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The Fixer

THE FIXER is a crime, action, drama about an extorted Mafia enforcer who must partner with the femme fatale hired gun who murdered his wife in order to save his daughter and liberate himself from a sadistic Los Angeles crime boss.

  • Michael Schilf
    Director
    Sworn, The Rat., Float
  • Michael Schilf
    Writer
    Sworn, The Rat., Float
  • Michael Schilf
    Producer
    Sworn, The Rat., Float
  • Chase Kuker
    Producer
    Among the Shadows, The Rat., Echos of War
  • Ryan D. Wood
    Producer
    Despicable Me, Among the Shadows, Paint It Red, Death Pool
  • Danny Trejo
    Key Cast
    "Benito "Benny" Sanchez"
    Machete, Machete Kills, From Dusk Till Dawn, Heat
  • Jesse C. Boyd
    Key Cast
    "Jack Cross"
    The Highwaymen, Mindhunter, TURN: Washington's Spies
  • Veronica Diaz Carranza
    Key Cast
    "Camila De La Cruz"
    12 Strong, Dark Was the Night, Mamitas
  • Vincent van Hinte
    Key Cast
    "Dutch"
    Ingrid Goes West, Fallen Stars, 5th Passenger
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Crime, Action, Drama
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 9 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 25, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    40,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital ARRI mini 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Mammoth Film Festival
    Mammoth Lakes, CA
    United States
    February 28, 2020
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Beverly Hills Film Festival
    Beverly Hills, CA
    United States
    April 2, 2020
    Cancelled (due to Covid-19)
    Official Selection
  • International Filmmaker's Showcase (IFS): L.A. Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    May 1, 2020
    Cancelled (due to Covid-19)
    Winner - Best Supporting Actor in a Short Film (Danny Trejo) / Official Selection
  • International Filmmaker's Showcase (IFS): L.A. Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    May 1, 2020
    Cancelled (due to Covid-19)
    Winner - Best Action Film / Official Selection
  • The Hollywood First-Time Filmmaker Showcase
    Hollywood
    United States
    September 6, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Official Selection
  • Davinci International Film Festival
    Washington DC
    United States
    September 10, 2020
    Virtual Premiere (Due to Covid-19)
    Winner - Honorable Mention / Official Selection
  • Best Shorts Competition
    La Jolla
    United States
    September 15, 2020
    Online Festival / Awards Event
    Winner - Award of Excellence Special Mention / Official Selection
  • Indie Short Fest: Los Angeles International Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 1, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Nominated - Best Original Score (Chase Kuker and Ryan D. Wood) / Semi-Finalist / Official Selection
  • Indie Short Fest: Los Angeles International Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 1, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Nominated - Best Acting Ensemble (Jesse C. Boyd, Veronica Diaz Carranza, Vincent van Hinte, and Danny Trejo) / Semi-Finalist / Official Selection
  • Indie Short Fest: Los Angeles International Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 1, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Nominated - Best Producer (Michael Schilf, Chase Kuker, Ryan D. Wood) / Semi-Finalist / Official Selection
  • Indie Short Fest: Los Angeles International Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 1, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Winner - Best Sound Mixing (Joseph Cooke) / Award Nominated / Semi-Finalist / Official Selection
  • Indie Short Fest: Los Angeles International Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 1, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Winner - Best Supporting Actor (Danny Trejo) /
  • Indie Short Fest: Los Angeles International Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 1, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Winner - Best Actor (Jesse C. Boyd)) / Award Nominated / Semi-Finalist / Official Selection
  • Indie Short Fest: Los Angeles International Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 1, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Winner - Outstanding Achievement Award: Producer (Michael Schilf, Chase Kuker, Ryan D. Wood) / Award Nominated / Semi-Finalist / Official Selection
  • Indie Short Fest: Los Angeles International Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 1, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Winner - Best First Time Director / Award Nominated / Semi-Finalist / Official Selection
  • Indie Short Fest: Los Angeles International Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 1, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Winner - Best Thriller Short / Award Nominated / Semi-Finalist / Official Selection
  • Indie Short Fest: Los Angeles International Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 1, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Winner - Best Crime Short / Award Nominated / Semi-Finalist / Official Selection
  • Indie Short Fest: Los Angeles International Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 1, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Winner - Best Short (Overall) / Award Nominated / Semi-Finalist / Official Selection
  • Highland Park Independent Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 2, 2020
    Southern California Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Global Shorts
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 26, 2020
    Online Festival / Awards Event
    Finalist / Official Selection
  • Kosice International Monthly Film Festival
    Kosice
    Slovakia
    November 2, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Official Selection
  • Studio City International TV & Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    November 6, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Official Selection
  • HollyShorts Film Festival
    Sherman Oaks
    United States
    November 12, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Official Selection
  • Yucca Valley Film Festival
    Yucca Valley
    United States
    November 13, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Official Selection
  • Official Latino Film and Arts Festival
    Palm Desert
    United States
    November 27, 2020
    Virtual Festival (due to Covid-19)
    Official Selection
  • Accolade Global Film Competition
    La Jolla
    United States
    November 30, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Gold Movie Awards
    London
    United Kingdom
    January 15, 2021
    European Premiere
    Semi-Finalist / Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Shorts International Limited (Shorts TV) / Simon Young
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: Video on Demand, Paid TV
  • ISA TV Channel (Xerb TV) / Independent Shorts Awards
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: Internet, Video on Demand
Director Biography - Michael Schilf

Co-Founder of Lunar Door, an independent film production company, Michael Schilf is an award-winning writer, director, and producer.

A graduate of the USC’s School of Cinematic Arts (MFA in Writing for Film and Television), Schilf has penned twelve features, ten TV pilots, numerous shorts, and well over 100 advertising campaigns (including Nike, American Express, Volvo, Walmart, Ford, Target, Chrysler, Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes Benz), working with directors such as Jesse Dylan (American Wedding, Kicking & Screaming), James Frost (Radiohead’s “House of Cards”, OK Go’s “This Too Shall Pass”), and Steven Tsuchida (Community, New Girl, Sirens).

In 2010, Schilf co-founded The Script Lab, a screenwriting resource and entertainment news outlet, designed for writers, filmmakers, and creators. As President and Editorial Director, he developed content that helped The Script Lab gain brand recognition as an industry leader, providing high-quality E-learning and industry education to millions worldwide. In 2014, The Script Lab was acquired by TSL Media, Inc., and Schilf stayed on as an Educational Consultant.

Schilf is co-creator/writer of "Light," a sci-fi, action crime graphic novel and TV series; co- creator/writer of "Sworn," a fantasy, action, adventure TV series; and writer, director, producer of the award-winning short "The Fixer," co-staring Danny Trejo.

Currently, Schilf is pitching the pilot script for the "The Fixer" TV series while in pre-production on his directorial feature film debut, based on his memoir "The Sins of My Father," which takes an introspective look at growing up with an absentee, alcoholic, mentally ill father.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Creating stories has been my foundation ever since I bought my first VHS camera in the fifth grade. Of course, at the tender age of ten, I was more interested in filming G.I. Joe action figures engulfed in gasoline fueled fires within my backyard sand box. I imagine still today if you dug deep enough to the spot where my childhood imagination seemed limitless, you’d find the mangled remains of battle tested toys pitted against each other like gladiators among fortified sand castles and garden hose moats.

Although the stories behind those epic battles may have been void of complex internal character flaws, powerful plot point twists, and juxtaposing story lines, those battles still encapsulated the most fundamental foundation of a good story.

A character, let’s say the ultimate bad guy Skeletor from Masters of the Universe, is forced to face off against Optimus Prime from Transformers. Both characters have a want: to win the battle. Both face an obstacle: each other. Each goal propels the story forward while obstacles create conflict and tension.

Now I’m older: married, three kids, a mortgage. I’m a writer, director, producer, and a professor, who teaches writing. Yet despite all I’ve learned, the story equation remains the same: S = (C + W) x O.

A good story (S) is about an interesting character (C) who wants (W) something badly and faces obstacles (O) while struggling to achieve that goal.

I’m always looking for good stories. Sometimes the plot presents itself before the character, and at other times, the character evolves before the story, which was the case for "The Fixer." I was eating lengua tacos at a local Mexican stand in Los Angeles, thinking about family, acceptance and forgiveness. My wife is Mexican, and as a Caucasian of European descent, I had experienced first hand the intricate process of acceptance into a large ethnic family. Then I wondered, could an outsider be accepted into a mafia family? And with that, the character of Jack Cross was born.