Synopsis  

Charles wants to become an actor and Jason wants to go only as far as Bakersfield, where he hopes to reunite with his estranged father. Upon arrival in Bakersfield, Charles gets sidetracked when he falls in love with Tracy Morris, a local teen, who is dating Jon Burroughs, a twenty something, small time drug dealer.

Jason finds his father, but the reunion is cut short when he realizes that his dad has moved on with a new family of his own and is not interested in making up for lost time. Jason abruptly leaves town. An abandoned Charles is left alone and is forced to befriend Jon and ask for his help.

Through Tracy’s insistence, Jon drafts Charles as his drug runner. Charles quickly learns the ins and outs and is eventually integrated and accepted into Jon’s operation. As the business grows and money becomes plentiful, Charles finds it harder to leave town. When Eddie, a former friend, alerts Jon’s rivals of his growing business, sabotage is executed leaving Jon beaten, bloodied, and empty handed.

As the group begins to rebuild, Charles’ dreams of reaching Los Angeles become distant as the world around him begins to deteriorate and he faces the harsh realities of life on the street.

Production  

Next Exit premiered on April 7th at the Method Fest 2005 in Calabasas, California. Several months after it was shown, there were rumors that it would appear on the USA Network, but nothing substantial ever came of that.

The initial casting call for this movie - which was shot all-digital in less than a month - called for “non-name” actors; ie, actors that weren’t well known. Jorja Fox is a friend of director George Valdez, and when she heard of the project, she agreed to do it for free.