Venice, October 19—Traffic congestion in Los Angeles is the worst in the nation. But
are the ramifications of a traffic jam all bad? Such is the question answered in a new
indie film by Venice resident Craig Serling. The result, Jam, follows the stories of a
diverse group of strangers stuck on a rural road together after a stray dog jumps
out into a car’s path initiating an accident.

Set on Father’s Day, and featuring an array of 14 ensemble players such as Jeffrey
Dean Morgan and Tess Harper, the film unites the experiences of its diverse
characters—ranging from a bank robber (too foolish to bring along the tools
necessary to open a hijacked ATM) and the father of the young man who caused the
crash—as the crash and subsequent jam forces them to face issues of parenting.

“I want people to realize that they’re not alone in their own struggles raising
children,” said Serling. “One notion behind Jam is every male character in the film
gets his butt kick and in doing so they learn a little more about themselves.”

After playing at “The Other Venice Film Festival” as a short, Jam came to life here in
Venice, with Serling writing the script at Abbot’s Habit, taking meetings at the French
Market Café and holding rehearsals at the Electric Lodge. Such Venice locals as
Music Supervisors Amine Ramer and Alexina Matisse played key roles.