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Three young men struggle to prove themselves during an increasingly intense initiation in this dark short by Knoxville, Tennessee-based director Chad Cunningham. Inspired by the Trump era and growing MAGA fervor, “The Order” playfully subverts the popular American institution of the Boy Scouts, as Cunningham explains, “I thought it would be interesting to have something so traditional and innocent to American culture, like scouting, and have it be secretly corrupted by American masculinity and power.” Delving into his own personal history, he continues:

“I achieved the rank of Eagle Scout at age 15. This would be an impressive achievement for most young men, but in my family it was expected. My father, both grandfathers, 7 uncles, and countless cousins all achieved the rank before me. Along with the rank of Eagle, I was also expected into The Order of the Arrow. This is an organization within the Boy Scouts that is more selective and offers leadership development. To get into The Order of the Arrow you must go through The Ordeal which is a much less dramatic, violent, or perverted version of the film. However, this is what sparked the idea and allowed me to write this film from a corrupted version of my memory.”

Watch above. See full credits and behind-the-scenes images from the shoot below!

 

Starring
Jackson – Iain Tucker
Scout Master Kemp – Curt Willis
Scout Master Pope – Mike Mullin
David Matthews – Brian Feys
Miles – Mike DiGirolamo
Dustin – Matt Lyscas

Directed by Chad Cunningham
Producers: Chad Cunningham & John Girod
Writers: Chad Cunningham & Curt Willis
Director of Photography: John Carrington III
Music: Ben Worley
Art Director: Ian Goodman
Editor: Chad Cunningham
1st AD: John Girod
2nd AD/Script Supervisor: Shane Smith
Casting Director: Susannah Devereux
1st AC: Andrew Bradford
2nd AC/DIT: Adam Chapman
Gaffer: Justin Berrios
Key Grip: Tad Howard
Grip: Ryan Acree
Grip: Jackson Deal
Grip: Joe Atkins
Grip: Christopher Mitchell
Stunt Coordinator: Jason Benjamin
Art Department: Maggie Yeager
Art Department: Jennifer Kerr
Art Department/Makeup Assistant: Madelyn Cunningham
Wardrobe: Ann Thomas https://www.instagram.com/annthomasstylist/
Hair & Makeup Department Head: Krista Segars
Hair & Makeup: Christine Osborne
Hair & Makeup: Gabby Goddard
Graphic Designer: Logan Smith
Colorist: John Carrington
Sound Supervisor/Mixing Engineer: Christian Sawyer
Sound Mixer: Kyle Heverly
Sound Design: Daniel Da Silva
Location Manager: Randee Brown
Location Manager: Nathan Brown
Production Assistant: Austin Wallace
Production Assistant: Daniel Deal

 

 

 

 

 

Chad Cunningham’s Website

Chad Cunningham on Vimeo

Chad Cunningham on Instagram

 

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