The STARS Pictures feature lineup, both current and future, includes:

SURVIVING THE WILD (2020)

The latest film from STARS Pictures, “Surviving the Wild” is based on the true story of Chris Tempel and his dog as he lost his job and home, forced to live in the mountains of Montana and survive.

We are currently seeking funding for this film. You can contribute below.

BACKGROUND

In the spring of 2012, my dog and I found ourselves homeless, living out of my car in the mountains of Montana. It wound up taking over a year to get back onto my feet. This movie is my story.

"Home" - My camp, complete with a cooking fire and woodshed to keep the rain off my firewood. — “Home” – My camp, complete with a cooking fire and woodshed to keep the rain off my firewood.

Named after my mildly successful YouTube survival show, “Surviving the Wild” is the story of one man and his dog and the struggles faced when they find themselves homeless, jobless, and eventually car-less. These trials and more put the man’s survival skills to the test as he tries to get back on his feet, one day at a time.

Teaching fire-craft on my show, "Surviving the Wild" - Ep06 "Lost Hiker" 2013 — Teaching fire-craft on my show, “Surviving the Wild” – Ep06 “Lost Hiker” 2013

In February 2018, my friend and producing partner, Chris Trechter, suggested I turn my experience into a movie. I spent a year writing and refining the script, now it’s scheduled, budgeted, and ready to be shot this June!

One of the aspects of this project that I’m most excited about is that we’re filming it on location, where I actually spent a month living out of my car! Shooting on location in Montana will take a small, personal story and give it a large, grand scale.

Another reason I’m excited is that this will be my fourth feature length movie! It’s been a while, but we made “Leap: Rise of the Beast” for $2000 and were able to get it into select video stores. With video stores becoming a thing of the past, we’ll be reaching for a larger audience with “Surviving the Wild” by getting it on VoD platforms like Amazon.

Directing "Leap: Rise of the Beast" in 2010 — Directing “Leap: Rise of the Beast” in 2010

"Leap: Rise of the Beast" on a video store shelf — “Leap: Rise of the Beast” on a video store shelf

“Surviving the Wild” will be shot over the course of 12 days, six in Montana, and six days in Washington/Idaho. My dog, Bodhi, will be playing the main character’s dog as my previous dog (that I went through all this with) passed a few years ago.

Bodhi and I checking out framework from a previous shelter, December 2018

WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING?

My three previous movies were all shot with volunteer cast and crew on nights and weekends. While it all worked out in the end, doing that meant working around everyone’s schedules and the last movie took seven months to shoot. Taking into account the fact that we’re shooting half of “Surviving the Wild” on location in Montana, money we receive right now is going toward some hot meals and gas. We also want to be able to pay our lead actor.

Over the past nine years, I’ve acquired professional film and audio gear, as well as built up a high-end editing system that will let us handle anything we can throw at it. This means we don’t have to worry about renting or purchasing anything to make this film.