Butler Street Productions

Everything Must Go is adapted from my short story of the same name, first published in the literary journal Shift. Funding is largely in place, and the project is moving toward production.

Logline: An aging Jewish shopkeeper facing the end of his family business in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood unearths a long-forgotten object from his youth. When he privately indulges a once-forbidden fascination, he finds unexpected joy and a measure of closure late in life.

The story explores themes of community and connection, obligation versus personal fulfillment, cultural loss, and the question of whether it’s ever too late to pursue one’s passion. The film is primarily driven by performance and visual storytelling.

About Butler Street Productions

Butler Street Productions is the Brooklyn, NY-based creative partnership of husband-and-wife team Nick Friedman and Caroline Ryburn, formed specifically to develop and produce Everything Must Go.

Screenwriter

Nick Friedman has more than three decades of experience as a writer and editor in magazine publishing, as well as writing and directing narrative-driven video projects. With family roots in New York’s Lower East Side and a background in theater, he brings a personal connection to the film and story.

Producer

Caroline Ryburn is an actor, performing arts educator, and producer whose work spans stage and screen. She is the producer of Worldletter Productions and is currently producing the mockumentary web series Irrelevant, which explores ageism in the entertainment industry.