WHAT IS LITTLE EGYPT?
Little Egypt is a tale of moral collapse, the pursuit of power, and the consequences of cheating a powerful system. Willie, our protagonist, works on the trash hills of the Little Egypt Waste Management Corporation. While digging one day he discovers the dead body of his co-worker, Tom. Willie brings Tom’s body to Hershel, the boss of the company. After inspecting the body, Hershel strikes a deal with Willie. If Willie will dispose of the dead body, Hershel will promote Willie to a cushy middle-management position.
The question is- does Willie have the guts to dispose of Tom’s body and can he escape the prying eyes of his jealous co-worker who does not believe Willie should get the promotion?
The question is- does Willie have the guts to dispose of Tom’s body and can he escape the prying eyes of his jealous co-worker who does not believe Willie should get the promotion?
THE TEAM BEHIND
LITTLE EGYPT
WRITER/DIRECTOR
JASON WOLFMILLER
Jason Wolfmiller is a film director currently studying at the American Film Institute. A former film edtor, he worked at Big Shoulders Productions as an editor in Chicago, before shifting his artistic focus to Directing.
When writing the script Wolfmiller was inspired by his home town located in Southern Illinois, a region nicknamed “Little Egypt”. He has built the film around the culture and life outlook of his upbringing, taking from real events and interactions.
PRODUCER
EXA HUANG
Exa is a Los Angeles-based producer currently studying at the American Film Institute. As a former director at VICE, her past producing work includes Aquaman, Monster Hunter, and Simon West’s Skyfire, along with content evaluation at VALHALLA.
In her commercial works, Exa has helmed documentaries for Burberry, Nike, YSL, and Levi’s, often exploring the tension between youth culture and lived reality. Her work draws heavily from underground subcultures and generational dissonance.
Her short film, I Hate Love, received a grant from The Chimaera Project and premiered on Nowness Asia. Her documentary Stranger in Paradise has screened at queer film festivals in Berlin, Shanghai, and London.
CINEMATOGRAPHER
BEN ZÄCH
Ben Zäch is a cinematographer based in Los Angeles and currently studying at the American Film Institute. Raised in a rural environment, he approaches cinematography with a quiet and hands-on sensibility. His work is shaped by close observation of people, places, and light. Ben enjoys constructing stylised worlds while maintaining a grounded, human approach to storytelling.
His projects include mainly fiction and documentary formats, always in close collaboration with directors and the production designer.
SHAOYANG WEN
Shaoyang Wen is a production designer currently studying at the American Film Institute. Wen explored projects across multiple fields, including architectural, interior, and theater design. In addition to his design background, Wen has extensive acting experience, with an artistic journey that spans theater, film, and even the Peking Opera.
He believes production design represents the perfect intersection of architectural practice and performance storytelling, and aspires to break boundaries between mediums while exploring diverse creative possibilities.
LOGAN LUO
Yujie “Logan” Luo is a Los Angeles-based editor, currently pursuing an MFA in Editing at the American Film Institute. Luo is an award-winning editor, his work has screened in festivals from Los Angeles to New York to Milan.
Luo brings a global perspective to storytelling. Passionate about amplifying underrepresented voices, Yujie crafts films that challenge stereotypes and illuminates human connection.
The Little Egypt Waste Management Corporation, A SUPER LANDFILL. This facility is responsible for processing an entire region's trash. Mountains of waste surround the facility, while hundreds of trash-pickers work day and night sifting through the garbage. As this corporation has grown bigger, it has begun to rot from the inside. The company is brimming with inhumane working conditions, a hierarchical power structure akin to that of a medieval dynasty, and a dog-eat-dog work culture, where workers are asked to put aside any ounce of human decency they have in order to move up at the company. Our protagonist, Willie, must navigate through the internal politics of this hellish bureaucratic maze as he looks to gain the favor of his boss, Hershel, and land a comfortable promotion to the interior offices.
WHAT YOU’RE SUPPORTING
If you would like to donate, please click any of the DONATE buttons on the page. You’ll be redirected to the AFI Thesis Film donation portal.
Please select the amount you’d like to contribute and make sure to choose “LITTLE EGYPT”. You will then be prompted to enter your billing information.
Please select the amount you’d like to contribute and make sure to choose “LITTLE EGYPT”. You will then be prompted to enter your billing information.
Your support means the world to us. No matter what you can give, from $5 to $500 or beyond, every contribution brings us one step closer to making this film a reality.
A donation of any size gets you a mention in the credits of the film in the “special thanks” section.
A donation of any size gets you a mention in the credits of the film in the “special thanks” section.
Little Egypt begins filming on 04/13/26!!!
Our FUNDRAISING
deadline is 03/13/26!!!
Our FUNDRAISING deadline is 03/13/26!!!
If you work at a mid-sized or larger company, you may be eligible for matching grants. Since the AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE is a nonprofit organization, some corperations match the donations made by their employees. If you are unsure if your company qualifies for matching grants, you can reach out to your HR department to see if your donation is eligible for matching grants, which could potentially double or triple your contribution and is also tax-deductible.
For any additional questions, please contact yhuang1@afi.edu
If you work in food, restaurant, film or hospitality, we welcome in-kind donations. These contributions will count toward donor recognition and credits.