Sideshow Surrealism
Narrative Feature
Project Type: Narrative Feature
Project Status: Production
Writer, Director, Editor: Felix Milionis
Producer: Daniel Coffeen
LOGLINE
Sideshow Surrealism blends the faded remnants of the Victorian Era in the Bay Area (1850s) with the bold, fast-paced style, slang, and attitude of the present. It creates a collision of meanings in the term "sideshow" — from its origins as a circus attraction filled with clowns and acrobats to its present-day form: a wild street spectacle of cars, crowds, and flashing lights.
SYNOPSIS
This project is deeply rooted in Bay Area culture and community. At its core, it challenges dominant narratives about who gets to participate in experimental cinema—who gets to be seen, and who gets to shape culture. By speaking in the language of spectacle—car sideshows, street performance, experimental theater, and found-footage editing—the film spotlights cultural practices often dismissed as chaotic or criminal, reframing them as powerful modes of expression and storytelling.
Structured in six acts, the film follows a series of vehicles performing at the Sideshow. Each act transitions into the next through a shared object or line of dialogue—like a baton passed between scenes—but without recurring characters or continuing themes. This fragmented structure invites the viewer into a new world just long enough to get oriented before they’re pulled into the next. The shifting rhythm mirrors the instability of a real-life sideshow.
Instead of filming a traditional narrative, we’ll stage structured events and embed cinematographers within the action. The story will emerge in the editing room, shaped by what’s captured on the ground. Most of our effort will go toward producing immersive, elaborate experiences that feel spontaneous and alive. Our visual team will follow a few guiding parameters, but ultimately act as observers within the chaos. It’s what I call planned guerrilla-style filmmaking.
MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Sideshow Surrealism is a project deeply rooted in Bay Area culture and community. At its core, it’s about challenging the dominant narratives around who gets to take part in experimental cinema — who gets to be seen and who gets to shape culture. By speaking in the language of spectacle — car sideshows, street performance, experimental theater, and found-footage editing — the film shines a light on cultural practices that are often dismissed as chaotic or criminal, and reframes them as powerful forms of expression and storytelling.
We’re seeking fiscal sponsorship to support and legitimize a creative process that’s collaborative, unpredictable, and deeply human. This film works directly with local youth, artists, and communities that exist outside traditional film industry pipelines. Scenes will be performed live in front of real Bay Area residents, many of whom are already part of the cultural fabric of sideshow spaces, whether through cars, fashion, dance, or music. Instead of extracting from those communities, Sideshow Surrealism brings them in as collaborators, helping shape the energy and spirit of the film from the inside out.
Everyone involved in this project grew up in San Francisco, surrounded by the city’s unique mix of cultures, art, and personality. Whether they were part of the scene or just soaking it in, that identity stuck with them. The Bay feels like one big performance, and this project is our way of showing that off—by spotlighting people from the community who don’t usually get that kind of platform.
Meet The Filmmakers
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Felix Milionis
Writer, Director, Editor
I’m Felix Milionis. I’ve been making films since I was seven—starting with zombie slashers that were basically just a bunch of kids running around a park. That eventually evolved into a three-part mafia trilogy, complete with car bombs and firefighters.
In middle school, I created multiple films for the Newberry Film Festival, getting five projects in and having my mind blown seeing them play in a theater. Throughout high school, I got into more professional work, creating advertisements for local businesses and a bunch of crypto brands.
After that, I went full-time into commercial filmmaking, producing ads for—yes—more crypto brands. Most recently, I independently screened my biggest project to date: Peripheral, a two-year production made with a 50-person crew at a local art studio in San Francisco. The film opens with a scene shot at a real sideshow, where we staged a choreographed fight between our two lead actors—right in the middle of an adrenaline-fueled crowd of 300 people, none of whom knew it was staged. The thrill and raw energy of that moment crystallized a vision I had been chasing for years—one I didn’t fully realize until that night. -
Daniel Coffeen
Producer
I hold a PhD in Rhetoric from UC Berkeley. For over a decade, I taught critical and film theory at Berkeley as well as at the San Francisco Art Institute. In 2016, I published Reading the Way of Things: Towards a New Technology of Making Sense (Zer0 Books). I’ve been an absurdly frequent guest on philosophy podcasts and have written rather extensively about art, film, and philosophy — as well as sundry subjects such as Nietzsche, death, tequila, PT Anderson, cryptocurrency, Deleuze & Guattari, John Cassavetes, and conversing with trees — including a piece about Pontecorvo’s Battle of Algiers and database cinema for the Tate Modern.
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Celine Areola-Pilarte
Art Director
I'm Celine Arreola-Pilarte, an artist from Antelope, California, with cultural roots in Mexico and Central America. I’ve been living in San Francisco for the past nine years, but art has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My mom used to run a gallery and boutique that highlighted local Latin artists, so I grew up in a home decorated in color and culture. That really shaped how I see the world and gave me a deep love for visual storytelling.
I went to UCLA thinking I’d just explore a few creative things, but I ended up discovering how powerful visual language can be—and how much I love using it. That’s where I found my path in art direction, which brings together everything I care about: design, storytelling, and creative leadership. After college, I worked on a number of projects with director Kaith Karishma in Los Angeles, and eventually moved to San Francisco, where I continue to develop my practice.
Your Help
SIDESHOW SURREALISM is a fiscally sponsored project of Cinematography for Actors, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation will be tax-deductible!