OFFICIAL SELECTION

“BUTTERFLIES DON’T LIVE IN THE DESERT” Written by Jun Hoskulds (USA)

BIO:

Jun Hoskulds is an award-winning writer, director and film composer.

She started as a photographer in NY, then made her first film “Downtown or Higher”, a story about a homeless man who finds a book on yogis and is inspired by the resemblance between his life with few possessions and their life on non-attachment. Her second film “The Sublet” is a comedy about an old man who places a fake add in the paper in the hope to meet new people and make friends,. It won Best Comedy, Best Director, Audience Choice awards and Best Film around the US and had a theatrical release in New York, being reviewed, Village Voice, New York Times and Variety and selected as film of the week by Back Stage.

Her most recent project, the SCI-FI feature “TwoTwo” she wrote, directed, produced and also composed the original soundtrack. At the moment it’s screening around the festival circuit and will have the France-Monaco Premiere at the 18th Angel Film Awards Monaco International Film Festival.

One of her passions besides filmmaking is music. Her new album “Cause of Birth Unknown”/Intellectual Grey is available on Spotify and Apple Music.

She lives with her husband in Los Angeles, where they own a state of the art recording studio and a film studio with two locations specialized in filming special effects and post production, and hosting numerous projects for Hollywood clients and major studios.

“BUTTERFLIES DON’T LIVE IN THE DESERT” Written by Jun Hoskulds (USA)

LOGLINE: (Genre: Drama/Romance)

We all think we know ourselves, and each other. Until life proves it otherwise. Milton takes Cindy on a surprise trip to LA where he plans to have a very special surgery in secret.

SYNOPSIS:

After hearing a talk show on the radio, Milton decides to get a particular cosmetic surgery that he hopes will improve their love live. He will keep it a secret until it’s done, then he will surprise with the news and propose again, for the 6th time.

They drive to LA, where everything turns into a disaster. Cindy gets drunk at a fancy restaurant, makes friends with a group of actors, and takes a mysterious pill that make her believe she has found her true self. Butterflies appear again as signs that Cindy has to follow.

Next day she meets and falls in love with Jeremy, a musician from Texas staying at the same hotel. After a series of unexpected events, their lives are turned upside-down and their destinies changed forever.

Hogan, an ex-convict who lives at the hotel, watches everything.

STORY OUTLINE:

Cindy and Milton live in a small town in Nevada. They’ve been together for a long time, but Cindy is depressed. Milton sees that something is not working and doesn't know what.

One day, a scary old woman, Heather Feather, the local witch, comes into the market where Cindy works and makes a prophecy :“You are a woman with two lives, the first is about to end. Watch for the butterflies”

At the same time on his way home from work at his auto repair shop, Milton listens to a radio talk show which gives him an idea, and at the same time a possible solution for improving their relationship.

He will take Cindy on a surprise trip to LA, get a very special surgery in secret, then surprise her and propose. Again. This will be the 6th time.

In LA things don’t go as planned.

At the same hotel arrives Jeremy, a talented and charming musician from Texas. He is in town for his first real meeting with a real producer who has an offer.

Cindy and Jeremy meet and they have an instant connection. She has the best time her life walking around the streets with Jeremy and pretend they want to rent apartments just to see what they are like, for fun. Butterflies appear in key moments through the film and Cindy knows they are signs.

A series of unexpected events bring more people on their path who all have a profound impact on the course of their trip and ultimately their destiny.

One night at a fancy restaurant in the Hollywood Hills, Cindy has an accidental revelation of sorts, finding her “true self” after way too many drinks and a mysterious pill.

Newly operated Milton also had a bad business meeting, a fight with Cindy and eventually will lose her and almost lose his own life. But an angel of a girl, the maid working at the hotel, Teresita, saves him from his misery, as she is the one soul and true love meant for Milton.

A disaster love story with many twists and turns and many colorful characters, with a happy ending.