.png)
Conspiracy 25 storms into St. George, Utah on January 17th, 2026 — and it’s unlike anything you’ve seen before.
This is not Sundance. This is not Hollywood. This is seven filmmakers hurling themselves against the wall with ten commandments and one brutal limit: make a feature for $2,025 or less. No excuses. No polish. Just raw cinema carved from blood, sweat, and borrowed gear.
Inspired by the radical spirit of Dogme 95, Conspiracy 25 strips away the machinery of commercial filmmaking and dives headfirst into unfiltered storytelling.
What’s ready by January? The features that survived the fire, plus the first cut of the Conspiracy 25 documentary. That’s the ride: you won’t know exactly what you’re walking into — and that’s the point.
Beyond the premieres, expect filmmaker Q&As, behind-the-scenes revelations, and the kind of reckless creative energy that refuses to wait for permission.
Whether you’re a die-hard cinephile or just starving for something new, Conspiracy 25 is your chance to witness a once-in-a-generation indie experiment ignite on the big screen.
No studios. No safety nets. No apologies. Just pure cinema.
THE FILMS
(more to come)
DESERT SILENCE
Written & Directed By Caleb Hatton
Set in the haunting stillness of the Utah desert, Desert Silence follows a disillusioned priest whose faith unravels when he helps a desperate mother flee a violent past. As their journey spirals into madness and revelation, the boundaries between salvation and sin blur against an unforgiving landscape.
HAND ON BROKEN GLASS
Written & Directed By Joseph DeGolyer
When a grieving reporter investigates anonymous death threats in her rural hometown, she uncovers a web of violence and secrets that could threaten her marriage and the lives of those she loves, forcing her to ask whether she’s chasing a story or becoming part of one.
FILMMAKER
PARTICIPANTS
STERLING ANDREWS
Sterling Andrews wrote and directed his first feature film, Living In the Last Days, which premiered in 2025. He currently works as a news photographer at FOX 13 and has years of cinematography and marketing experience from Chamber Media.
JOSEPH DEGOLYER
Joseph DeGolyer is the director and writer of the award-winning features Chicken Coop (2023) and The 13th Cross (2020). He currently works as a news photographer at ABC4 and previously directed dozens of corporate documentaries for Outdoor Vitals.
AUSTIN SCHADEWALD RIP 🪦
Austin Schadewald is a professional real estate photographer and co-owner of Desert Focus Productions. He has directed and produced dozens of short films, and his current project will mark his first feature film when completed.
CALEB HATTON
Caleb Hatton is an award-winning cinematographer with dozens of short films and cinematic YouTube projects to his name. He studied under Werner Herzog and continues to pursue bold, visually striking storytelling while farming full-time.
DAVEY MORRISON RIP 🪦
Davey Morrison (1984–2025) was a beloved film professor, playwright, and director. His work included numerous shorts and the award-winning 55-minute featurette WWJD. A two-time Jeopardy! champion, Davey ambitiously set out to make two features in a single year but left us too soon. May he rest in peace.
LANCE MURPHY
Lance Murphy is a steadicam operator, musician, and filmmaker. He has created numerous short films and is a staple in the Southern Utah filmmaking scene. Horizon (feature), Scratch (short film), The Promised Land (series), and Deviant Behavior (feature) are just some of the films he has worked on in various crew positions.
PARKER PETERSON
Parker Peterson is an award-winning cinematographer whose credits include Chicken Coop and The 13th Cross. Also a skilled portrait and wildlife photographer, Parker is now preparing for his first feature film via Conspiracy 25.
BEN VASION RIP 🪦
Ben Vasion (1992–2025) was a talented film student and director of award-winning shorts. He worked on the locations crews for Wild Horse Nine, The Promised Land, and the upcoming Yellowstone Martials TV series. He left the project after becoming Sam Rockwell’s personal assistant.
THE PURPOSE OF
CONSIPIRACY 25
To challenge ourselves as storytellers and dramatists, focusing purely on story and character, free from the trappings of commercial filmmaking and genre conventions.
To create the best possible film with the fewest resources, and to embrace limitations as a catalyst for creativity.
To remove preciousness from the creative process.
To remove careerism from the artistic process.
To do something interesting in the year 2025.
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS
1.
Thou shalt pen a complete first draft of the script in no more than 7 days
2.
Thou shalt shoot the film in no more than 10 days, including pickup shots.
3.
Thou shalt spend no more than $2025 on the film in total, excluding transportation costs. A line-item spending report must be included in the credits.
4.
Thou shalt not use artificial light sources, except practicals already available on location. Bounce may be used as needed for exposure.
5.
Thou shalt not employ special effects, specialty costumes, specialty makeup, dynamic CGI, chroma key compositing, nor the shooting of guns, dangerous stunts, or animal wrangling for budget, safety, and creative reasons.
6.
Thou shalt make a film that takes place in the present day and thou shalt connect thy film to others in the project, sharing at least one character and/or location with another Conspiracy 25 film.
7.
Thou shalt make a film no less than 80 minutes and no more than 90 minutes in length.
8.
Thou shalt create a wholly original story, and thou shalt not use stock music and footage, nor shalt thou employ A.I. in the filmmaking or screenwriting process.
9.
Thou shalt help thy fellow filmmakers by filling a major crew or cast position on at least one other production in the project.
10.
Thou shalt finish thy own film, lest thou be publicly shamed and thou must self-distribute thy film if it finds no footing within one year, or release it for free on YouTube by 2027.