POPCORN
PROPHETS
BASED ON AN ACTUAL LIE …
PROJECT SUMMARY
Popcorn Prophets is a coming of age drama set in late 1990s South Texas.
It follows Jonah, a quiet Mexican-American teenager who loses his father and finds unexpected salvation in the warm glow of a movie screen. While his mother turns to a charismatic church to survive her grief, Jonah discovers a different kind of faith inside a darkened theater.
The film explores the push and pull between a mother and son who love each other deeply but cope with loss in opposite ways. It captures the emotional tension of growing up in a working class Latino home, the pressure of holding a family together, and the power of art to offer hope when everything else feels out of reach.
Inspired by real experiences, Popcorn Prophets highlights the Rio Grande Valley with authenticity and pride, presenting a region rarely seen on film through a lens of dignity and emotional truth.
Written by Reynaldo Leal and directed by Nate Boyer, Popcorn Prophets is a heartfelt South Texas story with the potential to resonate across the country. The project is currently in pre production and will be filmed entirely in the Rio Grande Valley with local talent, cultural partners, and community support.
Tone
Popcorn Prophets blends the intimacy of Minari with the nostalgia of Cinema Paradiso and the honesty of Lady Bird and DiDi.
We explore grief without judgment, faith without mockery, and childhood without sentimentality. Moments of humor and warmth break through the heaviness, just like they do in real life. The film carries the quiet, lyrical quality of stories that grow from lived experience.
PRODUCTION TIMELINE
Screenplay Completed (June 2023)
Reynaldo Leal finishes the script, which is named a finalist in the 2023 Slamdance Screenwriting Competition.
Director Attached (April 2025)
Filmmaker Nate Boyer joins the project.
Development (May to September 2025)
Script refinements, visual development, and early partnerships with local organizations, EDCs, and Chambers of Commerce.
Pre Production (October 2025 to September 2026)
Casting, location scouting, department hires, budgeting, and production design with a focus on South Texas settings.
Production (October to November 2026)
Filming on location across the Rio Grande Valley with a local forward crew.
Post Production (January to May 2027)
Editing, color, sound, and score completed in Los Angeles and Austin.
Popcorn Prophets is a personal story
I grew up in South Texas, the son of a deeply religious mother who was doing the best she could after my father died. She turned to the church. I turned to movies.
This film is a love letter to that kid. The one who was grieving quietly, surviving silently, and searching for meaning in stories when real life felt impossible.
It is also a story about South Texas. About working-poor families, cramped homes, and the complicated ways we hold on to each other through loss. It is a regional film, but the emotions are universal.
This is not just a story based from my life experience. It is the story that saved my life.
Reynaldo LEAL
Writer/Producer
Popcorn Prophets is an important story
As soon as I got just a few pages into the Popcorn Prophets script, I knew I had to help tell this story. It's powerful, heartfelt, relatable, and rooted in the Rio Grande Valley. The people, the culture, and the history of this place are not just the backdrop; they are the lifeblood of this film.
I am honored to work alongside writer and producer Reynaldo Leal, who grew up in the Valley and has poured his lived experience and truth into these pages. This is more than a film, it's a chance to share with the world a story born in South Texas that carries a universal message of resilience, family, and the power movies have to save us.
But we cannot do this alone; making a film at this level will take all of us. Every donation, every introduction, every word of support matters. Your belief in Popcorn Prophets is what propels us forward and what will make it possible to bring this story to life ... at home where it belongs, in the Rio Grande Valley.
NATE BOYER
director/Producer
community impact
At our live reading at The Citrus Live, more than 270 people attended, showing how deeply this film resonates with audiences of all backgrounds.
The project already has strong local backing from the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, Explore Edinburg, and the Ricky Rod Law Group, all of whom recognize the economic and cultural value this film brings to the region.
Filming in the Rio Grande Valley will create local jobs and support hotels, restaurants, vendors, and small businesses. It will also give young filmmakers rare access to a professional feature film production.
The film highlights Latino family life with honesty and dignity, and it is led by a creative team that includes two military veterans whose experiences shape the emotional truth of the story.
Supporting this film means championing authentic storytelling with the power to reach national and international audiences while uplifting a community that has long been overlooked.
Popcorn Prophets Live Stage Read
fundraising goal
Our goal is to raise $500,000 in tax-deductible donations to make Popcorn Prophets a reality. These funds will allow us to film entirely in the Rio Grande Valley, hire local cast and crew, support regional businesses, and bring this story to the screen with the care and authenticity it deserves.
This amount represents the final piece of our production budget. Every contribution moves us closer to filming in October 2026 and ensures that this project remains rooted in the community that inspired it.
Your support is what will bring this film to life.
The BARE BUDGET
TRANSPORTATION - $25,000
SOUND DEPARTMENT - $28,000
ART DEPARTMENT - $30,000
LIGHTING DEPARTMENT - $35,000
ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT - $35,000
CRAFT SERVICES - $37,000
CAMERA DEPARTMENT - $60,000
SET DESIGN, DRESSING & CONSTRUCTION - $75,000
LOCATIONS - $75,000
CAST - $100,000
Executive Sponsor - $50,000
The highest level of partnership with Popcorn Prophets. This tier offers top tier credit placement, major visibility across marketing, and exclusive access to the filmmakers.
Executive Sponsor Benefits:
Executive Sponsor credit placed at the top of the sponsor section in the end credits
Prominent logo placement on marketing and promotional materials
Prominent acknowledgment on the official project website, social media channels, and press releases
Guided set tour with the filmmakers and cast.
Recognition at community screening events
Private screening of the completed film for your organization
Dinner with the filmmakers
20 VIP tickets to the premiere screening
Signed final screenplay and movie poster
Premier Sponsor - $25,000
A significant sponsorship level that expands visibility, recognition, and access. This tier offers elevated credit placement, guided engagement with the filmmakers, and broader promotional reach for your organization.
Premier Sponsor Benefits:
Premier Sponsor credit in the final film
Logo placement on select marketing materials
Logo placement on the official project website
Acknowledgment on the official project website, social media channels, and press releases
Recognition at community screening events
Guided set tour with the filmmakers and cast
10 VIP tickets to the premiere screening
Signed movie poster
CHAMPION Sponsor - $10,000
A mid level sponsorship that strengthens your visibility and connection to the film. This tier offers expanded recognition, increased promotional placement, and meaningful engagement with the production while supporting local talent and economic growth in the Rio Grande Valley.
Champion Sponsor Benefits:
Champion Sponsor credit in the final film
Logo placement on the official project website
Acknowledgment on the official project website and social media channels
Recognition at community screening events
4 VIP tickets to the premiere screening
Signed movie poster
SPOTLIGHT SPONSOR - $5,000
A foundational sponsorship level that helps drive production in the Rio Grande Valley. This tier offers meaningful visibility and direct engagement with the filmmakers while supporting local jobs and community impact.
Spotlight Sponsor Benefits:
Spotlight Sponsor credit in the final film
Acknowledgment on the official project website and social media channels
Recognition at community screening events
2 VIP tickets to the premiere screening
Signed movie poster
Community SPONSOR - $2,500
An entry level sponsorship designed for individuals and small businesses who want to support the production of Popcorn Prophets. This tier helps build early momentum for the film and supports the creative work needed to bring this story to the screen.
Community Sponsor Benefits:
Community Sponsor credit in the final film
Recognition at community screening events
1 VIP ticket to the premiere screening
Community Sponsor contributions can be made directly through our Film Independent Fiscal Sponsorship donation page at my.filmindependent.org/PopcornProphets.
WANT TO BECOME A SPONSOR?
All contributions are processed through Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship Program, which allows individuals, businesses, and foundations to make fully tax deductible donations to the project.
Because of the sponsorship amount, Champion, Premium, and Executive gifts must be made by check, direct deposit, or wire transfer.
Please leave your information below with your name, email, and the sponsorship level you would like contribute to. Our team will coordinate directly with Film Independent and provide you with all required instructions for the donation process.