Table of Contents
Three Key Takeaways
- Tom Botchii’s Syphon centers on intense cat-and-mouse dynamics that drive the entire narrative.
- The film explores contemporary themes of misplaced anger and blurred moral lines.
- Independent filmmaking’s unique challenges and freedoms deeply shaped the making of Syphon.
Director, writer, producer, and editor Tom Botchii brings his taut thriller Syphon to FilmQuest 2025, a festival known for championing bold genre storytelling.
Starring Jeffrey Decker and Shuhei Kinoshita, with David Christopher Pitt as director of photography and special effects makeup, and Guilherme Senff composing, Syphon unspools a brutal home invasion that digs beneath surface motives.
Botchii’s passion for layered tension and genre boundaries shines through in this gripping exploration.
What drew you to make Syphon? Why this story, and why now?
I really like those cat and mouse moments in thrillers and thought, why can't that be the whole film? But that said, Syphon is about the whirlwind of misplaced anger that dominates our current day and age. Everywhere we seem to look, someone is screaming. Things are very loud. But it doesn't necessarily mean anyone is listening. It feels like everyone has a target in their sights, whether the victim is guilty or not.
"It feels like everyone has a target in their sights, whether the victim is guilty or not."
What surprised you most about the filmmaking process this time—creatively or logistically? Was there a moment on set or in post that completely changed how you saw the story?
What surprised me the most was that multiple times, actors ended up getting completely taken over by their characters and were just lost in the moment. It was like their souls had left their bodies and someone else had taken over. Really breath taking to see and experience on set.
Is there a moment in the film that feels the most you—something only you could have made?
Definitely the use of barbed wire is uniquely me and my obsession with pro wrestling. That and the Car Wash scene, which I won't spoil for anyone here.
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making this film?
Just doing it. It was either that, or retire from film entirely. Filmmaking won this time.
"Multiple times, actors ended up getting completely taken over by their characters and were just lost in the moment."
What do you hope audiences take away from your film?
That matter what side you're on, everyone is justified.
How has this film shaped or shifted the kind of stories you want to tell next?
That the lines of good and bad can be blurred. I will be doing that as much as I can going forward.
What’s a tool, technique, or resource that really helped you during production?
A Segway. Our camera op would balance on one while zooming all around at top speed, all while wearing crocs! And now I never want to make a film any other way.
"The ability to go into debt...the need to release creativity far outweighs the negatives of facing 10 years of financial ruin."
Independent filmmakers often rewrite the rules out of necessity. What do you think is the greatest strength of independent filmmaking, and how did you lean into that on this project? Is there a lesson or breakthrough you’d share with others navigating this path?
The ability to go into debt. The idea that you need to release something creative so bad, you're willing to put yourself in a complete financial tailspin. All because the need to release creativity far outweighs the negatives of facing 10 years of financial ruin. This is something that is complete unique to filmmakers.
What does it mean to you to have your film selected for FilmQuest, one of the world’s top reviewed genre film festivals?
The competitive field has only grown at FilmQuest and so the chances of getting in are very slim now days. It's an incredible honor and hugely complimentary of the film's execution.
FilmQuest celebrates the majesty and might of genre filmmaking across fantasy, horror, sci-fi, action, thriller, western, kung-fu, and beyond. How does your film fit within—or push the boundaries of—genre storytelling?
My film pushes the boundaries of genre storytelling by blurring the lines of who you're supposed to be rooting for.
Where do you see this film going next?
Limited Theatrical then AVOD.
“At the core of all my work is a desire to never end up homeless again."
