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OJAI

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OJAI Behind the Scenes Production Photos

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OJAI

OJAI is an upcoming feature film written and directed by David A. Thompson.

The film’s principle photography wrapped in October 2020 and it is now in Post-Production.

What is OJAI about?

It’s about a kid named Ricky.
He’s losing his mom to something out of his control: cancer.
They’ve tried everything. Seemingly every treatment in the world.
They hear about an experimental treatment. This one is being hosted in the quaint town of OJAI.
They pack their things and relocate.

The treatment begins.
Ricky starts to see less and less of his Mom as she spends more time at the facility.
Ricky isn’t sure how his Mom is doing.
She’ll come home sometimes to visit and check in.
Sometimes it seems like she’s doing well, maybe even better.
Other times Ricky could swear that she’s about to die.

“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to
change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
– Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr, American Theologian

In the end – Ricky learns a lesson similar to the message of the Serenity Prayer.
He must realize some things in this world are out of his control.
Even when they involve the people most dear to you.

OJAI is about the absolute mayhem of growing up.
It’s the total overload we experience when we try to make sense of the world.
OJAI is the emotions we can’t put into words.
But we really don’t want to put them into words.
They wouldn’t feel the same if we did.

We all have feelings that surpass our words.
We don’t know how to express them. So we look for them.
We look for them everywhere. I know I do.
You’ll find them here, in OJAI.

BRIEF

Award winning Los Angeles based filmmaker David Austin Thompson and the Ojai Film Team are currently in post-production on the feature film simply titled “OJAI”. The film is an ode to the town he called home for 8 formative years, and to his late mother, Anne.

After graduating from film school in 2016 and securing a post-production position at Ingenuity Studios in Hollywood, David moved to Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking. He now finds himself revisiting Ojai with fresh eyes. Though the project has been in development for many years, the loss of his mother in 2018 shifted his perspective, and he carefully restructured the film to honor her life.

“OJAI” is a Soft Sci-Fi Drama feature film. The film centers around a boy named Ricky, who is slowly losing his mom, Katherine, to cancer. After seemingly trying every experimental treatment in the world, they learn about a new experimental treatment being hosted in the quaint town of Ojai, California. They relocate and the treatment begins. Ricky begins to see less and less of his mom as she spends more time at the treatment facility. Some days she seems well, maybe even better; other times Ricky could swear she’s about to die.

As Ricky tries to adjust to his new life, he becomes increasingly skeptical of the town’s innocence and more concerned for his mom’s well-being than ever. He meets Jasmin, who seems to know a lot more about this experimental treatment than she’s letting on. Ricky befriends a host of other people, all with their own ideas and advice to share with Ricky in his time of grief. It becomes more than just a little overwhelming for him.

CHARACTERS

  • RICKY
  • JASMIN
  • DANIEL
  • RAY
  • KATHERINE
  • THE RIGID MAN
  • THE PROFESSOR

Played by Noah Toth

With his father out of the picture, Ricky has put it upon himself to care for his mom as she struggles with cancer.
Ricky is always given a very murky picture of how his mom is actually doing.
When they move to Ojai, that picture only gets murkier.

As Ricky tries to adjust to his new life, he becomes increasingly skeptical of the town’s innocence and more concerned for his mom’s well-being than ever.
He meets Jasmin. She proves to be a very helpful distraction for him.

Maybe a little too distracting.


Played by Vesta Tuckute

Jasmin is to Ojai what Regina George is to Mean Girls. She runs the town in her own mind, and in some ways, she actually does run the place.
Her father, Ray, is obviously connected to a shadowy and dark organization, but Jasmin feigns ignorance at her dad’s dealings.

She just wants to get the hell out of Ojai and never look back.

Much easier said than done as it turns out. She doesn’t talk much about losing her mom to cancer, even if her father can’t seem to let go.
She meets Ricky. Wow what a breath of fresh air. But now he’s another thing that she could lose. That scares her.

Better not get too close.


Played by Moses Massena

Ray’s adopted son.

Daniel prefers to hide his psychological issues in hopes that he can blend in with the rest of his friends.

He has some radical theories on all of the unexplainable events occurring in the Ojai valley. He’s careful to not share these ideas if he can help it.

When Ricky (lead) enters into Daniel’s life, Daniel gets it into his mind that he must save Ricky from the vast conspiracy that plagues the Ojai valley.

Ricky’s not convinced he’s the one who needs saving.

Daniel may never fully win Ricky over into his conspiracy-laden worldview, but he does win Ricky over as a friend. A true friend. Maybe that’s enough.


Played by Aion Boyd

At first glance, Ray is a fun loving, flip flop wearing, party throwing, old money conservative who just wants the best for everyone.

Take a closer look and you’ll see Ray is in way over his head doing business with a black budget government operation who has made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Ray just wants to find a way to bring his wife back from the dead, he thinks he’s found it with these shadowy government goons if he can keep the act up long enough.

Sounds like Ray has lost his marbles? It might.
But after what Ray has seen, it’s the realest thing in the world to him.


Played by Anne Alexander-Sieder

Mother of the lead role, Ricky.
Katherine has had many mid life crises in her time. She’s done it all, from being an airline pilot to being a college professor of biochemistry.
If she had any say in it, she would never retire, just keep trying new things and taking care of the one love left in her life, her son Ricky.
She’s now found herself diagnosed with terminal cancer, and she’s having a very hard time processing this reality.

She’s horrified to accept the reality of what is happening to her.
Much less the reality of the experiment she is now a part of.

She can’t bare to come clean with her son about the reality of her condition. Possibly because she doesn’t even know it herself.


Played by Oscar nominee Eric Roberts

The Rigid Man is Ray’s shadowy handler and overseer.

He appears to remind Ray who is truly in control and to check in on the clandestine projects happening on Ray’s Ojai ranch.


Played by Ayoola Ayolola

The Professor seems to have been given very free reign to teach his classes as he pleases.

It’s not quite clear at first if our main characters are going to get anything meaningful from these classes.

Turns out there’s wisdom hidden in even the strangest circumstances.

THE CREW

  • DAVID
  • JEYLA
  • JOAQUIM
  • JENNIFER

David Austin Thompson – Director/Writer
ABOUT

Jeyla Mendoza – Producer
IMDB

Joaquim Adriá Pujol – Director of Photography
WEBSITE

Jennifer Shadd – Casting Director
WEBSITE

April 7, 2019
david
© Copyright David Austin Thompson and OJAI FILM LLC 2022