Thank you to everyone who has supported RAT ROD and championed Jorge’s story of resilience and finding belonging.
Thank you to @jprgerf for trusting co-directors @cjakins21 and @jared_jakins to tell your story. We are so grateful to the entire filmmaking team and producers, @kelynikegami and H. B. Phillips.
Thank you to our incredible Executive Producers, @carasantanaleto and @wilmervalderrama who believed in Jorge’s story from when they first saw the film and did so much to share it.
Thank you to @switchboard.magazine for understanding the power of storytelling and for helping amplify Jorge’s story. We’re incredibly proud to have been a part of their campaign alongside @freemanvinesfilm , @savingsupermandoc and @porelessmovie .
RAT ROD will remain available to stream on YouTube. We hope Jorge’s story continues to resonate with anyone who finds it.
Breaking Down A Scene - Episode 7: Doug
In the final episode of the series, sound designer Doug May explains how the sound of RAT ROD lives between reality and memory. Through repetition, distortion, and unconventional recording techniques, the sound design drifts from the literal into something dreamlike – letting symbols, trauma, and memory quietly haunt what we see on screen.
#RatRodFilm is available to watch on @switchboard.magazine YouTube channel. Watch now through the link in bio.
A story that’s bold, haunted, and unforgettable.
Back at @filmquest , we stopped viewers to hear their thoughts and takeaways after viewing RAT ROD.
Watch #RatRodFilm now through the link in bio and let us know what resonates with you.
Breaking Down A Scene - Episode 6: Logan
RAT ROD composer Logan Anderson shares why the trumpet, with its metal body and piston valves, was the perfect parallel to the machinery of Jorge’s garage. Using extended techniques like multiphonics, he shaped chords, clicks, and breathy textures that echo the spirit of a rat rod — making something beautiful from whatever parts you have.
#RatRodFilm is available to watch on @switchboard.magazine YouTube channel. Watch now through the link in bio.
Proud to stand beside the incredible @ratrodfilm team at the Los Angeles screenings and to be part of the conversation around Jorge’s story. Watch the film now on YouTube (link in bio).
📸 David Coy II
RAT ROD, a filmed-in-Utah documentary short by local filmmakers Carly Jakins, Jared Jakins, and Kelyn Ikagami from @the.plains is up for @theacademy consideration for Best Documentary Short.
Executive produced by Cara Santana Leto and Wilmer Valderrama, the film follows Jorge Ramirez, a mechanic in rural Utah whose story of immigration and love for motors becomes a moving reflection on life, death, and what it means to find belonging in a new place.
Stream @ratrodfilm at the link in bio or on the @switchboard.magazine YouTube channel.
#FilmUtah
For Your Consideration | @theacademy | Best Documentary Short
Carly and Jared Jakins’ RAT ROD won Best Documentary Short at the 2025 Nashville Film Festival, marking its second Academy Award®-qualifying festival win. Executive produced by Cara Santana Leto and Wilmer Valderrama, the film follows Jorge Ramirez, a rural Utah mechanic whose passion for rebuilding cars mirrors his journey as an immigrant searching for belonging.
RAT ROD is available to watch in the Academy® Screening Room and on @switchboard.magazine YouTube channel.
For Your Consideration | @theacademy | Best Documentary Short
Carly and Jared Jakins’ RAT ROD won the Grand Jury Prize for Short Film Documentary at the 2025 Seattle International Film Festival. Executive produced by Wilmer Valderrama and Cara Santana Leto, the film follows Jorge Ramirez, a rural mechanic whose reflections on life, death, and his immigrant experience unfold as he resurrects cars beside a mysterious cemetery.
Now available to watch in the Academy® Screening Room and on @switchboard.magazine YouTube channel.
A few moments from Switchboard’s final New York City Collective FYC screening last weekend.
Thank you to everyone who joined us to watch all four films together and take part in a special post-screening conversation moderated by @kerrymflynn . Grateful for this community and for the space to share RAT ROD alongside other powerful work.
