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Logline

The King of Versailles is about Mike Carrier, a cultural investigator and comedian, struggling with the sudden loss of his biggest fan: his grandfather. When Miami University announces a building will be named in his honor, Mike goes on a road trip to attend the dedication ceremony. Along the way, he investigates: “What’s the best way to keep a dead loved one’s memory alive?” Is it simply with a gravestone, extravagantly with a building, spiritually with a medium channeling their words, or digitally with an AI avatar?

Synopsis

Growing up with buckteeth, severe acne, a unibrow, and divorced parents who lived two blocks apart, childhood was rough for Mike Carrier. He never felt like he fit in with his dad who was a football fanatic, his brother who was all-state in football, or his mom who played ice hockey. Mike cared about something different: comedy. Keep in mind: this was the early ’90s before social media was a thing. So most of the time Mike felt super alone.

Eventually Mike worked up the courage to start expressing himself through comedy. Things started out terribly. But fast-forward 20 years and Mike has sold comedy TV shows to Warner Bros. and Comedy Central, written animated comedies for Netflix and Nickelodeon, and even won the LA Comedy Festival. He achieved all this by adopting one single creative philosophy: dare to be different. Because then, you’ll be remembered…

One of the first people to believe in Mike as a kid was his grandfather, Papaw. They remained close friends for decades. Even when Mike moved to LA so he could chase his comedy dreams, he called Papaw nearly every Sunday for 13 years. Unfortunately, Mike never got to say goodbye to Papaw before he died. He passed away suddenly just days before he could have met Mike’s baby, his first great-grandchild.

Looking back on their relationship, Mike remembers all the road trips Papaw took him on. At the time, Mike was a kid so a road trip felt like cruel and unusual punishment. But as an adult, Mike understands how special those road trips were. Now Mike wishes he could go on one more road trip with Papaw.

Out of the blue, Miami University announced that a building will be named in Papaw’s honor. Mike is thrilled to go celebrate his grandfather’s legacy. The problem is that celebrating Papaw won’t be as fun without Papaw there. So Mike sets off on a mission to figure out how to bring Papaw with him. If he hires a medium to channel Papaw’s spirit or uses an app to create a digital avatar of Papaw, maybe they can go on one last road trip together after all.

Since Mike’s goal has always been to stand out so he’ll be remembered, he’s incredibly excited that Papaw will be remembered long after he’s gone thanks to his building. This inspires Mike to go even further and experiment so he can definitively answer: “What’s the best way to keep a dead loved one’s memory alive?”

The King of Versailles is a documentary with heart and humor that explores mental health, grief, technology, and comedy as a coping mechanism.

Meet the Filmmakers

Christopher Guerrero — Director
Christopher Guerrero is a queer, disabled, Latinx filmmaker from Selma, California, whose work fuses genre, heart, and social consciousness. Growing up in a town with underfunded schools, he found power in storytelling to challenge injustice. Drawing from his Central Valley roots and experience with dyslexia and ADHD, Christopher brings empathy, humor, and visual precision to his work. A graduate and directing professor at USC, he has directed national campaigns for Disney, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft, featuring talent such as The Rock and Jack Black. His award-winning films blend horror and social commentary, screening at festivals like Slamdance and Austin Film Festival. His short Reprogrammed won the 2025 Frieze LA Film Award; his drama Monday Morning premieres at LA Shorts; and his latest project, LOCUST GROVE, won the Eli Roth Horror Section/WeShort Horror Short Film Script Competition, and he is currently directing the short with Eli Roth as Executive Producer. A Circle member of Rideback Rise, a fellow of RespectAbility Lab and Ghetto Film School, Christopher also advocates for labor equity. His goal is to create visually daring television that amplifies underrepresented voices, telling culturally resonant stories that entertain and empower. Still pitching. Still directing. Always pushing forward.

Mike Carrier — Executive Producer
Mike Carrier is an award-winning comedian / writer who has sold pilots to WARNER BROS. and COMEDY CENTRAL. He won the LA COMEDY FESTIVAL and earned first prize in the RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. Mike’s written for NETFLIX, THE NEW YORKER, and NICKELODEON. His BUZZFEED videos have 2 billion views including one where he hired a bounty hunter to try arresting him while he went on the run.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.