Before North Films

One: a story of six (2004)

narrative documentary - approx 107 min.

A troubled college student stumbles upon a fallen dollar bill and consequently leads the way through an intricate story of devotion, injury and the struggle that comes with living. One is an elaborate tale of six individuals dealing with their independence and exploring the importance of their relationships with each other. From writer/director Jonothan Schaferkotter comes an experiment in storytelling that resembles a narrative documentary and uniquely walks backwards along the border between cinematic brilliance and independent bullshit.

Jono Schaferkotter (dir, writer, editor)
Laura Greenwood (writer, producer)
Jay Wertzler
Sara Laue
Krystle Yuzon
James Martin
Darin Quan

The Ballad of Jacob Wonder & Wesley Precious (2005)

existential western - approx 99 min.

Jacob Wonder and Wesley Precious are... well, we're not sure who they are or where they're going. Turns out they're not to sure about it either. This film does not lend itself well to words - while it asks for the audience's engagement, it does not require it; while its dialogue has great meaning, its understanding is derived from its imagery; and while it purports to be of great importance, it is ultimately a story everyone has known since birth. The Ballad of Jacob Wonder and Wesley Precious is an abstract and surreal reinvention of traditional story telling that follows the journey of our heroes as they struggle to define their ambivalent dynamic whilst saving the world from fate and destruction.

Jono Schaferkotter (dir, writer, editor)
Jay Wertzler (dir, writer)
Laura Greenwood (producer)
Elisa Crawford
Krystle Yuzon
Taras Lumiere
Ryen Schlegel
Mike Rekevics
Jason Warehouse
Jennifer Allcott

The Beginning (2007)

horror noir - approx 102 min.

On a road trip up the coast of California, Ben is trying desperately to cope with both his emotionally unstable younger brother Zack and suspicious long-term girlfriend Fran. Their fourth passenger, a surly troublemaker named Hadden Clark, only adds fuel to the fire with his reckless behavior and irritating comments. Though this group of four think the worst thing they'll have to deal with on this trip is each other, they soon discover something much worse; a mysterious sickness that seems to be spreading quickly, creating a world gone mad, a world in which the only thing they know for certain is that dying is no longer the end - it's just The Beginning!

Jono Schaferkotter (dir, editor)
Devin Fearn (writer, producer)
Laura Greenwood (producer)
Wan-Yin Tang
Chase James
Cole Medeiros
Morgan White
Hamid Nayini
Paul Del Real

Spaceman (2009)

sci-fi romance - approx 15 min.

From writer/director Jono Schaferkotter comes a heart-wrenching look at love in outer space. This sci-fi epic is sure to surprise you as it explores a young woman's relationship with an eccentric captain and his defective spaceship. It's been described as "a penetrating portrayal of where men and women often diverge as relationships mature and often fizzle" (Wallace Baine, SC Sentinel). Brian Echona from the Good Times writes, "[Spaceman] is a 15-minute dream circling around the sun; an intimate, existential, space-romance drifting around weightlessly before plummeting into a dramatic crash landing right into the hearts of its spectators". "Time collapses and reality gets slippery, but one thing remains constant: the dedication to aesthetics" (Traci Hukill, metro sc).

Jono Schaferkotter (dir, writer, editor)
Tosh Tanaka (lighting technician)
Vanessa Tomasello (production manager)
Cole Medeiros (visual effects)
Hamid Nayini
Jennifer Allcott