O Father   

After receiving a cryptic letter from his estranged survivalist father, a timid man journeys into the mountains with his rebellious son in hopes of instilling some discipline in him.

Meet the Characters

  • Gamble

    A dying patriarch and backwoods survivalist whose intentions are unclear as he tries to reconnect with his family.

  • David

    An emasculated single father trying to do right by his son while grappling with his toxic relationship with Gamble.

  • Glenn

    A rebellious and perceptive 11-year-old, Glenn is David's son who feels more at home in the brutal, natural world of his grandfather, Gamble, than in the soft, civilized life he has always known.

The Team

Eric Wang Schwager

Director

Eric Wang Schwager is a 1st Gen half-Chinese, half-Jewish Director & Writer based in Los Angeles. He is currently in post-production on his first feature film, DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS.

While at the AFI Conservatory, Eric was the recipient of the prestigious Franklin J. Schaffner Fellow Award. He directed two thesis films, which both premiered at the LA Shorts International Film Festival. CARCASS was chosen for the CAA Moebius Showcase and won Best Student Film at the Hamilton Film Festival, while LUCKY MARKET won a Golden Angel at the Chinese American Film Festival and was a nominee for the ASC Heritage Award. 

Before transitioning to directing, Eric was a Local 600 cameraperson in NYC for over a decade. He worked on productions such as JOKER, GIRLS, 30 ROCK, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, and UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT. When not on set, Eric brings the joy and sunny disposition of a New Jersey native to his photography and teaching his two sons how to snowboard.

Derek Weissbein

Screenwriter & Producer

Derek Weissbein is a screenwriter and healthcare worker living in Los Angeles. His original screenplay, LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS, based on the life of Eric Clapton, landed on The Black List in 2016, which is the annual list of the most-liked screenplays that have not yet been produced and was optioned twice by LBI Entertainment and Le Grisbi’s John Lesher. Derek was hired by Maven Pictures and actress/producer Olivia Cooke to adapt the non-fiction novel COURTING DANGER which follows tennis pro-turned-WWII spy, Alice Marble.

His sci-fi romantic thriller, VESSELS, is currently in development with Jessica M. Thompson attached to direct and Ben Stillman producing.

Derek is represented by Brendan Kenney of Mad Delusion.

Zachary Weil

Producer

Zachary Weil is a two-time Emmy® Award-winning producer and director at #ContactLight, a filmmaking cooperative dedicated to projects with unique voices and visions. His first feature-length documentary, WHEN WE WERE APOLLO, received a national broadcast on PBS before winning a Regional Emmy® in the Historical Documentary category. His latest documentary, WHEN WE WERE SHUTTLE, was commissioned by PBS member station WLRN, and received a Regional Emmy® in the Long Form Director category.

As a producer of narrative films, Zachary’s genre-bending feature, DEAD MAIL, premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, with additional screenings at TIFF’s Midnight Madness and Sitges. The film is currently streaming exclusively on Shudder and AMC+. His latest feature, LIZ HERE NOW, stars Academy Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and is currently in post-production.

Contact us.

The film is currently in preproduction. If you’d like to learn more or be involved, please fill out the form or send us an email.

zack@contactlightfilms.com

derekweissbein@gmail.com