The Hometown Movie that Could...

WHAT LIES WEST began in April 2017, on the covered patio of Amy’s Drive-Thru in Rohnert Park, Sonoma County, CA.

Over a vegan burger and distinctly non-vegan chocolate milkshake, award-winning writer/director, AFI graduate, and Twitter celebrity Jessica Ellis decided she wanted to self-fund and make her debut feature in the place where the back-roads and hiking trails were as familiar as her mom’s kitchen: her hometown of Santa Rosa, CA.

Using her infectious ambition and determination, she quickly attached producing partners/DP Sean Carroll and Producer Jennifer Milliman, as well as lead actresses Nicolette Ellis and Chloe Moore, as she crafted a script following the life-changing summer of two very different young women, drawn together in the need for adventure and change to their stagnant lives.

Utlilizing her social media audience, Jessica launched the first of two wildly successful fundraising campaigns via Seed&Spark, where donors were drawn to the film’s themes of female friendship, anxiety, and adventure in the most beautiful setting California offers.

From the Beginning, the WHAT LIES WEST TEAM was determined to create an inclusive atmosphere. Our crew was over 85% female, including women in underrepresented jobs such as Camera operator, sound recorder, and Grip & Electric.

Following a successful first half of shooting in 2017, Jessica Ellis underwent emergency heart surgery, delaying production on the second half. Further delaying a return to filming, the unprecedented Sonoma County Wildfires of 2017 caused significant damage to several shooting locations and sent the local cast and crew into evacuation. Nevertheless, filming was completed in June of 2018.

WHAT LIES WEST has been met with acclaim at the Twin Cities Film Festival, chosen as the Opening Night Feature for the 2020 Coven Film Festival, and screened to strong social media reviews at the Vail Film Festival. The team was proud to partner with Passion River for distribution in 2021.