The #1 movie
in the universe
On tour across America
Early reviews of Cardboard Island
Built out of cardboard
A crew of five. A Walmart tent. Fishing wire, cardboard sets and a puppet named Gunter.
Cardboard Island was made for $300 in a living room, with 600+ visual effects shots we taught ourselves to make. No studio. No permission.
Here’s where it’s going next…
The national tour
Cardboard Island is touring city by city, like a band. Every stop comes from people asking for it.
Here’s where it’s headed so far:
Want it in your town? Ask, and bring your friends.
The making of
Cardboard Island
Cardboard Island follows a guarded young man stranded in a surreal limbo after a freak accident. With a talking puppet as his guide, he maps a strange island built from fragments of memory, and has to decide if life is worth finding his way back to.
Jacob Boatsman and Evan Carse wrote it as juniors in college. They started with a page of every wild idea they could think of, then spent two months rebuilding the story scene by scene on sticky notes across a bedroom wall.
They shot nearly every day for a summer. They lost the entire score in a flood and rebuilt it. Jacob, his mom and his brother finished the effects one shot at a time.
A fantasy epic, made by hand.
Frequently asked questions
When can I see it?
Cardboard Island is touring city by city, like a band, with dates announced as each stop is locked in. Grab tickets for a stop near you, or ask us to bring it to your city.
Is it streaming?
Not yet. The tour comes first, then a wider release. Follow along to hear the moment it lands somewhere you can watch from home.
Who is CK Films?
CK Films has joined Cardboard Island as a production partner. Their team is helping run the national tour, from research to marketing, and is helping bring the film to buyers. Every screening on the tour is run by Rugby-Otis and CK together as one team.
How was it made?
In a living room. A Walmart tent, fishing wire, hand-built cardboard sets, practical puppets, and more than 600 visual effects shots that Jacob, his mom and his brother taught themselves to make.
How long is the movie?
95 minutes. Bring someone you like.
Can I bring it to my city?
Yes. The tour is built on requests. Tell us where you are and the more people ask from one place, the faster it gets a date.
How can I help?
Come to a screening, bring friends, and post about it. Every sold-out show is how a film made in a living room earns a bigger release.
Who made it?
Written by Jacob Boatsman and Evan Carse, directed by Jacob Boatsman, and produced by Rugby-Otis, the Brooklyn studio behind 52 films in 52 weeks.
The Poor Man’s Palace
Broke, mugged, and bombing auditions, Miles stumbles through Bushwick clinging to bad gigs and stranger friendships, trying to figure out if…
Comedy Feature
Happy People
After surviving a suicide attempt, a seventeen-year-old artist navigates a frightened family, a fraying best friendship, and a support group of…
Feature Film
I Love You in Every Season
Told in three parts, this short film trilogy follows a couple through the beginning, breaking point, and emotional aftermath of their relationship:…
Short Film Trilogy