Straight Outta Tompkins

Zephyr Benson shines a light on addiction and the middle class drug scene with his debut film about a forlorn, gifted teenager abandoned in New York City who mistakenly substitutes the attention of a Lower East Side drug dealer for the love of his absentee father.. As writer, director, producer and protagonist, Benson reveals innocence lost with a gritty & sometimes humorous narrative on the mixology of weed, narcotics and pills, and the absurdity of the junky lifestyle. He is supported by the outstanding dramatic performances of Aaron Costa Ganis as Cruz, Adonis Rodriguez as Ivan, Jon McCormick as Sam, and Michael Steinmetz as Bobby. This universal story follows the sales and distribution of narcotics through teen social circles before coming to an inevitable violent end. Benson’s fearlessly honest insider’s view destroys the myth of casual drug use as his character, Gene, morphs from troubled child to novice dealer to accidental addict. The ending is a jolt audiences won’t soon forget.