Private Project

Thanks for Picking Me Up

When hitchhiker Kiubon Kokko can’t talk to his dad in a car, he sees if strangers will open up to him.

  • Kiubon H Kokko
    Director
  • Hunter Kettering
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 25 seconds
  • Production Budget:
    4,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    France
  • Language:
    English, French, Spanish
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Kiubon H Kokko

Kiubon Kokko is a documentary filmmaker from Columbus, Ohio. He earned his B.A. in Media Studies from Claremont McKenna College. Since then, he has completed three short films and is currently working on his first feature documentary. His work has received recognition at the IES Film Festival, the Oscar-qualifying Drama International Short Film Festival, and has been featured at the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival. In 2025, he was a finalist for Kartemquin's and True/False's fellowship. He has also received support from O’Shaughnessy Ventures, which provided a $100,000 grant, as well as from Sundance and SXSW award winner Jim Cummings, and the Ohio Wexner Film/Video Fellowship.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The ending directly leads into the start of my first documentary feature. It would be a memorable and cathartic for audiences to leave the film wanting more... and then figure out all the answers a year later with the feature.