COMING SOON

SYNOPSIS

Along Highway 395, tucked beneath California’s Eastern Sierra Nevadas, lies a forgettable town with an unforgettable roadside pitstop.

The town: Olancha. The business: Gus’ Really Good! Fresh Jerky.

With its unmistakable billboards, sticker-covered walls, and sample-ready products, this tiny jerky shack became a California staple for travelers headed to Mammoth Mountain.

It was built by none other than Gus, an Argentinian immigrant who was drawn to the desert’s freedom and quiet country life. Gus and his family transformed a forgotten stretch of highway into a landmark. For a while, this felt like the American dream.

But all good things must come to an end.

For years, Olancha lived under the threat of a highway bypass that would divert traffic and isolate the town. In 2024, that worst-case scenario became a reality.

Today, Olancha is a ghost town, and the fate of Gus’s iconic jerky shop hangs in limbo. This is a short documentary about legacy, and fighting to preserve the people and places we love. It reveals the unseen forces shaping a town, and the quiet battles waged beyond what a tourist sees driving by. It’s a love letter to California’s lesser-seen spaces, offbeat roadside pit stops, and the people who run them.

…It’s also a story about some really good, fresh jerky.

meat the team

~

meat the team ~

A woman with sunglasses smiling next to a sign that reads 'Really Good! FRESH JERKY' with a background of a desert landscape and a purple sky.

CAMI BUCKMAN

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

Cami Buckman is an Emmy-award winning documentary producer with a background in print and broadcast journalism. She has produced for traditional newsrooms, network television, and popular digital platform shows. Her reporting and short-documentaries have been seen in VICE, HBO, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and Youtube Originals. Her work blends humor, history, and people-centric storytelling. Cami is a born and raised California girl with a deep love for her state’s rural communities and weird roadside attractions.

Her favorite jerky from Gus is Teriyaki.

Man with sunglasses standing next to a sign that reads 'Really Good! Fresh Jerky' and 'A film by Cami Buckman' in a desert landscape at dusk.

CHRIS PIEPER

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Chris Pieper is a cinematographer and camera operator with a strong background in narrative, documentary, and commercial work. He was a participant in the prestigious ASC mentorship program under Michael Bonvillain. His short films have been recognized on the global stage, with screenings at the Cannes International Film Festival. His commercial portfolio includes work with clients like Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, A24, Google, and Spotify.

His favorite jerky from Gus is Mango Habanero.

A person wearing sunglasses and a graphic t-shirt standing next to a sign that reads 'Really Good! Fresh Jerky,' with a rural landscape and sky in the background.

SEAN BRANDT

EDITOR

Sean is a director and editor whose body of work ranges throughout several narrative, documentary, and commercial projects. Sean’s work has screened on national television as well at the Cannes International Film Festival (with Chris!). Brands he’s worked with include Stanley 1913, CASETiFY, and Nike Air Jordan. But Sean’s favorite projects are ones with friends about small offbeat stories with a lot of heart and a lot of flavor.  

His favorite jerky from Gus is Sweet n’ Spicy Brisket.