10/23/2025
Filmmaker's Spotlight
BREAK THE SILENCE - Directed by Dax Phelan
After earning an MFA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute, Dax Phelan served as the Creative Executive for producer Mace Neufeld (“The Hunt for Red October”) at Paramount and Sony Pictures where he worked on numerous films, including such blockbusters as “The General’s Daughter,” “The Sum of All Fears,” and “The Equalizer.”
After selling a screenplay of his own, Phelan left Sony to write full-time. He co-created the TV series, “At Your Service,” for producer David Engel (“Straight Outta Compton”) and CBS/Paramount and adapted the New York Times bestseller, “In the Sanctuary of Outcasts,” for producer Stratton Leopold (“Mission: Impossible III”).
Phelan served as Associate Producer on Paul Schrader’s “The Canyons” and Executive Producer on Anja Marquardt’s “She’s Lost Control,” which was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards, Best Feature and Best Screenplay.
In 2015, Phelan wrote, produced, and directed his feature directorial debut, “Jasmine.” Shot in Hong Kong, the film played in 75 film festivals worldwide and won over 100 awards, including 18 for Best Picture, 10 for Best Director, and 5 for Best Screenplay. The film was acquired by Lionsgate and released theatrically on June 16, 2017.
On August 16, 2018, Phelan was included in the LA Film Awards’ list of “Thirty Filmmakers to Watch,” a celebration of the “inspiring, creative, and incredibly talented directors who are making indie filmmaking great right now.”
Following “Jasmine,” Phelan co-produced Orson Welles’s final film, “The Other Side of the Wind,” with Oscar-winner Frank Marshall (“Jurassic World”). The film had its world premiere at the 75th Venice Film Festival where it opened to strong reviews and was released theatrically by Netflix on November 2, 2018. The National Board of Review honored the film with the prestigious and rarely given William K. Everson Film History Award.
In 2019, Phelan served as Executive Producer on “Flowers of the Field” with Lodge Kerrigan (“The Girlfriend Experience”). The film won the Barry Avrich Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.
In 2020, Phelan wrote, produced, and directed the PSA, “Final Moments,” about the importance of wearing masks during the ongoing fight against COVID-19 and its variants. The PSA won 34 awards internationally, including the Humanitarian Award from the IndieFEST Film Awards.
In 2021, Phelan executive produced Ice Mrozek’s feature directorial debut, “Him + Her,” which premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival and won Best Picture at the Pasadena International Film Festival.
In 2025, Phelan wrote, produced, and directed “Break The Silence,” a PSA for the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline.
Phelan is currently preparing to produce and direct “The Journeyman,” a boxing film starring retired UFC Champion and Hall of Famer Michael Bisping (“xXx,” “Twin Peaks,” “Warrior”) and Mayling Ng (“Wonder Woman,” “The Su***de Squad”), in Manchester, England. The film is about Kenny Breen (Bisping), an alcoholic, drug-abusing, past-his-prime journeyman boxer, who, after being diagnosed with neurological damage, continues his career on the small-hall circuit at grave risk to himself and lands a fight with his former rival who’s gone on to become a star in the division.
Phelan is a proud member of the Producers Guild of America and repped by Danny Passman at Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown, & Passman.
For ticket information click link below: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/12th-annual-chi-town-multicultural-film-festival-tickets-1720601398099?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm_campaign=following_published_event&utm_content=follow_notification&utm_source=eventbrite&utm_medium=email&ref=eemail&fbclid=IwY2xjawNjdVhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFzYkZSRDNnblFIaWE4eEFCAR5iVAk-KZm5GoGUTCB16Mx_QrPRClVsK30G13CgAVhRw87HzTjXgrpYQ0CerQ_aem_Xh0Rf34eDBdUlykawtXGTQ&brid=HdjWmzrYcWoBYgW6tu0Sjg
