A still from Sauk City (2024). Short Film.
A still from Sauk City (2024). Short Film.
A still from Sauk City (2024). Short Film.
A still from Sauk City (2024). Short Film.
A teenager left in charge of a local pizza chain gets a group of unexpected visitors.
USA Short Film | 13 minutes | 2024
WE INVITE YOU TO SAUK CITY, WISCONSIN. POPULATION 3,518.
The gateway to the Wisconsin River, home of the world's first Culver's. Enough said.
​
Starring Trace Talbot (Two Little Boys), Taylor Oldaker (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and BAFTA newcomer Niek Versteeg (Wolfblood) SAUK CITY is a subtle portrait of class and cultural friction along the urban/rural divide, inspired by the naturalistic and improvised films of British filmmaker Mike Leigh. Written and Directed by Nathan Deming (Speaking in Tongues) with sumptuous, subtle cinematography by Mark Khalife (La Mer et ses Vagues, L'Acid Cannes 2024).
​
Currently on the film festival circuit. Stay tuned for more updates!
​​
​
FILM DETAILS
Runtime: 13 minutes
Languages: English
Subtitles/CC Available: Yes
Aspect ratio: 2.39
Color: Color
Audio: 5.1, Stereo
Screening Format: DCP​​​​
​​​​​
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
“I was born in the wrong place, under the wrong sign, and in the wrong body.”
- Jean Cocteau
“Sauk City” is a quiet and realistic portrait of tension. Tension in a young teen’s soul, tension in a sleepy river pizza joint, and tension between some urban and rural kids. The film explores the observational role of art and how it can sometimes be exploitative, as these visiting filmmakers prepare to document the lives of small-town residents in a self aware meta device I’m fully aware of its implications....
I don’t want to say too much, but like most of the art I appreciate, I hope it offers a multilayered story up for interpretation that is about more than just one kid’s dissatisfaction or learning to hate his hometown—a whole kaleidoscope of people, personalities, and social forces coming together in a complex and hopefully sometimes funny collision of football, fishing, weed, Sia, pepperoni, and out of place English phone booths.
Apologies in advance for getting the “Tarantella Napoletana” stuck in your head.
- Nathan Deming | IMDb
THE CAST
Trace Talbot, a native of the San Francisco bay area, recently completed his 17th film in supporting and lead roles. His LGBTQ-themed short film TWO LITTLE BOYS (2019) went viral with over 3 million views on YouTube for its important message and shocking performances.
Lilia Malfavon is an actress and model originally from Bakersfield, CA, currently living in Los Angeles. She makes her film debut in SAUK CITY and comes to filmmaking with an extensive background in theatre and the performing arts.
Taylor Oldaker is an actress known for CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (2022), THE FOG OF MURDER (2021) and FETUS NATION (2019).
Niek Versteeg is an actor and BAFTA US Newcomer from Newcastle Upon Tyne, England known for his work as Liam Hunter in WOLFBLOOD (BBC). He has also appeared in contrasting roles in BBC’s WATERLOO ROAD and INSPECTOR GEORGE GENTLY.
Ryan is a character actor with extensive Hollywood experience, appearing in small roles in films like FURIOUS 7 (2015), and MY GORGEOUS WIFE IS AN EX-CONVICT (2023).
Hailing from Chicago, Abeni Tinubu developed a love of acting and the performing arts at a very early age. A lover of both comedy and drama, she enjoys creating a variety of vivid characters across a multitude of genres and mediums.
Chloe Milano is a writer, director, model and actor currently based in Los Angeles.
Tyler Carlson is an actor and writer originally from North Carolina, now based in Los Angeles.
Robert Broski is known for TWIN PEAKS THE RETURN (2017), PEE-WEE'S BIG HOLIDAY (2016), L.A. MACABRE (2014) and THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY (2023).
THE CREW
Nathan Deming is an award winning filmmaker from Wisconsin, based in Los Angeles, who studied at the London Film School. His 2020 microbudget feature Speaking in Tongues premiered at the Austin Film Festival and is available to watch on Amazon and Tubi, and the 2014 short film on which it is based played at the Edinburgh Film Festival, the London Short Film Festival, and British Shorts Berlin. Besides his feature work, he is also working on a multi-year film project called "The Year Project" about small town life in Wisconsin.
​
​
Mark Khalife is a cinematographer born in Beirut, Lebanon. He is known for the narrative features LA MER ET SES VAGUES (2023), VALLEY OF EXILE (2023), and SANZARU (2020); the narrative TV series TAGHYRI GAW (2023) and BEIRUT CITY (2018); the feature documentaries AHL ALSHAATI ALAKHAR (2022), AFTER THE END OF THE WORLD (2022), WERE IT NOT FOR METRO... (2022) and UNE ROSE OUVERTE/WARDA (2019). He has also done work with prominent visual artists such as Akram Zaatari, Nesrine Khodr, Alia Farid and Carlos Motta among others. He is a 2014 London Film School graduate.
​
Adam Stunkle is a producer and director from Nashville, TN. A graduate of the London Film School, Adam has worked as an editor (Severed Garden) and is currently developing his first feature (Purity Camp).
David Bryan Herrera is a passionate director, writer, and production designer from Rancho Cucamonga, CA, with a deep love for movies and an encyclopedic knowledge of film history. His credits include In the Young Dark (2015), The Idea of Growing Old (2016), and January (2022). With a keen eye for storytelling and a commitment to quality, David brings a unique perspective and dedication to every project he takes on.​
Jad Tannous is a camera operator and director originally from Beirut, Lebanon, now based in Los Angeles. His recent credits include Mario Van Peebles' OUTLAW POSSE (2024), WITCHY WAYS (2024), and RIVER MAN (2023).
Amelia Jones is a camera assistant and operator originally from New York City now based in Los Angeles, CA. Her recent credits include GET AWAY (2024) and CHANGE (2024).
Full Credits
FULL CAST (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE)
Hayden
Sam
Nurse
Mara
Scott
Jess
Evan
Kendra
Kylie
Elias
Oliver
Jerry
.............................................................................
.............................................................................
.............................................................................
.............................................................................
.............................................................................
.............................................................................
.............................................................................
.............................................................................
.............................................................................
.............................................................................
.............................................................................
.............................................................................
TRACE TALBOT
STEVE JOHNSTON
ELYSE ASHTON
LILIA MALFAVON
RYAN BONYADI
TAYLOR OLDAKER
TYLER CARLSON
ABENI TINUBU
CHLOE MILANO
SONNY JAMES LIRA
NIEK VERSTEEG
ROBERT BROSKI
FULL CREW
Writer/Director
​
​
Director of Photography
​
​
Producer
​​​​
​
​
Production Designer
​
​​​
​
​
1st Assistant Camera
​
​
​
2nd Assistant Camera
​
​​​​
DIT
​
​
​​​​​
​
​
Special Thanks
​
​
​
​
​​​​​​​​​
​
Filmed in Sauk City, Wisconsin
Nathan Deming
​
​​
​​​​​
Mark Khalife
​
​
​​
Nathan Deming
​​
​
​​​
David Bryan Herrera
​
​​​
​​​
​
Jad Tannous
​
​
​
Amelia Jones
​
​​​
Amelia Jones
​
​​​​
​
​
​
Elias Bitar
Sandra Maren Schneider
Hitmakers Media
1st Assistant Director​
​
​
2nd Assistant Director
​
​
Production Assistant
​
​
​
​
​
Sound Recordist
​
​​​​​
​
​
Make-Up
​
Brittany Felipe
​
​
​
Ben Dame
​
​
​Emily Kiihnl
Andy Verduzco
David Clark
​
​
​
Jose Gomez
Araceli Milian
​
​
​
Rebecca Hurt
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​​​​​​​
Gaffer​
​
​
G&E
​
​
​​​​​
​
Sound Editor
​
​
Sound Mixer
​
​
Colorist
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Jesus Yanez
​
Enoc Mendez
Shan Jiang
Patrick Dintino
​
​
Jataun Gilbert
Matthew Kielkopf
​
​
Belal Hibri
PRIVATE SCREENER