writer
ROCKAWAY
Coming of age, Drama
Logline: Inspired by true events, a man recounts the summer of '94 when he and his brother plotted revenge against their abusive father.
Narrative Feature / Stand By Me meets The Sandlot
This coming of age story follows 6 boys in the summer of ’94 and the unbreakable bonds they formed in the face of life's greatest adversities; sweat and tears not likes and shares.
John, 8, and Anthony, 12, have high hopes of a Knicks Championship and a new, easier life. John relies on his older brother and his imagination for protection from their abusive father as they plot revenge against him. They've always had just each other and their secrets, until they meet a group of boys who show them the love and companionship only achieved through the laughs, sweat, and tears of sport and boyhood mischief.
The film is unveiled through our protagonist John, with narration by his older self from present day, as we follow this magical story of 6 young boys.
ROCKAWAY has concluded its Film Festival run, winning an impressive 9 Major Awards (6 Best Feature Films, 2 Best Actor, 1 Best Director) The film has gained major distribution with a theatrical release in January of 2019 and ROCKAWAY can now be found streaming on 50+ platforms in over 200 countries! Check out the website for more info, or find us on Amazon Prime, iTunes, FandangoNow, VerizonFios, Vudu, GooglePlay, MicrosoftMovies, and YouTube!
you. matter.
ANIMATED, DRAMA
LOGLINE: An astronaut is dislodged from her mothership, left with only her final thoughts of how and why this has happened to her.
Tony Award winner Laura Benanti (No Hard Feelings) and Cody John (Wu-Tang an American Saga) are set to provide voice over work for the animated film You. Matter. The film is being described as a near futuristic drama following an astronaut who has been dislodged from her mothership, left with only her final thoughts of how and why this could have happened to her. In addition, the film portrays a not so unimaginable future given the recent regression in women's rights and the rise of AI concerns.
You. Matter. is being directed and animated by John J. Budion (Rockaway), with Budion and his wife Elizabeth also serving as writers and editors on the project. The project will feature original art and characters from illustrator Rolo Ledesma, with Black Oak Sound and its founder Justin Matley handling all sound and original music.
Heavily influenced by Ray Bradbury's short story "Kaleidoscope" from his novel The Illustrated Man, the Budion's describe the film as being "cinematically visual with a unique blend of photo-real visual effects and graphic animated illustrations" using their iphones to drive motion capture animations. Get a first look at the film below.
Producing on the project are Cory Thompson (Barron's Cove, Rockaway) and Brendan Thomas (The Cat and The Moon) alongside Elizabeth Budion and John J. Budion under the Likeoni Films banner. The film is currently in Post-Production, and plans to have a festival run in 2025!
CIVILIAN
Drama
LOGLINE: A military veteran relieves the monotony of civilian life by taking on one last mission against his suspicious neighbors.
Narrative Feature / Crash meets Gran Torino and The Wrestler
CIVILIAN is a feature length screenplay that John is currently packaging to bring to production in 2025, with his manager and producer Cory Thompson.