Flounder

Flounder is an independent film created by high-school students featuring the thrilling story of a young runaway's adolescence and turbulent adventures. On his quest to find peace in the Sierra Nevadas, he finds himself in a counter-cultural façade. After overcoming his circumstances, he knows it's too late to turn back.

  • Preston Tholan
    Director
  • Preston Tholan
    Writer
  • Kimberly Vela
    Producer
  • Andrew Lebuhn
    Key Cast
  • Charlie Lubenow
    Key Cast
  • Emily Todd
    Key Cast
  • Jacob Ambrosini
    Key Cast
  • James Cruz
    Key Cast
  • Joseph Payne
    Key Cast
  • Kimberly Vela
    Key Cast
  • Matthew Fuentes
    Key Cast
  • Matthew Theriault
    Key Cast
  • Mckinley Clemons
    Key Cast
  • Mitch Darnell
    Key Cast
  • Rita Dolphin
    Key Cast
  • Rivka Roffino
    Key Cast
  • Robert Matas
    Key Cast
  • Tyler Page
    Key Cast
  • Warren Serkin
    Key Cast
  • Sam Slade
    Cinematography
  • Garet Jatsek
    Cinematography
  • Sam Slade
    Editor
  • Garet Jatsek
    Editor
  • Sam Slade
    Colorist
  • Garet Jatsek
    Sound
  • Annie Forsman
    Assistant Director
  • Jack Green
    Music Producer, PA, Boom Operator
  • Campbell Nolan
    Production Assistant
  • Ruby Elson
    Makeup Artist
  • Bella Vega
    Costume Designer
  • Jason Gorelick
    Poster Design
  • Project Type:
    Feature, Student
  • Genres:
    Adventure, Coming of Age, Independent, Youth, High-school, Drama
  • Runtime:
    48 minutes 8 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 8, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Lark Theater Private Screening
    Larkspur
    United States
    July 15, 2016
    Lark Theater
Director Biography - Preston Tholan

Preston was born in the late 90's and gained a sense of self through growing up in both Virginia and California. Ever since childhood, he took advantage of the opportunites that a new digital age gave him. The popularity of videocameras and sites like Youtube allowed the young creator to practice early story-telling. Preston currently studies Visual Media Cultures at University of Redlands in California.

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Director Statement

I think there's something in this film for everyone. I wanted to include the story of a young protagonist who would have a certain confidence in his ambitions, while still owning a great sense of timidity. I think that says a lot about who we value as a hero. Isaiah (Charle Lubenow) embodies a modern rebel who wishes to escape his destructive past and start fresh. To Isaiah, this means denying material constructs, and hitch-hiking to the beautiful Lake Tahoe in California's Sierra Nevada outskirts.

It all began during my third year of high school in Virginia's winter. What started as a Google Doc on my computer eventually turned into a more formatted screenplay on a program called Celtx. While things were cold and gloomy, perhaps I wanted a summer utopia much like the hopes of my character Isaiah. As I continued my writing, I discovered that I was doing more writing for Flounder than I was for English class (sorry Mrs. Cohen). My friends often heard, "I'm busy working on a project", as a vague response to my weekend plans. I often remind people that throughout this process, there was no pre-paved path. I was creating a film from scratch, and had no idea what I was doing in many ways. "Where do I get actors? Who is going to edit this? Will this ever play in theaters?" All my questions would be answered if I just kept working. Many questions were answered when I contacted an old friend in California (Kim Vela) who could appreciate my ambitious idea; to make a feature length film with almost no experience.

Flash forward only few months later, I was now living in California for my senior year and my self-taught "script" was pretty much complete. Kim, who had agreed to share my struggle, was now our producer. She introduced me to her high school peers, who are some of the most talented cinematographers, editors, and colorists I could ever ask for. It was all happening so fast. I remember sitting in an office building, awaiting acting auditions with our new team. We were knee-deep and there was no backing out. Hearing actors read my script gave me great satisfaction to see others believe in the project. I realized that although I was a leader, the film no longer belonged to me. It was a project that was pursued, not forced. Our small team of friends, actors, and editors all shared a common goal: to create this damn movie.