The Ghosts of Highway 20

A musician meets a mysterious stranger at the crossroads, at midnight. This is the story of the stranger.

  • Tony Jonick
    Director
    The Less Said, Grandmama Tlzédeczkanü Comes to America
  • Tony Jonick
    Writer
    The Less Said, Grandmama Tlzédeczkanü Comes to America
  • Cate Celso
    Producer
    Pulse
  • Dorian Lockett
    Key Cast
  • Jamella Cross
    Key Cast
  • Elijah El-Amin
    Key Cast
  • Mark Montgomery French
    Soundtrack
  • Alisha McCutcheon
    Cinematographer
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Fantasy, psychological thriller, horror
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    November 3, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    3,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Panasonic GH5
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Scary Cow Film Festival, Audience Award
    San Francisco
    United States
    December 13, 2017
    San Francisco
    Audience Award, Best Soundtrack
  • I Hella Love Shorts
    Oakland, CA
    United States
    March 11, 2018
  • San Diego Comic Con International Film Festival
    San Diego
    United States
    July 10, 2018
  • World Science Ficton Convention 76
    San Jose
    United States
    August 17, 2018
  • Oakland International Film Festival
    Oakland
    United States
    September 19, 2019
Director Biography - Tony Jonick

Tony Jonick was born in Honolulu, Hawai'i and raised in the Fiji Islands, and Sydney, Australia. In 1975 his family returned to the Unites States. In 1985 he graduated from San Francisco State in Creative Writing. He met his wife, Kelly O'Hare, at Children's Fairyland in Oakland, where he was a ride operator and puppeteer. After 20+ years in publishing and graphics, he took a job with Apple, where he began to make short movies for internal use.

He made his first short, Jump Cut, in 2012 with two actor friends and a camera. In 2013 he joined the Scary Cow film co-op in San Francisco, where he has worked with other members on over 30 short films. As a director he has several short films and music videos, including the award winning Grandmama Tlzédeczkanü Comes to America (2015), and The Ghosts of Highway 20 (2017). He is also a producer, unit stills photographer, and sound designer.

Besides writing and directing, he is an actor, appearing in several short films, including Memento Mori (2017) and E.Z.P.Z. (2016). He is a published author, poet, and playwright. He lives in Oakland, CA where he and his wife still help at Fairyland.

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Director Statement

Driving down a dark road at night, I was reminded of the story of Robert Johnson, how he met the devil at the crossroads and became the greatest blues guitarist to have ever lived. I thought about all of the great musicians who burned hot and bright, and wondered about how they created beauty from personal tragedy. Since I don't believe in the devil, I imagined how all their stories might fit together in a universe both terrifying and wonderful. This film is a fantasy in the Neil Gaiman vein, set in on deep, dark southern Highway.