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The Fixer
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Feature Film
Action  ·  Crime  ·  Thriller

THE FIXER

Los Angeles  ·  Christmas  ·  Present Day
Los Angeles at Christmas — Capitol Records

When an LA crime lord takes his daughter, a fixer and the assassin who killed his wife team up with only two days and a diamond-studded golden gun to bring her home alive.

You Can't Bury the Past.
Comps

THE FIXER is Snatch and Layer Cake meets Collateral.

Coming Soon
Snatch
Theatrical Release
2000
Budget
£6M
Gross (World)
$83.6M
4 Wins & 7 Nominations
Coming Soon
Layer Cake
Theatrical Release
2004
Budget
£4M
Gross (World)
$11.9M
Launched Daniel Craig as 007
Coming Soon
Collateral
Theatrical Release
2004
Budget
$65M
Gross (World)
$220.2M
2 Oscar Nominations
Director's Vision
Coming Soon
Writer and director Michael Schilf presents his artistic vision.
Story

The Golden Gun

Coming Soon

It's Christmas in Los Angeles when Camila — an elite assassin with a code of her own — slips into the compound of Penoze crime lord Sint Maarten and steals his most prized possession: a one-of-a-kind, diamond-studded golden gun. In a city plagued by warring factions, the gun is power.

His Daughter Taken

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Jack Cross — a revered fixer, now retired and broken by his wife's death — lives with his father-in-law Benny and his daughter Sophia. When Sint Maarten demands his former fixer recover the stolen gun, Cross refuses. He's out of the life. So Sint Maarten takes Sophia — forcing his hand.

An Unlikely Partner

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Hunting the thief, Cross uncovers a devastating truth: Camila is the assassin Sint Maarten hired to kill his wife. Now, to save his daughter, Cross must partner with the one person he should bury — and together they have two days to deliver the golden gun and bring Sophia home alive.

Three Crime Factions

Coming Soon

But word of the gun is out. From a young Wah Ching upstart to an Armenian butcher and mob boss to Sint Maarten's personal army, three crime factions of the city's underworld want the prize — and only the most skilled player will deliver a checkmate. Sophia's life weighs in the balance.

The Underworld
Three factions. One gun.
Coming Soon
The Penoze
Penoze
Coming Soon
The Armenians
Armenians
Coming Soon
Wah Ching
Wah Ching
Full Synopsis

THE FIXER

Act One

1The Theft

It is Christmas in Los Angeles — palm trees and holiday lights. In the dead of night, a lethal professional named Camila De La Cruz breaks into the compound of Penoze crime lord Sint Maarten and steals his most prized possession: a one-of-a-kind, diamond-studded golden gun displayed behind glass like a trophy. Across the city, Jack Cross — once the most revered fixer in Los Angeles, now retired and broken — lives quietly with his father-in-law Benny, raising his teenage daughter Sophia in the wreckage of his wife Angela's murder. When Sint Maarten asks his old fixer to recover the stolen gun, Cross refuses; he is out of the life. So Sint Maarten takes Sophia, which forces the retired fixer back into the life.

2The Open Grave

Cross is on the hunt for Camila. He captures and interrogates Sint Maarten's flashy envoy Dutch, extracts intel on where to find her, and — in the first of many acts of mercy — spares Dutch, telling him to vanish. Cross then abducts Camila and drives her to a remote hillside where a grave is already dug. But before he can bury her, Camila reveals the truth that detonates everything: Sint Maarten ordered Angela's death, and he hired Camila to do it — without telling her who the target was. She stole the golden gun as her answer to his betrayal. Cross stands over the grave, his rage useless. He needs Camila — and the gun — to save his daughter. Two enemies become the most unlikely partners imaginable.

Act Two

3Grandma's House

Needing proof she has the gun, Cross is taken to her grandma's house, where a home-cooked meal destabilizes Cross's fury, and Camila extracts the golden gun from a ceramic pot above the fridge. Meanwhile, Dutch — unable to resist one last night — drinks and talks too much at a massage parlor fronting a prostitution ring run by Steve Soohoo, a brash young Wah Ching. Steve learns the gun is in play and forces Dutch to lead him to Benny's house. Cross and Camila return to find Steve holding Benny hostage. In the chaotic standoff, Cross disarms one of Steve's crew and shoots him in the foot with the kid's own gun — mercy again — but Steve escapes with the golden gun. So Cross conscripts Dutch into his crew.

4Seeds of War

Steve's powerful, old-guard father Mr. Soohoo — dignified, patient, a scar across his dead eye — arrives unannounced and strips the stolen gun from Steve, inadvertently learning that Cross has partnered with Camila. Rather than keep the gun, Mr. Soohoo delivers it to Armenian crime boss Bagrat the Butcher as a gift, seeding a war between Bagrat and Sint Maarten. Bagrat phones Sint Maarten to gloat and reveal the Cross/Camila partnership. Enraged, Sint Maarten sends his army to kill Cross and recover the gun, but keeps Sophia alive as leverage. Cross walks into Bagrat's butcher shop — alone and outgunned — flips the standoff with his crew and seizes the gun. Bagrat escapes, and now two criminal armies are hunting Cross across the city.

5Two Armies

By day, the Armenians and the Penoze converge on Cross's crew in a running battle through the streets of Los Angeles. Cross and Camila fight as a single lethal unit, their partnership forged in fire, while Benny holds his own with the cunning of an old gangster who has survived worse — and Dutch scrambles just to stay alive. The two armies are as much in each other's way as on Cross's tail, and through skill and chaos the crew breaks free. Meanwhile, held captive at Sint Maarten's compound, Sophia studies her captors and bides her time — resilient and defiant. But the crew has nowhere to hide — both armies wounded and still hunting, Sophia still captive, no safe harbor anywhere in the city.

6The Trap

Sint Maarten, his offensive failed, springs a trap. He calls Cross directly and names a location — the Port of Los Angeles — offering the gun for Sophia, knowing it is a kill zone he controls. But Cross has a hidden play: he secretly sends Dutch with the port location to Mr. Soohoo, a move the crew mistakes for Dutch finally fleeing. Cross walks into the trap with eyes open. He reaches Sophia — their reunion brief and charged — but the net closes. Captured, the gun taken, Cross and his crew kneel at gunpoint, execution imminent. Sint Maarten, triumphant, takes his golden trophy and leaves for his estate to savor the win, ordering his men to finish the job. The lowest point — yet Cross is impossibly, inexplicably calm.

Act Three

7The Chess Master

Gunfire erupts. Bagrat's forces storm the port and slaughter Sint Maarten's men. Bagrat revels in a victory monologue — until a bullet pierces his head mid-sentence. Within seconds, his entire army is wiped out. The Wah Ching strikes while the Armenians' backs are turned. Through the stillness walks Dutch — and Mr. Soohoo, the chess master who has played everyone. The scar, the dead eye, the decades-old humiliation: all Sint Maarten's doing. The gift of the gun, the turf war, the slaughter — all Mr. Soohoo's design. Cross was a piece on his board — but the move that saved them was Cross's own. Mr. Soohoo holds Sophia, Benny, and Dutch as leverage and sends the two fixers to complete things: bring back Sint Maarten alive, with the gun.

8Checkmate

En route to Sint Maarten's, Cross tells Camila of how Mr. Soohoo lost his eye — proving he can be trusted — as flashbacks reveal breadcrumbs Cross has followed. Later, when Sint Maarten is trapped at his estate, he raises the golden gun and fires — but the gun backfires. Game over. At a Chinatown dim sum house, Cross and Camila deliver Sint Maarten and the golden gun to Mr. Soohoo, who waits at a chessboard: win and Sint Maarten walks free, lose and Mr. Soohoo takes his eye. A henchman holds the blade; Mr. Soohoo sips his tea. Cross walks free with Sophia and his crew. The man who could not forgive himself has saved his daughter and forgiven the woman who killed his wife, finding at last something like peace.

Characters
Coming Soon
Jack Cross
Jack Cross
The Fixer
Coming Soon
Camila de la Cruz
Camila de la Cruz
The Assassin
Coming Soon
Benny Sanchez
Benny Sanchez
The Ex-Con
Coming Soon
Dutch
Dutch
The Envoy
Coming Soon
Sint Maarten
Sint Maarten
Penoze Boss
Coming Soon
Bagrat the Butcher
Bagrat the Butcher
Armenian Boss
Coming Soon
Mr. Soohoo
Mr. Soohoo
Wah Ching Boss
Coming Soon
Steve
Steve
Ungrateful Son
Coming Soon
Sophia
Sophia
Taken Daughter
Tone & Style
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The Short

THE FIXER is based on Michael Schilf's award-winning short film. Watch the trailer and the 16-minute short.

Watch the Trailer
The Fixer — short film key art
90
Wins
38
Nominations
13
Best Director
The Fixer — short film key art (alternate design)
Wins
Winner
Beyond Hollywood International Film Festival
Best Director
Michael Schilf · 2022
Winner
The North Film Festival
Best International Short Film
Chase Kuker, Michael Schilf, Ryan D. Wood · 2021
Winner
Anatolia International Film Festival
Best Sound Design
Chase Kuker, Ryan D. Wood · 2021
Winner
Barcelona International Film Festival
Best Original Screenplay
Michael Schilf · 2021
Winner
Barcelona International Film Festival
Best Set Design
Michael Schilf · 2021
Winner
FilmHaus: Berlin Film + New Media Competition
Best Sound Design
Chase Kuker, Ryan D. Wood · 2021
Winner
FirstGlance Film Fest Hollywood
Best Drama
Michael Schilf · 2021
Winner
FirstGlance Film Fest Hollywood
Best Actor (Short Film)
Jesse C. Boyd · 2021
Winner
FirstGlance Film Fest Hollywood
Best Cinematography
Shaun Hart · 2021
Winner
FirstGlance Film Fest Hollywood
Best 1st Time Director
Michael Schilf · 2021
Winner
FirstGlance Film Fest Hollywood
Best Director-Short
Michael Schilf · 2021
Winner
Florence Film Awards
Best Action
Michael Schilf · 2021
Winner
IndieX Film Festival
Best Sound Mixing
Joe Cooke · 2021
Winner
L'HIFF - Barcelona International Film Festival
Best Actor International Short Film
Jesse C. Boyd · 2021
Winner
L'HIFF - Barcelona International Film Festival
Best Director International Short Film
Michael Schilf · 2021
Winner
L'HIFF - Barcelona International Film Festival
Best International Short Film
Michael Schilf · 2021
Winner
Micheaux Film Festival
Dramatic Short Form
Michael Schilf · 2021
Winner
OTB - Only The Best International Film Awards
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Kaitlin Lyerly, Lauren Guzman · 2021
Winner
OTB - Only The Best International Film Awards
Best Director
Michael Schilf · 2021
Winner
OTB - Only The Best International Film Awards
Best Sound Design
Chase Kuker, Ryan D. Wood · 2021
Winner
OTB - Only The Best International Film Awards
Best Producer (Short Film)
Chase Kuker, Michael Schilf, Ryan D. Wood · 2021
Winner
OTB - Only The Best International Film Awards
Best Ensemble Cast
Veronica Diaz Carranza, Vincent van Hinte, Danny Trejo, Jesse C. Boyd · 2021
Winner
OTB - Only The Best International Film Awards
Best Action (Short Film)
Michael Schilf · 2021
Winner
OTB - Only The Best International Film Awards
Best Action (Short Film)
Chase Kuker, Ryan D. Wood · 2021
Winner
Prague International Indie Film Festival
Best Hairstyle & Makeup
Kaitlin Lyerly, Lauren Guzman · 2021
Winner
Prague International Indie Film Festival
Best Supporting Actor
Danny Trejo · 2021
Winner
Queen Palm International Film Festival
Best Short - Action
Michael Schilf · 2021
Winner
Queen Palm International Film Festival
Best Actor - Short Film
Danny Trejo · 2021
Winner
Queen Palm International Film Festival
Best Poster
Lawrence Azerrad · 2021
Winner
Queen Palm International Film Festival
Best Supporting Actor - Short Film
Vincent van Hinte · 2021
Winner
Queen Palm International Film Festival
Best Producer - Short Film
Chase Kuker, Michael Schilf, Ryan D. Wood · 2021
Winner
War of Films
Honorable Mention
Jesse C. Boyd · 2020
Winner
War of Films
Best Actor
Danny Trejo · 2020
Winner
War of Films
Best Short Film
Chase Kuker, Michael Schilf, Ryan D. Wood · 2020
Winner
Accolade Competition
Film Short
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival
Best Production Design
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Best Film Awards
Best Director Action Film
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Best Film Awards
Best Director First-Time Short Film
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Best Shorts Award
Short Film
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
DaVinci Film Festival
Short Film
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Florence Film Awards
Honorable Mention: Thriller
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Florence Film Awards
Best Action
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Global Shorts, Los Angeles
Best Short Film
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Gold Movie Awards
Best Color Grading
Matthew Macar · 2020
Winner
Gold Movie Awards
Best Actor
Jesse C. Boyd · 2020
Winner
Independent Filmmakers Showcase IFS Film Festival, US
Best Supporting Actor
Danny Trejo · 2020
Winner
Independent Filmmakers Showcase IFS Film Festival, US
Best Action Film
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Independent Shorts Awards
Best Editing
Scott Roon · 2020
Winner
Independent Shorts Awards
Best Acting Ensemble
Veronica Diaz Carranza, Vincent van Hinte, Danny Trejo, Jesse C. Boyd · 2020
Winner
Independent Shorts Awards
Best Original Score
Chase Kuker, Ryan D. Wood · 2020
Winner
Independent Shorts Awards
Best Supporting Actor
Danny Trejo · 2020
Winner
Independent Shorts Awards
Best First Time Director
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Independent Shorts Awards
Best Supporting Actress
Veronica Diaz Carranza · 2020
Winner
Independent Shorts Awards
Best Actor
Jesse C. Boyd · 2020
Winner
Independent Shorts Awards
Best Film of the Month (Runner Up)
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Independent Shorts Awards
Best Crime Short
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Independent Shorts Awards
Best Thriller Short
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Indie Short Fest
Best Crime Short
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Indie Short Fest
Best Short (Overall)
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Indie Short Fest
Best Sound Mixing
Joe Cooke · 2020
Winner
Indie Short Fest
Best Supporting Actor
Danny Trejo · 2020
Winner
Indie Short Fest
Producer
Chase Kuker, Michael Schilf, Ryan D. Wood · 2020
Winner
Indie Short Fest
Best Thriller Short
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Indie Short Fest
Best Actor
Jesse C. Boyd · 2020
Winner
Indie Short Fest
Best First Time Director (Male)
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
IndieX Film Festival
Best Thriller Short
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
IndieX Film Festival
Best Short (Overall)
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
IndieX Film Festival
Best Producer
Chase Kuker, Michael Schilf, Ryan D. Wood · 2020
Winner
IndieX Film Festival
Best Crime Short
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
IndieX Film Festival
Best Cinematography
Shaun Hart · 2020
Winner
IndieX Film Festival
Best Actor
Jesse C. Boyd · 2020
Winner
IndieX Film Festival
Best First Time Director
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
IndieX Film Festival
Best Acting Ensemble
Veronica Diaz Carranza, Vincent van Hinte, Danny Trejo, Jesse C. Boyd · 2020
Winner
IndieX Film Festival
Best Supporting Actor
Danny Trejo · 2020
Winner
IndieX Film Festival
Best Crime Short
Chase Kuker, Michael Schilf, Ryan D. Wood · 2020
Winner
IndieX Film Festival
Best First Time Director (Male)
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Kosice International Monthly Film Festival
Best Production
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Kosice International Monthly Film Festival
Best Drama
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Kosice International Monthly Film Festival
Best First-Time Director (Short)
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Los Angeles Film Awards
Best Crime Film
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Montreal Independent Film Festival
Best Thriller
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
New York International Film Awards
Best Thriller
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Prague International Monthly Film Festival
Best Actor Short Film
Danny Trejo · 2020
Winner
Reale Film Festival
Best Film
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Rome International Movie Awards
Best Crime Short
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Santa Monica Film Festival
Best U.S. Short Film
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Vegas Movie Awards
Best Film of the Month
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Vegas Movie Awards
Best 1st Time Producer
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Vegas Movie Awards
Best Director - Short
Michael Schilf · 2020
Winner
Vegas Movie Awards
Best Narrative Short
Michael Schilf · 2020
Nominations
Nominee
Beyond Hollywood International Film Festival
Best Short Film
Chase Kuker, Michael Schilf, Ryan D. Wood · 2022
Nominee
Beyond Hollywood International Film Festival
Best Thriller
Chase Kuker, Michael Schilf, Ryan D. Wood · 2022
Nominee
The North Film Festival
Best Actress Short Film
Veronica Diaz Carranza · 2021
Nominee
The North Film Festival
Best Cinematography in Short Film
Shaun Hart · 2021
Nominee
Austin Under The Stars Film Festival
Best Narrative Short
Chase Kuker, Michael Schilf, Ryan D. Wood · 2021
Nominee
Austin Under The Stars Film Festival
Best Actor
Danny Trejo · 2021
Nominee
Austin Under The Stars Film Festival
Best Director
Michael Schilf · 2021
Nominee
FilmHaus: Berlin Film + New Media Competition
Best Thriller
Michael Schilf · 2021
Nominee
FilmHaus: Berlin Film + New Media Competition
Best Trailer
Chase Kuker, Ryan D. Wood · 2021
Nominee
FilmHaus: Berlin Film + New Media Competition
Best Film
Michael Schilf · 2021
Nominee
FilmHaus: Berlin Film + New Media Competition
Best Low-Budget Film
Michael Schilf · 2021
Nominee
FirstGlance Film Fest Hollywood
Best Ensemble Cast (Short)
Veronica Diaz Carranza, Vincent van Hinte, Danny Trejo, Jesse C. Boyd · 2021
Nominee
Gold Movie Awards
Best Color Grading
Matthew Macar · 2021
Nominee
L'HIFF - Barcelona International Film Festival
Best Director
Michael Schilf · 2021
Nominee
L'HIFF - Barcelona International Film Festival
Best Actor
Jesse C. Boyd · 2021
Nominee
Micheaux Film Festival
Dramatic Actor (Short Form)
Jesse C. Boyd · 2021
Nominee
Micheaux Film Festival
Outstanding Action/Suspense
Chase Kuker, Michael Schilf, Ryan D. Wood · 2021
Nominee
Queen Palm International Film Festival
Best Supporting Actor - Short Film
Vincent van Hinte · 2021
Nominee
Queen Palm International Film Festival
Best Actor - Short Film
Danny Trejo · 2021
Nominee
Queen Palm International Film Festival
Best Director - Short Film
Michael Schilf · 2021
Nominee
Queen Palm International Film Festival
Best Producer - Short Film
Chase Kuker, Michael Schilf, Ryan D. Wood · 2021
Nominee
Barcelona International Film Festival
Best Original Screenplay
Michael Schilf · 2020
Nominee
Barcelona International Film Festival
Best Film Editing
Scott Roon · 2020
Nominee
Barcelona International Film Festival
Best Set Design
Michael Schilf · 2020
Nominee
Independent Shorts Awards
Best Film
Michael Schilf · 2020
Nominee
Indie Short Fest
Best Short (Overall)
Michael Schilf · 2020
Nominee
Indie Short Fest
Best Thriller Short
Michael Schilf · 2020
Nominee
Indie Short Fest
Best Crime Short
Michael Schilf · 2020
Nominee
Indie Short Fest
Best Sound Mixing
Joe Cooke · 2020
Nominee
Indie Short Fest
Best Producer
Chase Kuker, Michael Schilf, Ryan D. Wood · 2020
Nominee
Indie Short Fest
Best Original Score
Chase Kuker, Ryan D. Wood · 2020
Nominee
Indie Short Fest
Best Actor
Jesse C. Boyd · 2020
Nominee
Indie Short Fest
Best First Time Director (Male)
Michael Schilf · 2020
Nominee
Indie Short Fest
Best Acting Ensemble
Veronica Diaz Carranza, Vincent van Hinte, Danny Trejo, Jesse C. Boyd · 2020
Nominee
Indie Short Fest
Best Supporting Actor
Danny Trejo · 2020
Nominee
IndieX Film Festival
Best Supporting Actress
Veronica Diaz Carranza · 2020
2nd Place
Rome International Movie Awards
Best First Time Director
Michael Schilf · 2020
3rd Place
Rome International Movie Awards
Best Actor
Danny Trejo · 2020

What People Are Saying

Filmmakers
Coming Soon
Michael Schilf
Michael Schilf
Writer / Director / Producer
Coming Soon
Chase Kuker
Chase Kuker
Producer / Composer
Coming Soon
Miah Smith
Miah Smith
Producer
Coming Soon
Jordan Kuker
Jordan Kuker
Producer
Contact

For investment, sales, distribution, and representation inquiries, please contact:

Producer / Composer
Chase Kuker
747.214.5723
chasekuker@lunardoor.com
Writer / Director / Producer
Michael Schilf
323.687.6284
michaelschilf@lunardoor.com