Floating
in Riverview
Logline
A drifting community-college student and an ambitious classmate form an unexpected connection that forces them to confront love, ambition, and the idea of home in their small Northern California town.
Synopsis
FLOATING IN RIVERVIEW follows ETHAN OLIVARES, a pizza shop worker and long-time community-college student drifting through the routines of a small Northern California town, and MONA PATEL, an ambitious student balancing family expectations with her own dreams. Both feel stuck in different ways — one afraid of standing still, the other afraid of moving too far ahead.
When they’re paired for an astronomy project, an unexpected connection forms between them through late-night drives, quiet conversations, and the moments that almost say enough. For Ethan, Mona is a reminder of the possibilities he let slip away; for Mona, Ethan is a glimpse of the future she’s terrified of falling into. As their lives begin to pull them in opposite directions, they’re forced to confront what it means to grow up, to let go, and to choose the version of themselves they aren’t ready to lose.
Floating in Riverview is a tender, intimate coming-of-age drama about love, ambition, and the idea of home — and how the people we meet at the right time can still be the ones we can’t hold onto.
Director’s Statement
Floating in Riverview is a story about the in-between — the quiet space between who we are and who we’re trying to become, and the small moments of connection that carry us further than we ever expect. It’s a film about ambition and fear, about the weight of a town that feels both familiar and confining, and about the people who step into our lives at the right moment and shift something inside us, even if they don’t stay.
I wanted to tell this story because I’ve always been drawn to the subtle shifts that happen when two lives intersect — how someone can enter our lives for a brief stretch of time and alter the trajectory of who we eventually become. Ethan and Mona’s relationship isn’t defined by certainty or answers. It’s shaped by timing, circumstance, and the parts of themselves they’re still learning to understand. Their bond changes them, even as they grow in different directions.
To me, this film is a slice-of-life — grounded in a kind of realism that only comes from paying attention to the people and world around you. A story about people who pass through our world at the exact moment we need them — not to stay forever, but to show us who we might become. My hope is to make a film that feels honest in its smallest moments, gentle in its quiet truths, and real enough that audiences recognize a part of themselves in Ethan and Mona. Some relationships end, but their impact never does. They stay with us — and the people we lose often become the reason we grow.
Characters
THE PEOPLE AT THE HEART OF THE STORY
Ethan
A community-college student and pizza shop worker drifting through the routines of a life he never meant to settle into. He’s quiet, observant, and stuck between who he once hoped to be and who he’s afraid he’s becoming.
Ethan fears he’s already missed his chance — and that the rest of his life might look exactly like his present.
Mona
An ambitious student balancing her family’s expectations with her own idea of a future that feels just out of reach. She’s focused, hopeful, and pulled between who she wants to become and who she thinks she’s supposed to be.
Mona fears losing momentum — and that one wrong turn could lock her into a life that isn’t hers.
Visual Tone
Floating in Riverview is grounded in natural light, quiet spaces, and the small moments that shape who we are. The visual world is intimate and understated — built from soft textures, muted tones, and the feeling of being close to someone without fully reaching them. The film’s tone is human and atmospheric, drawn from the honesty of everyday life and the emotions that sit between what’s said and what’s held back.
Why This Film
Floating in Riverview is a human story — simple, quiet, and honest. It’s about ambition, connection, and that strange in-between stage where you’re not quite the person you were, and not yet the person you hope to be. It’s the kind of film that sticks with people because it touches feelings a lot of us carry but rarely talk about — feeling lost, wanting more, and meeting someone who changes you in ways you didn’t expect.
Right now, audiences are showing up for films that feel personal and grounded. The success of recent festival breakouts and character-driven indies makes it clear: people are looking for stories that come from a real place — intimate, specific, and connected to lived experience. Floating in Riverview lives in that space. Its emotional world is small and sincere, and I think that’s what gives it the potential to resonate with people in a real way.
This story comes from places I know — community college classrooms, late-night jobs, growing up in a small town, and the feeling of wanting your life to move forward but not knowing how to make it happen. It comes from the people who enter your world at exactly the right time, even if they don’t stay. That truth sits at the center of the film.
And I think this story will reach a lot of people who’ve felt some piece of that — young adults trying to figure out who they are, AAPI audiences who rarely get to see themselves reflected in this kind of quiet, grounded storytelling, and anyone who’s ever felt the weight of expectation from family, culture, or themselves. These viewers consistently connect with films built on sincerity, restraint, and emotional clarity.
Floating in Riverview has a clear artistic identity, a realistic budget, and a strong path toward festivals and long-term visibility. More than anything, it’s a film that aims to leave people with that familiar, quiet ache — the feeling you get when a story brushes up against something you’ve lived through. It’s the kind of film that stays with people long after they’ve seen it.
Support the Film
Floating in Riverview is a personal film, grounded in real experiences and the kinds of moments that stay with us. Independent films like this are made possible by people who believe in quiet, human stories — stories rooted in connection, identity, and the choices that shape who we become. If this project speaks to you, I’d love to share more about our plans, our timeline, and how you can be part of bringing this film to life.
About the Director
JULIAN SIBAL is a Filipino-American filmmaker and the founder of BLACKBOT PRODUCTIONS. His short film Jake the Failure won Best Director and Best Screenplay at the 2023 Fil-Am Creative Film Festival and earned Audience Awards at both the 2023 San Diego Filipino Film Festival and Indie Shorts Mag’s Short of the Year Awards. His work has been featured by Million Youth Media, where it has reached over 125,000 viewers. Floating in Riverview is his debut feature film — a grounded, character-driven story shaped by the people and places that influenced his own early adulthood.
Production Details
Format: Narrative Feature Film
Genre: Romantic Drama / Coming-of-Age
Estimated Budget: $390,000
Production Locations: Northern California (fictional Riverview), with select scenes filmed in Irvine, San Francisco, and the Los Angeles area to capture the regional authenticity of Ethan and Mona’s world
Production Approach: Lean, efficient, character-driven shoot designed to maximize production value on an indie budget
Production Timeline: Targeting 2026 (flexible based on financing), with a planned 20–24 day shoot and streamlined post-production schedule
Festival Strategy: Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, TIFF, SFFILM (San Francisco International Film Festival), and the San Diego Asian Film Festival — targeting both major premiere opportunities and key California showcases
Additional Targets: CAAMFest, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, QCinema, Cinemalaya, and select South Asian and AAPI-focused festivals that champion emerging filmmakers and authentic diaspora stories
Distribution Path: Festival run leading to potential streaming acquisition through curated indie distributors with strong track records for emerging filmmakers and character-driven AAPI narratives
Contact
General Inquiries:
julian@blackbot-productions.com
Instagram:
@juliansibal