On The Cusp, Longlist - Short Film

Speed

Nicholas Stachurski

Eightfold Collective

Shot on 16mm. Growing up you are faced with many pathways but never can you actually predict what road you will end up on. Speed Miller, Detroit native, ended up on a different path than most. In fact he ended up on a horse. Brought up in Detroit city limits at his Grandads house, Speed spent most of his time just outside of town, tending to his grandads small horse farm. From a young age, Speed was faced with difficult choices, a product of hard times and a rough upbringing. Some of these choices led Speed down a tumultuous path that eventually resulted in jail time and several arrests. As with any good redemption story however, Speed found his purpose back where he started - at his grandad’s horse farm. Although constantly tempted by Detroit’s dark side, Speed reminds himself the horses dependency on him.

Stemming from a producing background, Nick is a very self-motivated director, with a passion for diving deep into story structure. His focus is discovering the raw elements of personal stories and finding ways to pull those emotions from story, to screen, to viewer. Often these stories deal with subjects of identity, family, personal growth and healing. His ability to find positive aspects in every person and situation is transparent in his style. He always finds a way to connect with any actor or real person, even in complex situations. Every story Nick touches brings honest human emotions to light in a cinematic presentation. When done properly, these stories provide an emotional journey that can help people through their own struggles. Fun Fact: Nick also turns into a little kid around any dog he meets.