A Zepstone/Grimstone Production

The Witch of Wander Lane is a horror/fantasy movie (non-union- we support the strike!) set in the Prohibition era. Our lead character Amelia Wander has just been named the new head witch of the Seven Great Estates, and she has big shoes to fill. Following the arrival of an unexpected new member (Zora) to the witch’s council, power struggles, hidden agendas, and terror ensue.

Each of the Seven Great Estates is run by a witch sister, and each sister has a henchman, a husband (who is also the governor of each territory), and villagers (distillery workers, maids, and the village Elite) who do their bidding. Liquor and rare elixirs are run through underground tunnels to each estate village, and using spells, the witches protect the delivery carriages from the monsters that lurk in the forests above.

At its core, The Witch of Wander Lane is a tale about fitting in, finding one’s true potential, and standing up for what is right, especially from the perspective of the character Zora.

This dark fairytale has been in development since 2020, and we look forward to finally bringing it to life with your help!

• Zepstone Media has over 50 international awards and a historical record of growing success, including multi-state theatrical (Purdie Distribution) and worldwide DVD/Blu Ray/streaming (Gravitas Ventures) distribution for their most recent feature-length movie “Rite of the Shaman,” the Best Picture winner for Utah Film Festival (2022).
• Other works (created/directed by and/or produced) include City of Salt (2020), Algea: God of Pain (post-production), Polygamy Gone Wrong (award-winning short), See You Next Tuesday (award-winning short), and many others.
• WE CURRENTLY HAVE A LETTER OF INTENT FROM OUR DISTRIBUTOR! Our distribution plans include a festival run, streaming (VOD), and DVD/Blu Ray release. Distribution is a complex aspect of filming to navigate, and we learned a lot from our prior feature-length films.

We are seeking $265,011, in production, post-production, and marketing costs. Filming begins in the spring of 2024.

Budget Breakdown 

• CAST AND EXTRAS: $40,250
• PROPS, SET DESIGN, WARDROBE DESIGN, TUNNEL BUILD: $37,750
• MAKEUP, HAIR, FX MAKEUP: $13,750
• PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT TEAM (DIRECTORS, ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, PRODUCTIONS MANAGERS, CASTING, PRODUCERS): $30,000
• CAMERA, GEAR, SOUND, DIT, SCRIPTY – PRODUCTION TEAM: $45,550
• POST-PRODUCTION & VFX – $66,750
• SECURITY: $3,000
• CRAFTY/FOOD: $3,750
• MARKETING – $24,211

Be sure to check out our perks, which include all kinds of fun witchy things, as well as casting and Executive Producer/investment opportunities.

• By helping us fund this project, YOU will be employing 72 Utah cast and crew members, including additional extras!!! 
• If we don’t reach our entire goal, we will still move this project forward as much as we are able. With your help, you can contribute to our local community – You can help to keep our community alive and thriving!
• With every project that Zepstone Media creates, we continue to grow and improve. We pride ourselves on quality, attention to detail, and finishing projects with zeal and passion. The Witch of Wander Lane is our most ambitious project yet, and we are dedicated to continued growth and success.

With any production, there are risks and challenges that come along the way. Some challenges include not getting full funding, the need to start filming exterior shots while autumn colors are vivid, and challenges with production or post production.

• We are solutions-based and committed to empowering up-and-coming talent and growing careers
• We understand what it takes to develop, create, and finish a project with quality. We want The Witch of Wander Lane to be something that is FINISHED and RELEASED
• If we won’t receive all funds, we will still do everything we possible can to move the project forward

Some people just can’t contribute monetarily, and that is okay. You can help us by:

• Building hype about the project
• Telling people about the project
• Offering services for perks
• Using IndieGoGo tools to share the project

Alicia Oberle Farmer – Writer/Director

Dr. Alicia Oberle Farmer is the founder and director of Zepstone Inernational Film Awards and Zepstone Festival. She is also an international award-winning film director/producer and is known for her work on Rite of the Shaman (2022), Algea: God of Pain (2022), City of Salt (2020), and The Witch of Wander Lane (2023). Alicia is from Salt Lake City, UT and has a PhD in Education. She has been in the entertainment industry since she was 11-years-old, starting as a cover model before discovering the film industry. In 2016 Alicia founded her film production company Zepstone Media, and subsequently Zepstone Film Awards and Zepstone Festival. An avid lover and supporter of the arts, her goal is to empower independent filmmakers, musicians, and visual artists around the world.

John D. Farmer – Co-Writer/Co-Director

John D. Farmer is an award winning director and is known for his work on Attollo (2018), City of Salt (2020), Rite of the Shaman (2022), See You Next Tuesday (2022), and The Witch of Wander Lane (2023). In addition to his work on independent films, he has also been in the music and entertainment industry for multiple decades, having founded several independent and local radio stations in 2008. He is the president and founder of Utah Musicians (utahmusicians.net), Banding Together Utah, American Music Radio, and Utah Music Radio (utahmusicradio.com). Together with Alicia Farmer, their goal is to forge connections between various arts fields.

Carson McKinnon – Director of Photography

Carson McKinnon is an American cinematographer born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was awarded the 2022 ‘Best Cinematographer’ at the Utah Film Awards for Rite of the Shaman. Prior to that in 2019, he had been named named Best Filmmaker Under 18 by the Utah Film Awards for his short film “8 Hours”. Additionally, Carson was the Director of Photography for the upcoming releases – Algea: God of Pain and Royal Façade.

Lucas Hardy – Editor/Post-Production Manager

Lucas Hardy has over 20 years working in post-production in the film industry. He’s worked for Disney, Deluxe, and other post-production houses in Hollywood – working on shows such as Shameless and Southland. Additionally, Lucas is an award-winning editor and was awarded Best Editing two years in a row for Avocado Toast and Rite of the Shaman at the Utah Film Festival. Along with editing, he specializes in post-production workflows and media management.

Donovan Colton – Music Score

Donovan Colton is a film and game composer, record producer, musician, and audio engineer from Park City, Utah. He started taking piano and guitar lessons at the age of five, then started self teaching bass and drums at ages ten and twelve, all while studying music theory extensively. At age thirteen, he started to write and record his own music, self teaching from YouTube videos on software in his basement. Donovan completed his first prog-rock album at the age of fifteen, and his second one year later. In 2017, at age twenty, he started to get more serious, in order to turn his love for making music into a career. He self produced a number of prog-rock, metal, and hardcore albums, while also breaking into alternative hip-hop/rap. To this day, Donovan has self produced seventeen albums. In late 2019, he composed his first full length feature film, City of Salt. In 2022, he composed his second feature length film, Rite of the Shaman.

Donovan has a very wide range of genres. From purely orchestral, to electronic, rock and metal, hip-hop, alternative, etc. His influences include artists and composers such as Hans Zimmer, Tom Holkenborg, John Powell, Koji Kondo, Joe Hisaishi, Gareth Coker, Anomalie, Periphery, and many more.

Laura Mason – Lead “Amelia”

Laura is a professional actress and producer. Her drive for excellence has earned her 4 “Best Actress” awards. In her most recent film, “Alien Storm,” she played a lead role alongside Kevin Sorbo and Tom Arnold. When not on set Laura is honing her acting skills through extensive training and has mastered several accents. She continues to elevate her acting abilities to accurately portray a wide range of female roles with a diverse range. She has a proven history of successfully acting complicated parts and complex characters which has landed her lead roles in feature films, short films, and commercials. Laura started acting, singing, and performing dance at a young age and continued studying and performing in college. She has produced independent films, is a spokesperson in several promotional videos, and has done voice over work for radio commercials. She also enjoys modeling and works regularly in that capacity. Because of her professional work ethic and dedication to the craft, she fully immerses herself into every role. Laura is elated to have the opportunity to bring Amelia to life in the “Witch of Wander Lane”.

Tiffany Alexander – Lead “Zora”

Tiffany Alexander, a talented American actress hailing from Roy, Utah, has always had a profound passion for acting since her childhood days. After graduating from Roy High School in 2006, she embarked on a journey to pursue her dreams of being on the TV screen, portraying characters, and bringing writers’ visions to life. However, Tiffany put her acting career on hold to raise her two older children, who are now 16 and 17 years old. During this time, she found joy in sharing her love for acting with her now 9-year-old, who also enjoys acting alongside her. Now that her kids are older, Tiffany has the freedom to m wholeheartedly pursue her dream of becoming a professional working actor. Her recent accomplishments include being featured in some recent films like Horizon film that is produced and directed by Kevin Costner, she also had another feature in the Hallmark film “Haul out the Holly 2”. She has also starred in commercials and ads, and worked as an “educational actor” for imagine learning for a whole season. She continuously works on honing her craft as an actor through acting classes and private coaching sessions with esteemed mentors like Leah Bostic and Kimberly Crandall, focusing on TV/film acting. For Tiffany, acting is a form of expression that allows her to release and connect deeply with different characters. Beyond her acting endeavors, Tiffany also excels in her role as a full-time Realtor, serving clients in the Northern Utah area, and as an assistant Cheer coach for the Ogden High Cheer team. Both roles grant her the time and freedom to wholeheartedly pursue her acting career with more dedication than ever before. Tiffany is a true dream chaser, believing in doing what she loves and what brings her happiness. Her relentless pursuit has led her to manifest some of her biggest and wildest dreams, including landing the roles she’s been cast for in this amazing film. As she continues to embrace her passion for acting, Tiffany is just getting started on her journey, eager to create unforgettable performances and leave a lasting impact on the world of entertainment.

Eric Osmond – Supporting – “Drake”

Eric Osmond is an American actor, singer, musician, and fitness model, known for his versatile performances. As a second-generation Osmond, he grew up performing on stage and touring the world with his family (The Osmonds); son to Jay Osmond and nephew to Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond. Eric’s eclectic acting style has made him an asset to various productions, including the critically-acclaimed The Chosen (2017). Eric also writes original music for film soundtracks.

Tara Janae Smith – Supporting – “Margaret”

Tara Janae Smith is a Broadway World’s Best Actress nominee currently living in the Salt Lake City, Utah area. This Southern California native is a successful actress, singer/songwriter, voiceover artist, and model studying under some of the top coaches and mentors in the Utah film industry and California. Represented by Talent Management Group in SLC, Tara loves combining her passions of singing and acting by performing on stage. She has performed in many productions throughout Utah Valley where her most recent performance as Audrey in West Valley Arts, ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ won her a Best Actress nomination by Broadway World. She is also an established voice over artist representing many national brands including AT&T, Verizon, ADT, and DirectTV. Outside of her acting career, Tara loves to stay active and have fun. She loves hot yoga, ping pong, pickleball, softball, playing video games with her husband, fantasy football, and any outdoor adventure. When she’s not working or performing, you’ll find her spending quality time with her supportive husband and four amazing children. Tara is a student of life and an ambitious dreamer. Her determination and grit have taught her to never give up, to know that anything is possible, and how to manifest the life of her dreams. She is so excited and honored to bring Margaret to life amongst such an incredibly talented cast and the amazing team behind The Witch of Wander Lane!

For our full cast and crew, please visit our IMDb page, website, and socials!

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