The Sad and Tawdry Story of

SEAMUS LYNCH

A Modern American Nobody

A DARKLY COMIC CRIME DRAMA ABOUT DESPERATION, BAD DECISIONS, AND THE COST OF COMING UP SHORT.

About the project

Logline

To save his family from financial ruin, a desperate suburban dad puts a hit out on himself for the insurance, but when they take his money yet leave him alive, he’s left broke, humiliated, and spiraling.

Genre & format

Dark Comedy Crime Drama | Feature

Comps & tone

Fargo v Uncut Gems with the moral rot of Breaking Bad. A character-driven pressure cooker with a pulse and a little grace.

Why now

Seamus Lynch represents the fading promise of the American dream, where doing everything right can still lead to ruin. And that feeling of pushing the boulder uphill while barely treading water is something a more and more people relate to every day.

But instead of exploring this through grievance, we want to explore it with empathy and (dark) humor.

Status

In Development

Interested in reading the script or seeing the full pitch materials? info@seamuslynchfilm.com

Team

John Washburn
Writer/Director
John Washburn is a Brooklyn-based writer/director drawn to morally complex, emotionally precise stories. His narrative shorts have screened and won awards internationally, and his screenplays have placed in top competitions including the Nicholl Fellowship and Austin Film Festival. He also directs branded work for clients like Google and Amgen.

Nelson Isava
Producer
Born in Caracas and based in NYC, Nelson Isava is a producer focused on emotionally urgent, character-driven stories. His work spans fiction, documentary, and digital series, with a background at Complex Networks and a recent Tribeca premiere (ATTAGIRL!, 2025). As a professor at SVA, he teaches sustainable filmmaking built on rigor, clarity, and heart.

Elayne Shuster
Executive Producer
Brooklyn-born, New Jersey-raised, Elayne Shuster has over 30 years of production experience. From her early days volunteering with the IFP through founding M Street Creative, she brings an unparalleled track record shepherding high-stakes projects for premier brands and stewarding complex stakeholder relationships to independent narrative filmmaking.

Bianca Grimshaw
Production Counsel
Bianca Grimshaw, a partner at Granderson Des Rochers, LLP’s New York office, represents top-tier talent in the film, television and new media industries. Her over 100 film and TV credits include A History of Sound, Absolution, The Skeleton Twins, and Beasts of the Southern Wild.

Sam Breslin Wright
Seamus Lynch
The History of Sound, Madam Secretary (recurring), Bull (recurring), The Crowded Room (Apple TV), Elementary, The Beaver, Rescue Me.
Upcoming: Countdown (Amazon)

Support the film

We’re raising development funds through a fiscal sponsorship with Film Independent. Your tax-deductible contribution helps cover key early startup costs that unlock equity investment and the green light to production and a successful release.

Back this project

About the fiscal sponsorship

The Sad and Tawdry Story of Seamus Lynch is a fiscally sponsored project of Film Independent, a non-profit independent media arts organization. Film Independent will receive grants for the charitable purposes of The Sad and Tawdry Story of Seamus Lynch, provide oversight to ensure that grant funds are used in accordance with grant agreements, and provide reports as required by the grantor. Contributions for the charitable purposes of The Sad and Tawdry Story of Seamus Lynch must be made payable to Film Independent and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.