Synopsis

Lennon Mackenna was a teenage phenom MMA fighter on the fast track to success, but her reckless lifestyle has all but derailed her dreams. Now in her early 20s, she lives out of her car and fights in local smokers along the highways of Montana, taking whatever gigs and fights she can to make ends meet. But her reckless behavior spirals out of control after receiving a traumatic brain injury in the cage. She gets arrested and ordered to Equine Therapy, a therapeutic modality working with rescue horses along with a talented Horse Trainer. Lennon gradually finds the courage to face her past traumas and regain a new sense of inner strength and resolve. 

Director’s Statement

You know that feeling of being obsessed? 

….of being so lost in the grips of a story that demands to be told? People even told me not to write this. We don’t need another female boxing movie! they said (they really did). But for some reason I can’t explain, I couldn’t get it out of my head, and I kept on going. There was something different about Wild Animal for me… it was alive. It was a story that ferociously demanded to be told. I wasn’t writing it; it was writing me.

Why a Female Fighter? 

Fighting has an inherent bias toward hyper-masculinity. The first female fight in the UFC didn’t even happen until 2013, when Ronda Rousey beat Liz Carmouche in the first round with an armbar. For context, the first fight between male fighters in the UFC happened 20 years earlier, in 1993. I don’t know. I guess there’s something about the outsider, the underdog, the unpopular table in the cafeteria, the you’re-not-supposed-to-be-here that I identify with.  

And the other question you might be thinking is, Why a fighting film? 

Well, simply put, this isn’t a fighting film. Not in the traditional Rocky Balboa – Best of the Best – Bloodsport kinda way. Wild Animal is the story of losing your compass and waking up one day, realizing your life is so off course, and you have no idea when or how it happened. Wild Animal is about the fight back to yourself, to your essence, to the person you were always meant to be before the world got its hooks in you and convinced you to be someone else, to get in line, to suit up, to paint your face with makeup and cut your hair, to distort yourself so violently that you become unrecognizable even to yourself.  

It has taken me years to muster up the courage to tell this story. And even though it’s not my own, I very much live the Wild Animal life every single day. 

– Joe. 

We’re raising over $300,000 and we already have $95,000!!! 

 Our pre-funding came from two sources: 

• $45,000 grant from the Montana Film Commission.
• $50,000 private investment (email us at production@upperstate.tv to learn more about investing opportunities)

We have a lot of momentum. 

In contrast to other films starting from the ground up, we’ve already got everything in place. 

• We have our team already built.
• We’ve built strong inroads with the Montana MMA and Equine communities.  
• We’ve taken Wild Animal through the Film Independent Producing Labs and Fast Track – making strong connections with the independent film community.

We’ve successfully created a proof-of-concept short film. 

We shot a short proof of concept film for only $10,000 in Montana and wowed audiences. With several hundred thousand in funding we’re going to make something that touches hearts across the world.

Where is your money going?

Our minimum target of $75K is going towards the cost of pre-production and the production of our film. This will be a bare-bones production, a skeleton crew and a quick production schedule.

Hitting our stretch goal of $250K will mean a bigger crew, more days on set, higher production value, an on-set editor to complete the film faster, and more money raised for the equine community. If we raise anything past $300K, that money may go toward post-production and festival costs. 

Social Impact: 3% of all money raised will go to the Montana Equine Community.

Equine-assisted therapy is an incredible therapeutic modality that deserves more awareness and access. Although EAT serves a wide range of mental health issues, I was especially taken aback after speaking with Equine Therapists and Veterans suffering from PTSD who’d been through the program, all of whom had wonderful results. As part of our commitment to this social impact, 3% of all money raised will go to the Montana Equine Community — Heart and Hand Center (Bozeman, MT) and Horses Healing Spirits (Billings, MT).

Bringing awareness to the female MMA division 

We not only seek to tell a relevant and authentic story to those already inside the MMA world but also strive to reach audiences outside the fighting community by focusing on the emotional, human quest towards greatness and enlightening oneself. The female MMA division is arguably the most exciting division right now, and the film strives to focus our attention away from the typical male-driven boxing stories and give it an entirely new narrative.

The Team

Joseph Marconi – Writer & Director

Joe Marconi is a screenwriter and director from the Hudson Valley, New York. His short film Wild Animal won Best Short Film and Best Made in Montana Film at the 2021 MINT Film Festival. He edited the documentary feature Hargrove (dir. Eliane Henri) and the Muslim Futurism music video Alhamdu (dir. Abbas Rattani), both of which premiered at Tribeca 2022. He is a 2021 Film Independent Fellow, and his feature film directorial debut, Wild Animal, will soon go into production. Joe lives in Los Angeles with his wife and child.

Lysette Urus – Producer

Lysette is a multi-faceted producer, originally from NY and working in LA. She got her start in commercials in NYC and has since transitioned into producing documentaries and films. Her most recent credit includes Co-Producer on a Quibi documentary, Blackballed, that covers the player’s side of the 2014 NBA race scandal. She currently serves as a Creative Executive at the production company Strike Anywhere and is passionate about stories that frame the underdog and human resilience above all else. 

Maury Sterling – Producer, Actor

Maury is an actor, writer, and producer originally from Mill Valley, California. He is drawn to stories that challenge narrative, perspective, and tradition. Among numerous films, series, and recurring roles, he is probably most recognizable to audiences as Max Piotrowski on the Showtime juggernaut Homeland which inspired a front-page article in the Wall Street Journal. Beginning in the theater at just 7 years old, Maury studied theater at UCLA, Circle in the Square, and ACT and is a founding member of the esteemed Los Angeles-based theater troupe Buffalo Nights. Maury has recently expanded his efforts to include writing and producing. 

Chance Housley – Co-Producer

Chance Housley, a Montana native born and raised in Billings, is a film producer with a passion for helping bring various stories fixated on the human condition. In 2018, he graduated from Montana State with a BA in Film and Photography and has been based in the gorgeous Bozeman area ever since! His high energy and passion for his work and life shine through in everything he does.

David Vollrath – Cinematographer

Originally from Northern Virginia, David moved to NYC in 2009 to pursue his career in film. He worked his way up through the camera department while honing his craft as a cinematographer on TV commercials. David moved to LA in 2017, working on Music Videos and Narrative projects. Combining his deep technical understanding of filmmaking and strong creative sensibilities, David strives to find the most unique and authentic moments that make a film stand out. 

Indie Film Comps

These low budget indie films are similar in tone and style to Wild Animal. They were all made on modest budgets and made a big impact with viewers and awards voters. With your support we will do the same!

We’re ready for the challenge!

Film is inherently a risky business, and it can be difficult to predict market trends and the success of a film. Additionally, the creative process of filmmaking itself is a daily challenge, a delicate balance of pursuing your vision and knowing when to let go and ride the wave. 

We mitigate these risks in several different ways, but simply put, we plan as much as we can beforehand. As a director, I do a lot of prep work, notes, boards, and conversations with the crew and post-crew up front. I love the collaborative process and want everyone to have a sense of ownership and creative freedom. We’ve also created a line-by-line budget and shooting schedule, ensuring our fiscal responsibility throughout the production. Our goal is always to come in under budget.  

All that being said, there are always curveballs. But we’ve put together a team who know how to work together when the unexpected occurs.