Kokopelli
In ancient Teotihuacan, the maimed and exiled grandson of the Supreme Leader, now trained in the use of psychoactive drugs to achieve the shape-shifting powers of the Nagual, returns home to defend his homeland against a rival Mayan city-state led by his evil half-sister.
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View the Kokopelli pitchbook as a PDF!
Born the grandson of the Supreme Lord of the Teotihuacan Empire, Kokopelli (Koko) is maimed at birth by an enemy prince. The infant Koko is sent into hiding to the northern deserts to live with Popo, the daughter of the regent of the Five Nations. As the boy grows, Popo teaches him the Nagual, a spirit world opened by using psychoactive drugs.
At 18, Koko and his adopted sister begin their journey from Chaco, the new city in the north hinterlands, back to Teotihuacan. On their travels, Koko performs his songs and is besieged by girls eager to lay with the popular musician and prolific lover. Upon entering Teotihuacan, Koko is abducted and tortured by the Tikal king and his evil daughter. Popo and a child gang of warriors rescue Koko. Returned to Teotihuacan, Koko finds the empire overrun by drug-crazed Tikal priests. Koko sings and plays songs of love and hope to raise the will of the people. They rise against the Tikal prince, retaking power—but the great city is burned to the ground during the fight.
Koko and Bebe return to Chaco, dispensing music, poetry, and magic, while Bebe carves images of Koko all along the way, still present to this day.
See this project at Stage 32 or Film Freeway, or view the Koko pitchbook as a pdf.
Leilani
Rescued from drowning by a hula dancer, a Marine defends more than the American Dream.
Set in the final year of World War II, a young Hawaiian girl, Leilani, miraculously rescues a drowning misfit Marine, Hank, and trains him in the ways of the forgotten ancient island people, their gods, myths, and the mystic powers of the sacred hula dance. She overcomes his natural fears and prejudices, teaching him how to grow into a man.
Joined by hopeless castaways of north Molokai Island, the leper colony at Kalaupapa, they resist the looting of a sacred hidden ancient burial tomb by a rogue Japanese submarine, where the enemy also hides uranium meant for a nuclear weapon. Hank and Leilani are caught by the Japanese, but escape with the advantage of the ancients through the labyrinth of lava tubes hiding the treasure tomb.
The misfit Marine matures rapidly from a selfish teenager to a man capable of selfless acts, respecting real love, trusting Leilani, and helping the mythical ancients defend their sacred treasure. Leilani performs a hula dance for Peli, the god of earthquakes and volcanoes, bringing the wrath of the earth moving and sealing the entrance forever on Peli’s treasure tomb. When the Marines show up the next day, Hank is taken back to the war. Years later, he returns as a doctor and helps to heal the last remaining survivors at the leprosy colony. He searches the northside cliffs of Molokai and finds Leilani, where they reunite and forget the hell of men at war.
See this project at Stage 32 or Film Freeway.