An 11:11 EXPERIENCE (Production Company), run by partners Michael Leoni, Michelle Kaufer, and Erica Katzin, is a Los Angeles based production company dedicated to creating projects that promote social change. 11:11 was conceived from the idea that film and theatre have the capacity to create connection, encourage compassion and engage and inspire audiences. Founded in 2004, 11:11 focuses on developing powerful stories and compelling characters that encourage people to see the world from a new point of view.
From powerful documentaries to inspiring narratives and innovative theatre, 11:11 is committed to producing work that’s brave, provocative and significant.
Current projects include: American Street Kid, a powerful, award-winning, feature-length documentary, that takes us onto the streets and into the real lives of America’s homeless youth, currently available on Amazon Prime, iTunes, GooglePlay; When Today Ends, a narrative feature that confronts the tragic reality of teen suicide, scheduled for release in May 2021; and Famous, an innovative melding of live theatre and narrative filmmaking that delves deep into the behind-closed-doors side of sexual abuse in 90’s Hollywood.
"Michael Leoni continues his run of emotionally impactful stories."
- Irish Film Critic
AMERICAN STREET KID (2020)
In American Street Kid, filmmaker Michael Leoni takes you on a journey into a world that most people don't know exists. A world where in order to survive, kids are forced to sell drugs, beg for money or sell their bodies. Their powerful stories are heartbreaking and their unrelenting hope and determination to create a better life shines through, in this true tale of love, friendship, and the triumph of the human spirit.
Click here to watch now
Film Threat Review: When Today Ends
Film Review: “When Today Ends” Is Powerful, Emotionally Gripping and a Film Everyone Needs to See at Least Once
Written by: Adam Vaughn | May 13th, 2021
One of many topics that have arisen in our millennial is the ever-growing awareness of mental health and suicide prevention through pop culture and media. This generation is extraordinarily sensitive to the effects of bullying, toxic masculinity, standards for women and negativity towards the LGBQT+ community. Michael Leoni’s When Today Ends captures these elements through the most powerful lens possible: found footage, or a shot-on-iPhone experience that envelops the viewer in as intense, emotional and thought-provoking a manor as possible (even if it relies once in a while on clichés).
When Today Ends weaves the story of four teenagers, who battle diverse forms of depression and bullying to the very end of their short lives. Jenna, Nick/Nicole, Megan and James (Jacqi Vene, Gavin Leatherwood, Angel Guadalupe and Derick Breezee) all record their last moments – and the truth behind their stories – with the same hashtag, #WhenTodayEnds. As the viewer witnesses each person’s story, woven together, they grasp the terrible facts of bullying and how social criticism everyone struggling to discover themselves.
For any person with experience with depression or other mental illnesses, When Today Ends almost scarily plays out as real-life footage, mostly due to the nature of its shaky-cam style of selfie video. It’s the driving factor keeping the viewer invested, as we constantly feel as if we’re walking with each character at all times. Adversely, the film uses cleverly conceived editing to jump from person to person and does so in a dynamic way that never lets up on the pacing … until it does.
At some points, extended dialogue brings the film to a screeching halt, interrupting the overall flow director Leoni establishes to make the beginning scenes so entertaining. About halfway through the film, it transforms from fast-paced story to a devotional piece, as we sit more with each character and witness their descent into depression. While one can comment on how certain cinematic styles lose their luster after a while (the characters placing their phone in the room to create a static shot, for example) anyone who is invested in the fate of the characters can overlook slight cinematic defects.
Overall, When Today Ends has a message for its audience (which in my humble opinion is every person currently walking the Earth) that feels extremely fresh. The progression that each main character has from normal teenager to depression-stricken victim gives suicide a real face, a familiar feeling, and cries out to its audience for help. When Today Ends warns the viewer that mental illness is real, around us, and can happen to anyone.