Filmmaker Sav Rodgers, Director of Chasing Chasing Amy, is Back and Working on a New Film

By Shelby Faulkner

Director Sav Rodgers is working on a new film, and he’s teaming up with some amazing folks in the film industry—and you—to make it a reality.

Sav is best known for his acclaimed documentary Chasing Chasing Amy—a deeply moving film that explores the impact of Kevin Smith’s 1997 comedy Chasing Amy on the LGBTQ+ community and, more importantly, Sav’s exploration of his own identity as he processes this film’s role in his own coming out and transition.

Pancake Skank, his new comedy short, promises to be a surreal film that celebrates queer people and the fun of cinema.

Director, Writer, & Producer Sav Rodgers // Courtsey of Pancake Skank

“My last film Chasing Chasing Amy, premiered at the 2023 Tribeca festival, had a theatrical run in 2024, and is now available to watch everywhere. And if you liked that movie, and if you like the people who made it, well, good news, I’m getting a lot of the band back together,” says Sav. “Filmmakers I’ve admired my whole career, like Lilly Wachowski and The Duplass Brothers, have put their names on this thing as a vote of confidence. That’s something. Don’t even get me started on our cast. Holy shit, we’re lucky!”

Lilly Wachowski, the visionary writer/director of films like Bound, The Matrix, and Speed Racer, will be acting as an executive producer for Pancake Skank, alongside Sarah Marie Flores, Lawrence Mattis, Mark Duplass, Mel Eslyn, and Jay Duplass. As for the cast, you can expect to see Eve Lindley and Reed Northup in the starring roles—joined by Emily Kincaid, Laura Kirk, Jeffrey Weber, Regina “Riley” Rodgers, Jason Tostevin, and King Mustafa Obafemi.

Executive Producers the Duplass Brothers Productions // Courtesy of Pancake Skank

Sav and his team recently launched a community fundraising campaign for Pancake Skank on Seed & Spark—a crowdfunding platform dedicated to helping creators and their audiences bring projects to life. Projects on Seed & Spark have a mandatory timeline, with creators receiving funds only if they hit their goal within that timeframe. Creators can also share updates, offer incentives, and create a wishlist for their projects.

“Pancake Skank is a story about what happens when another person recognizes the person you have the potential to be. It explores themes of friendship, self-discovery, and what it means to love someone as they are through a fantastical, surrealist lens” According to the campaign on Seed & Spark. “In the eerie, neon-soaked expanse of The World of Almost Always Nighttime, folklore and reality blur in the shadow of a pancake-thieving outlaw known only as Pancake Skank. When a lonely, unremarkable young man, Lover Boi, crosses paths with the titular urban legend, he finds himself captivated by her magnetism. What begins as a flapjack stickup soon evolves into an unlikely partnership that reshapes them both – for good.”

Support Pancake Skank at pancakeskank.com // Art by Maddy Best

Sav and his team plan to go into production in early 2026 with help from community support. On the crowdfunding campaign, you’ll find various incentives like pancake recipes, early screening access, merch, the opportunity to name one of the film’s diners, and even the chance to become an easter egg. Plus you’ll be supporting a bunch of LGBTQ+ folks and our buddy Sav.

“This film’s a big swing, and it’s going to take a village to make it happen,” Sav says. “We want to tell a wild, fun story with our friends that, honestly, rules. This film is pure fun at a time when we desperately need some respite, especially as queer people.”

You can pledge money to Pancake Skank’s Seed & Spark campaign through October 28, 2025, or check out their wishlist to see how else you can help.

“That’s where you come in,” Sav says. “Join the team and help us make this. We know we have something special that can make you laugh.”

Check out Pankcake Skank on Seed & Spark to support the film, get access to incentives, and learn more.

Shelby Faulkner (she/her) is a Kansas City-based writer who is passionate about queer representation and intersectional feminism. She also loves to support local businesses, artists, and her community. In her free time, you can find her hanging at a local coffee shop, getting lost in a video game, curling up with a romantasy book, or chilling with her cat.

Maddy Best (she/her) is a first-generation Vietnamese American designer. Raised in rural Missouri, she spent five years in KC before making the move to St. Louis. As a freelancer, she uses her multidisciplinary design expertise to help people, brands, and organizations bring experiences to life. Her passion is using design to answer questions and solve problems for all people – regardless of their gender, race, status, or abilities. When she’s not designing websites or brand identities, you can find Maddy cooking, listening to the same emo playlist on repeat, watching bad sci-fi films, and playing video games.