber and Milestone Films

Haj Chenzira-Pinnock — Producer
HaJ is an Emmy-nominated and award-winning producer, creator, and Founder & CEO of VibeKast. For more than two decades she has worked across film and television with Academy Award–winning writers, producers, and directors, helping bring distinctive stories to market.

Through VibeKast, she built new economic infrastructure around film and television IP, creating a sustainable ecosystem where creators, audiences, and investors can participate in the journey of premium stories while supporting creator ownership and long-term value.

A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a BFA in Drama, HaJ is a second-generation storyteller committed to honoring the artistic craft of great storytelling.

Anka Malatynska — Director of photography
Anka Malatynska is renowned for her visionary cinematography which was honored as one of Variety’s 10 Cinematographers to Watch in 2020. Her work is characterized by a profound magical realism that continues to redefine visual storytelling in television. Recently, she partnered with Director Steve Buscemi on his feature film The Listener, starring Tessa Thompson, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival.

Known for her dark and elegant style, Anka lensed HBO Max’s “Pretty Little Liars Original Sin”, Hulu’s “Kindred”, and “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” Her versatility is evident whether capturing darkness and tension or exploring underwater and sunlit environments.

Anka’s latest collaboration with prolific director John Wells exemplifies her ability to skillfully juxtapose natural beauty with the gritty realities, as seen in her evocative portrayal of mythical monsters in “Monsterland.” Her talent for blending innovation with emotional depth solidifies her position as a leading force in cinematic artistry.

Born in Poland and raised as a global nomad, she fondly recalls early memories of National Geographic magazines that ignited her curiosity about the broader world. Her father, a Himalayan mountain climber, provided her with a rich tapestry of ideas and images despite the constraints of their environment.

PATRICK RICHMOND — First Assistant Director
Patrick has worked in the film and television industry for over two decades. He has built a diverse resume spanning major feature films, television dramas, comedy series, and live tournaments. His work has have taken him from a sun-baked desert in California, to the snowy peak of Mt. Fuji in Japan, to the majestic Danube in Budapest.

As a holder of three citizenships; Ireland (E.U.), United Kingdom and the United States, productions that have utilized his varied skillset, have also been grateful for the myriad tax breaks the multiple countries have to offer when working there.

Patrick has contributed to high-profile projects, including the Apple TV+ historical war film Greyhound (2020) starring Tom Hanks and the acclaimed Peacock drama series, Bel-Air (2005), and ABC’s The Neighbors. Patrick has been a vital part of multiple directorial teams nominated for Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards. He earned a nod for his work on the “Election Day” episode of Modern Family, directed by Bryan Cranston.

Known for his meticulous attention to detail and efficiency, Patrick continues to be a trusted creative partner to directors and producers alike

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact [email protected].