Tell No Tales

One night in April, a story came into my head that wouldn't leave, so I wrote it down before it changed its mind. My 30th birthday was around the corner, and I knew it was time to make another film. But could I make a Western for $8,000?

TELL NO TALES can't compete with the epic scope of the Sergio Leone films I adore, but it is inspired by them. This 11-minute Western thriller follows three outlaws as they venture into the desert to claim their last score. But there's more than money buried beneath the surface, as their excursion rapidly devolves into suspicion, hatred, and inevitable violence.

2018 has been a good year for Westerns (WESTWORLD, GODLESS, BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS, THE SISTERS BROTHER). The genre persists because it constantly reexamines itself, and the past it portrays. Our story explores a lesser known side of the West, with the first influx of Korean immigrants. In 1882, a decade after a large Asian workforce helped complete the First Transcontinental Railroad, The Chinese Exclusion Act banned Chinese laborers from entering the country, while the Korea Treaty of 1882 established mutual friendship with the comparatively tiny country of Korea. Our story considers the "What if?" scenario of a Korean Cowboy hacking it on the American Frontier.

Making this film reminded me how important it is to take the reins, not hold back, and tell the stories that excite us instead of waiting for permission. I was fortunate to be surrounded with talented, passionate, driven individuals who went above and beyond what was asked of them, making this experience the best 30th birthday present I could hope for.

TELL NO TALES was a personal challenge, an exercise in ambition, and a labor of love. I'm very happy I made it, and I hope you enjoy the result.