Arts Council is proud to serve as a fiscal agent for The Innocent Ones - A Feature Film by Michael Lippert

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‘The Innocent Ones’ is a feature thriller from Winston-Salem based filmmaker Michael Lippert. It’s the follow up to his award-winning debut feature documentary, ‘Sloane’ (now on PBS NC and Amazon Prime).

 

A DARK RECKONING, THROUGH A SUBTLY SUPERNATURAL LENS … 

 

When estranged twins Riley and Trystan inherit a Brevard, North Carolina mountain home from their late birth grandfather, they must confront a dark family history they may never escape. 

 

Upon visiting the property, the adopted siblings soon learn that their grandfather was a prominent furniture manufacturer in the area, steeped in old-time music and local craft artisanship. But after Riley discovers a chest of otherworldly stones in the shed behind the house, as well as a box of undelivered letters from her grandfather, a violent family history spanning decades is revealed. Tensions boil when old wounds between the siblings are re-opened, and Riley finds herself falling into a dangerous spiral of obsession, secrets, and murder that she and Trystan may never escape.

 

‘The Innocent Ones’ is a cross-generational reckoning with the roots of evil, and whether we are doomed to live in the shadows of those who came before us. The script placed in the top 20% out of 10,000 submissions in the esteemed Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition (2024).

 

Early praise for ‘The Innocent Ones’ script:

 

An excellent concept, particularly in which 

the story weaves back and forth between time periods.”

 

-Austin Film Festival 

(Screenplay Competition Evaluation)

 

“One of the strongest aspects of this script is its unpredictability. The reader is met with surprises around every corner, most notably, the twist at the end.”

 

-Austin Film Festival 

(Screenplay Competition Evaluation)

 

“Riley and Trystan are complex characters and could attract the attention of established actors.”

-The Blacklist 

About the Filmmakers:

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Michael Lippert | Writer,  Director, Producer

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Michael Lippert is an acclaimed writer and director whose films have been showcased worldwide on major platforms and festivals. After nearly 20 years working in both independent and commercial filmmaking, Michael has a keen eye for raw performances and compelling visuals, allowing him to push forward unique, emotionally powerful and thrilling narratives.

Michael's versatile directorial efforts have garnered recognition at prestigious festivals, including Fantasia, Palm Springs, Cinequest, Doc Edge, and Heartland. His award-winning genre work includes Miriam is Going to Mars and Reversal. Documentary work includes Reeves: A Home For Music, which was selected as a special screening for RiverRun International Film Festival in 2019. Most recently, Michael completed his debut feature documentary,”Sloane: A Jazz Singer”, (First Prize, Best Feature Documentary at Flicker’s Rhode Island International Film Festival). ‘Sloane’ is now available on PBS and Amazon Prime. His feature screenplay for ‘The Innocent Ones’ landed in the top 20% out of more than 10,000 entries in the 2024 Austin Film Festival Screenplay competition. Michael has also has edited spots at Cutters Studios since 2008, where his work has been featured on Ad Age Top 5, as well as multiple Super Bowl broadcasts.

lippertfilm.com, IMDB

 

Katie Bryan | Producer

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Katie Bryan is a broadcast Producer with more than two decades of experience in film, advertising and reality television. With national and international distribution, her portfolio includes working with distributors like Showtime, Discovery Channel, CNBC and History Channel. 

Her first feature film, Dead Draw, has won awards at film festivals across the country, including Audience Choice at the San Diego International FIlm Festival 2016, Best of Festival Metropolitan Film Festival of NYC 2016, and Best Ensemble Cast SOHO International Film Festival. 

As Executive Producer, she is currently in post production on a new Jonathan Rhys Meyers film entitled The Paralytic. 

 IMDB

View the Director's Treatment Board.

 

Your donation will directly support:

• Starting funds for hiring a casting director and/or additional producing partners to land established talent.

• Hiring sales agents and managers whose relationships in the industry will help usher this project forward. Establishing an early partnership with them will push ‘The Innocent Ones’ toward maximum public exposure.

• Paying our cast and crew fairly

• Housing and travel for lead actors who may come from out of state

• Renting cameras, lighting, and sound gear

• Securing locations, props, and set design

• Feeding the team during production

• Covering insurance, legal, and Screen Actors Guild fees

 

Donor Recognition:

Under $500 - our undying gratitude, plus you’ll receive updates on the project’s progress.

 

$500  - a special thank you in the film credits as a donor.

 

$5,000 - all of the above, plus you’ll be added to the “contributors” VIP email list, which will provide exclusive “members only” clips from production, and early access to events. You will also receive a framed, signed poster of the film.

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$10,000 - all of the above, plus two tickets to a special early “donors only” screening, and an invitation to the North Carolina premiere and after-party (details TBD).

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$25,000 - all of the above, plus credit in the film as an associate producer, and an invitation to the production wrap party (time and location TBD).

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$50,000 or more - all of the above, plus we will fly you and a friend to an early premiere of the film (time and location TBD). You will also have an early pick of a select, original prop from the film. 

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$100, 000 or more - all of the above, plus executive producer credit,  with your name added on imdb to fall under the official credited crew for the film, and full VIP badge access at a festival or screening (times and locations TBD). You will also receive a commemorative “stone” from the film, engraved with a personal message from the director.

In-Kind Contributions Welcome:
We also welcome equipment loans, lodging, catering, and other in-kind donations, with recognition in our Special Thanks credits.

 

SUPPORTING THE ARTS IN NORTH CAROLINA:

 

By contributing to The Innocent Ones, you are also investing in the cultural and artistic future of North Carolina.

We are committed to using this production to support our great state through and through. Not only will your donation work toward North Carolina’s reputation for serious independent filmmaking, but we will be spending directly into its economy, as well as offering meaningful employment to local crew and cast, which is critical to any vibrant filmmaking or artistic hub. Further, we will be featuring its natural beauty, from waterfalls to mountain trails and rivers, as well as nearby attractions in cities like Brevard, Elkin, Winston-Salem, and surrounding areas. 

And since the film draws heavy inspiration from the many local artisans and musicians who call the Blue Ridge Mountains and Foothills home, we aim to feature these people and their art in ways that will both enrich our story and highlight the eclectic cultural offerings in our state.

All films carry financial risk. And that is precisely why we are seeking not just donors, but partners who feel passionately about supporting the bigger picture, and who want to be an active champion through the life of this project.