East Coast Premiere / USA / 2025 / English / 97 min / Drama, Crime, Thriller, Action
Director, Writer, Producer: Robert Benavides Jr; Producers: Peter Mavromates, Kenneth Colom, Juan Rivera, Lee Comanche; Director of Photography: Robert Benavides Jr; Editor: Robert Benavides Jr; Composer: Noah Lifschey. Contact: ballisticdigital@gmail.com
Key Cast: Kenneth Colom, PJ King, Becca Scott, Charlie Glackin, Alanna Forte, Ronnie Lee, Charlotte Benesch, Charli Burrnet, Jon Chavira, Dale Sloan, Kyler Coffman, Monique Sleeper, Aundre Dean, Nassim Nadery, Juan Amador, Hector Navarro, Jesse Ray, Johnny Diaz, Derek Mikula, Dorian Dane, Drew Moore.
Kill City: Dead on the Money is a high-octane crime thriller set in a neon-drenched metropolis where corruption is currency and loyalty is lethal. When a disgraced detective uncovers a digital ledger linking city officials to a ruthless crime syndicate, he becomes the most wanted man alive. Hunted through subways, skyscrapers, and back alleys, he must outwit assassins and expose the truth before the clock—and his luck—runs out for good.
It’s inspired by the gritty storytelling of Pulp Fiction, the stylized mayhem of Sin City, and the razor-sharp character work of Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown, our films deliver a high-octane mix of violence, wit, and cinematic swagger.
“KILLER”
Awards Announcement & Wrap Celebration
Join us at Savor Cinema for an unforgettable evening as we close out FLIFF40 in style. Celebrate the bold, the brilliant, and the award-winning as we toast this year’s standout filmmakers and announce the winners.
Saturday, February 28
Wrap Party • 8:00 PM
Screening • 8:45 PM
Complimentary for FLIFF Members
An evening of cinema, conversation, and celebration with the creative community that makes it all possible.
Director Biography – Robert Benavides Jr
RBJ is a versatile and seasoned talent in the film industry, having collaborated with some of the most influential filmmakers of his generation. His career began at Silver Pictures, where he interned in the development office
Director Statement
My name is Robert Benavides Jr., and I am the writer, director, and producer of KILL CITY: Dead on the Money. It’s an honor to submit my film to your esteemed festival.
KILL CITY was born from a place of raw instinct and deep love for the crime fiction genre. When the pandemic hit, like many others, I was at a crossroads. I had $7,000 in my pocket, one camera, two lenses, and a burning need to create. So instead of heading back to Los Angeles after wrapping another production, I drove into the desert.
I checked into a room at a small roadside motel called Motel 66, grabbed a bottle of whiskey and a carne asada burrito from the taqueria joint across the street, and stared at a blank screen. I didn’t start with a structure—I just wrote for the love of it. What came out became KILL CITY.
Over the course of three to four months, a small band of passionate actors from L.A. and I ventured into the desert on weekends, building this story one frame at a time. It was guerrilla filmmaking at its core: run-and-gun, fueled by creativity and commitment.
KILL CITY is gritty, raw, and unfiltered—a portrait of a small desert town caught between L.A. and Las Vegas, where gangs, crooked cops, and broken dreams operate under their own rules. It’s a world of classic cars, cool dudes, and femme fatales, all vying for power in a landscape forgotten by time.
My stylistic approach draws inspiration from the French New Wave—Godard, Truffaut, Rohmer—and American indie icons from the 90 as Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Steven Soderbergh…Much like Breathless, I shot handheld, with natural lighting, long takes, and a desire to let scenes breathe. The visual tone of KILL CITY leans into the atmospheric weight of No Country for Old Men, using shadow and texture as narrative tools, pulling viewers into a place that’s as dangerous as it is hypnotic.
If I had to describe KILL CITY in one feeling, it would be The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm”—moody, mysterious, and untamed.
Thank you for considering KILL CITY: Dead on the Money. It was a labor of love, built from the ground up with the help of an incredible team, and it would mean the world to share this story with your audience.