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About the Film

In a dystopian world where humanity is puppeted by giant stone hands in the sky, a brave young girl escapes her strings to protect the planet’s last surviving flower.

Together with her floral companion and an unexpected friend, she must outrun mechanical nightmares and build back a once-thriving rebellion to sever the world’s ties and discover true freedom.

Writer and Director: Jacob Painter

Producer: Jess Grace Garcia

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Welcome to Town Name

The Film takes place in the fictional town of Town Name, a once thriving and diverse community. After the Helping Hands took over, this utopia became a stale promise of yesterday; Farms paved over for factory districts, playgrounds left to rot...

It’s as if the 70’s were just getting ready to end when the Hands came in and stuck a 50’s facade over them.

Meet Amara

The film's lead is a young girl who loves flowers and hates hands. Her best friend, Little Ray, is a fragile sappling whom the Helping Hands have determined is an enemy of the state. Amara will do anything to find a safe home for her friend.

and her neighbor, Toby

The shy boy next door who doesen't get out much. Infact, he's been so well hidden that the Hands don't know he exists, to his advantage.

Amara thinks Toby is a scaredy-cat, but as their adventures take them to faraway and scary places, Toby learns to be courageous in the face of evil.

The Helping Hands

No one knows where these strange stone controllers have come from, but they are desperate to control.

Under the guise of providing uniformity, structure, and purpose, the Hands employ mechanical tyrants and puppet-like control over the Town's citizens to mine resources and exploit the world they've conqured.

Subheading Text

The Helping Hands don't work alone. They employ the services of mechanical tyrants Amp and Volt who help coral the humans and exploit their world's resources.

The Crank is the voice of the Hands, embodied by a floating 60s record player. He speaks to Amara through the voice of the Mayor.

Amara and Toby's Adeventure

Armed with stringless limbs and a flower, Amara and Toby outsmart the evil regime and travel to the ends of their earth to find a safe haven for Little Ray. Their journey is out of this world.

Told through intricately hand-crafted stop-motion animation and a captivating musical soundtrack, Ties That Bind is an inspiring tale of individualism, community, and the courage it takes to defy a broken system. To save the world, Amara must look past the strings of oppression, embarking on an adventure that will take her to the ends of the Earth and beyond.

Original Music

Amara and Toby's adventure is told in part with a soundtrack of 7 original musical numbers, written by Jacob Painter and Leo Simpe-Asante.

The soundtrack is simultaneously intense and orchestral, but also simple and grounded and reflects the style of the animation.

Tracklist

  1. Ties That Bind
  2. What Can These Hands Do
  3. Harmonious Rex and the Electrobites
  4. Little Ray and I
  5. Into the Stars
  6. Little Ray and I (Reprise)
  7. Give It a Chance

Listen on Soundcloud

Support the Film

Amara and Toby's story is an important one to tell, and we need your support! If you would like to support the film, or participate in its production, please contact us:

tiesthatbindfeature@gmail.com | copy

Producer - Jess Grace Garcia
443-655-7611