When three college students get stuck on an isolated road, they soon find themselves in all too familiar territory.

Three students get stuck on an isolated road after their car breaks down while driving back to college. With no phone reception, they argue with each other over what to do before separating to find help. In an unfamiliar area, they each experience a terrifying discovery that makes them feel like their lives may be in danger. Forced to take refuge in the car, the students resolve their personal conflicts just in time to face a new frightening reality when help finally reaches them.

Sundown Road teaser

FOR PUBLICITY AND PRESS INQUIRIES:

sundownroadfilm@gmail.com

Director’s Statement:

“The idea for this film came to me in 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 lockdown. I was feeling scared of the world while being in the most familiar and safe space I knew, my home. I kept thinking about people being in a space that seemed safe and then realizing later it was just the opposite, that something may be out there to get them. A common horror film trope. But this idea also made me think about the history of sundown towns in the U.S., seemingly “normal” towns, but in reality horrifying spaces for targeted populations of people. I decided to bring the horror of real life to a fictional story.”

M. Asli Dukan – Writer | Producer | Director

Asli is a writer, producer, director and editor with over 20 years of professional experience in independent film and video production in the U.S. and internationally in countries like Antigua, Brazil and France. She has written, produced and directed dozens of short fiction films, short documentaries and music videos. Her films have screened at numerous festivals in North America including at Imagenation in New York, Newark International in New Jersey, BlackStar in Philadelphia, Langston Hughes in Seattle and T.O. Webfest in Toronto, Canada.

She has worked with such talents as Octavia E. Butler, Samuel R. Delany, Nnedi Okorafor, NK Jemison, Nichelle Nichols, Wesley Snipes, Tamar-kali, 50 Cent, LL Cool J and Ernest Dickerson. She has also worked with organizations and companies like the General Mills, Black Rock Coalition, Cortes Films, MIX NYC, Afropunk, LOGO TV, MTV Networks and Viacom.

She has been the recipient of several grants, awards and fellowships, including a 2016 Transformation Award from the Leeway Foundation, a 2016 NBPC 360 fellowship from Black Public Media, a 2018 Flaherty Seminar fellowship, a 2020 Independence Public Media grant, and a 2020 Sundance Institute Knight Alumni grant.

As a filmmaker, Asli works primarily in the genres of speculative fiction as a subversive, radical and liberatory practice. In 2018, she completed Resistance: the battle of philadelphia, a near-future web series about a community’s struggle against state surveillance and violence. In 2022, she completed Sundown Road, a short horror film about the residue of racial discrimination, intimidation and violence in the northeast United States. Currently, she is in development on the anthology horror film, Skin Folk, based on the book inspired by Caribbean folklore by the award-winning writer, Nalo Hopkinson.

Eric Hammitt as JERRY/THM

Nikki Harmon – Producer

Nikki is a producer, educator, and Program Director for SIFTMedia 215, a cooperative that centers Black and Latinx women-identified independent media artists who work in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. She recently produced and directed a short documentary, The Last Responder, as a part of the SIFTMedia 215 COVID1619 Project. Recently, she produced two short films, Tonight, We Eat Flowers, part of the BlackStar Filmmaking Lab, and Sundown Road, directed by M. Asli Dukan.

She has written, produced, directed, and performed in various technical positions on several documentaries, short narratives, educational and industrial films, music videos, and feature-length films. In 2002, She joined Banyan Productions and worked on three seasons of TLC’s “A Wedding Story” as a researcher, associate producer, and producer.

Throughout her career, however, Nikki has maintained her commitment to education and has taught for community organizations such as the Big Picture Alliance and Scribe Video Center and at the undergraduate level at Drexel and Arcadia Universities and Chestnut Hill College as an adjunct professor. She has also self-published two novels, When I Was your Girlfriend and Neither Here Nor There under Mt. Airy Girl Press. A native Philadelphian, she graduated from Wesleyan University and returned to Philadelphia to pursue a career in television and film production.  She received her MFA in Media and Film Arts from Temple University.

Trevite Willis – Executive Producer

Award-winning producer, Trevite A. Willis has produced digital content projects, short and feature films since 1999.

Her work includes CHILDREN OF GOD which had theatrical releases in the US, UK and The Netherlands, won 17 awards, and sold in 24 territories.

Currently, Ms. Willis is in post production on a documentary about the Baltimore mayoral election, ROUGH RIDE: RACE FOR MAYOR OF CHARM CITY. She also has two projects readying for the festival circuit. A human trafficking drama, CARGO, starring British actor Warren Brown (LUTHER), Jimmy Jean Louis (HEROES), Persia White (GIRLFRIENDS), and Omar Dorsey (QUEEN SUGAR). Also a supernatural thriller, THE DARK RITE, starring up and coming talent, Eden Brolin (BEYOND), Ross Wellinger (LONG DISTANCE), Eric Nelsen (WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES) and Justiin Davis (BOARDWALK EMPIRE).

Ms. Willis previously produced the award-winning short film, PASSAGE; Black gay coming-of-age feature BLUEPRINT; web series, 31 and short film, UNCLE KILLA. UNCLE KILLA was picked up by HBO.

Her music video productions have included works with Grammy nominees and winners including Shawn Mullins and Speech of Arrested Development.

This project was made possible by the generous funding from the Independence Public Media Foundation.


Molly de Aguiar, president

Nuala Cabral, Program Officer


CREDITS

SUNDOWN ROAD LLC presents a film by M. ASLI DUKAN

Starring XAVIER MICHAEL, CIANNA CASTRO, MACKSUD YILLAH, ERIC HAMMITT

Written and Directed by M. ASLI DUKAN

Produced by NIKKI HARMON, M. ASLI DUKAN

Executive Producer TREVITE WILLIS

Associate Producer LOIS MOSES

Director of Photography MARIE HINSON

Assistant Camera and Gaffer JEREMY KESSLER

Grip MOIRA MCCONNELL

Sound Mixer/Boom Operator ROB ZOGBY, TEVIN VEALE

Boom Operator TERRENCE ARLYN, ANISSA WEINRAUB

Art Director COURTNEY MILLER

Wardrobe Supervisor ALEXIS THOMPSON

Lead Make-Up Artist / Hair Stylist MARY ARLYNDA

Production Assistants SAM AUSTIN, BRANDON BLUE JR.,  ANISSA COOPER,

ANISSA WEINRAUB, ADRIENNE DOLBERRY, ALEX SMITH

Editing by STEPHEN SCHAFFER

Sound Design by RICH HAMILTON (Dragonfly Audio Post)

Composer RICH HAMILTON

VFX Designer JOSE MAZARIEGOS

Colorist SAM MENESES

Casting by MIKE LEMON CASTING

Casting Director DANIEL AGOSTA

CPM Talent Management Manager GEORGEANNE BRUZZESE

Lighting and Grip Rental RED STAR PICTURES (Philadelphia North)

Manager ALLISON MITCHELL

Rental Manager CHRIS DEMPSEY

Picture Car Rental KLASSY KARZ

Owner SARGE

Poster Design PABLO ALARCON JR.

Insurance by FILM EMPORIUM, INC.

Entertainment Insurance Broker DARREN HENSHAW

Customer Service Representative CAMRYN PENA

Special Thanks to THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF PHILADELPHIA, JULIA L. FOX, KARA CROMBIE, HANNAH PRICE, JAMIE FORSLUND, SETH CAVALLARI, WAWA CATERING, NORTHBROOK MARKETPLACE, U-HAUL, ENTERPRISE, SIFTMEDIA 215

THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA FILM OFFICE

Production Coordinator ERIN WAGNER

Assistant Production Coordinator SUSAN REIFF

SUNDOWN ROAD LLC © 2022

Dedicated to Toby Evan Horn

January 3, 1983 – November 20, 2022

Always and forever loved.

PRESS AND INTERVIEWS:

“Meet the Philadelphia filmmakers whose films are showing at BlackStar this year”

“SIFT Highlight: Sundown Road”

“Philadelphia Artist Spotlight: M. Asli Dukan”