Five Star Realtors

Director · Writer · Producer · Editor

“Five Star Realtors” is Ethan’s most ambitious project yet. The short film follows a trio of morally dubious property managers who are fed up with dealing with their tenants and having to wait around all month for rent to come in. So, they hatch a plan to break into apartments they manage, vandalize them, and then fine their tenants for it all.

Five Star Realtors trailer.

About the Project

"Five Star Realtors" was directed, written, produced and edited by Ethan Geiger. This is to date his most complicated film, taking over a year to complete start to finish. The film features 16 credited cast members, 45 credited filmmakers, 12 locations and 120 visual effects shots. "Five Star Realtors" was filmed in Boulder, Colorado with a passionate all-volunteer cast and crew.

It has yet to play at any festivals as it was just finished on July 3rd, 2025. "Five Star Realtors" has the goal to shine a light on the predatory practices many large property management companies have, while also providing the audience with a good laugh.

As the director, Ethan managed the team, kept morale up through the intense three-day shooting schedule, and brought out the best possible performance from the actors.

Stills, promo, and BTS

An older man with gray hair, dressed in a black judicial robe and white shirt with a dark tie, appears to be in a courtroom or official setting. He has a serious, contemplative expression, and behind him are part of a seal and flags, indicating an of
A man in a plaid shirt sits at a desk with a distressed expression, holding his head with both hands, in an office setting.
A man standing next to a blue car parked outside a building with a sign that reads "The Bally".
A man sitting at a desk with filming equipment, holding a phone to his ear, with cucumber slices on his eyes, and a very serious expression.
A young woman with wavy brown hair and red lipstick, sitting in a dark room with blurred people in the background.
A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing glasses and a cream sweater, smiling and holding a set of car keys with a purple lanyard.
A man with light skin, brown wavy hair, and a mustache, looking serious with a focused expression, wearing a maroon shirt, in a dimly lit environment with blurred background figures.
Five Star Realtors alternate poster.png
Filmmaker with professional camera filming at a press event or conference with individuals wearing headphones, in a room with an American flag and a seal on the wall.
Two forensic investigators examine a white car in a parking lot at night, with one person bent over and the other standing, surrounded by equipment including a large white board and tall metal poles.
Interior of a building lobby with three people talking near the entrance, a man in a suit, a woman, and a woman with a ponytail, with a small table and some luggage in the background, and sunlight coming through the glass doors.
Office with five people, two sitting at a desk, and three others nearby, one standing and two behind a partition, in a modern workspace.
A group of 15 young adults posing together in an office, smiling with some standing and some kneeling in front. There are desks, a trash bin, and office equipment visible.
A person with headphones watches a monitor showing a woman talking on a cell phone with colorful artwork in the background, on a film or video production set with crew members and equipment.
A courtroom with six people seated and three standing, with official flags and a judge's bench in the background.

Plot Summary

In the cutthroat world of college town property management, Caleb, Leo, and Sarah, three (according to them) severely underpaid property managers, struggle to get through their day of dealing with tenants and their many complaints. But when a broken office smoke detector and a price hike in Caleb's heated seat subscription push them over the edge, they hatch a plan to milk every dime from their tenants by secretly trashing apartments, creating bogus fees on the spot, and weaponizing their spare keys. What starts off as a petty hustle turns into their own little criminal enterprise, until they break into the wrong tenant's apartment and this tenant fights back. The trio find themselves in a courtroom facing a judge who does not quite share their view that they could not have broken in if they had the keys.

Three morally dubious property managers are fed up with dealing with their tenants-always reporting problems with their units and having to wait around all month for rent to come in. So, they hatch a plan to break into apartments they manage, vandalize them, and then fine their tenants for it all. To them it's the perfect plan, but will the law catch up with them?

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Technical Details

Runtime: 13 minutes

Sound Mix: Stereo (Digital) / Dolby Surround 5.1 (5.1)

Aspect Ratio: 1.6:1 / 16 : 9 / Various

Camera: Sony FX3 (select shots) / Sony FX6 (Break in scenes) / Sony PXW-FX9 (A Camera)

Lenses: / Tokina Cinema Zoom lenses (Office scenes, Courthouse EXT) / XEEN prime lenses (Court Room INT) IRIX Cine (select shots) / Sirui Anamorphic lenses (Break in scenes)

Negative Format: XAVC-I

Process: 6K down sampled to 4K Digital

Release Details

Country of Origin: United States

Languages: English

Production Status

Treatment

Apr 30, 2024

Pre-Prod

May 24, 2024

Filming

Nov 11, 2024

Post-Prod

Dec 14, 2024

Completed

Jul 3, 2025

Production Dates

November 10, 2024 Courthouse INT

November 23, 2024: Office scenes

December 13, 2024: Break-in scenes, courthouse EXT, Caleb's Apartment EXT

Filming Locations

  • Boulder, Colorado, USA (Court Room INT)

  • Boulder, Colorado, USA (Five Star Managed Apartments)

  • Boulder Colorado, USA (Five Star Realtors Office)

  • Boulder, Colorado, USA (Caleb's Apartment EXT)

  • Northglenn, Colorado, USA (Courthouse EXT)

Info

Credits

  • Ethan Geiger

    Director

    James' Dance Journey

  • Ethan Geiger

    Writer

    James' Dance Journey

  • Ethan Geiger

    Producer

    James' Dance Journey

  • Chris Barron

    Cinematographer

    Symphonic Sketches

  • Connor Misset

    Cinematographer (Break in scenes)

    May Day on the Green

  • Joseph Thomas

    Composer

    A Death to Die For

  • Zach Shoup

    Sound Design and Foley

    Love Is Real

  • Jeff Steele

    Cast

    The Ant

  • Madeline Gallegos

    Cast

  • Hassan El Zein

    Cast

    More Than Only

  • Charles Dumont

    Cast

    The Lies We Bury

  • Angela Howell

    Cast

    Weekend at Purgies

  • Oli Coyle

    Cast

  • Carter Dodd

    Cast

    Sam's Town

  • Artur Kozinskiy

    Courtroom extras

    The Chaos

  • Danielle Kucky

    Courtroom extras

  • Griffin Ardill

    Courtroom extras

    Hunters' Moon

  • Kjerstin Lizbeth

    Courtroom extras

    Lie Detector

  • Mary Elges

    Courtroom extras

  • Nancy Nyhus

    Courtroom extras

    Ascend

  • Payge Emerson

    Courtroom extras

  • Thomas A Fowler

    Courtroom extras

    Slasher Sessions

  • Tremaine Butler

    Courtroom extras

    Liar

  • Renae Rose

    Associate Producer

    Wild Flower

  • José Luis Venta

    Colorist

    The Merchant

  • Sava Brown

    Production Design

    Before You Fade Away Into Nothing

  • Sophie Davis

    Costume Design

    Cake

  • Jack Stecchi

    Script Supervisor

  • Tatum Hyman

    Makeup Artist

  • Daniel De Koning

    Gaffer

    The Scars of Our Hands

  • Joe Griffith

    Gaffer

    Ditullio's

  • Ethan Geiger

    Visual Effects Artist

    James' Dance Journey

  • Jackson Moore

    Visual Effects Artist

    Watering the West

  • Dawson Storrs

    On set Mixer/ Boom

  • Phillip Wallace

    On set Mixer/ Boom

    Bonding

  • Griffin Ardill

    First Assistant Camera

    Hunters' Moon

  • Hunter Thompson

    First Assistant Camera

    The Scars of Our Hands

  • Duncan Clyma

    Second Assistant Camera

  • Connor Misset

    First Assistant Director

    Just Eat It

  • Sascha Angel

    Second Assistant Director

    Tax Return

  • Finian Dufford

    Best Boy

    Jagged

  • Akira Mouland

    Grip

    Grip Where the Lavender Lies

  • Elizabeth Lo

    Grip

  • Jake Unger

    Grip

  • Mark Muratore

    Grip

  • Catherine Krahl

    Assistant to the Director

    Five Star Fundraiser

  • Thomas A Fowler

    Lead Production Assistant

    Slasher Sessions

  • Erich Baltzell

    Production Assistant

  • Payge Emerson

    Production Assistant

  • Min Wang

    Production Assistant

  • Carly Pereira

    Craft Services

  • John Dallin

    Craft Services

    Dr. Milksop

  • Lola Bazile

    Casting Assistant

    Nice House

  • Ally Cady

    Behind the sceens photographer

  • Mile High Films

    Cameras and lights courtesy of

    Race/America

  • Lens Rentals

    Lenses courtesy of

    Oracles of God the Story of the Old Testament

  • The Virgil Grillo Memorial Grant

    Funded im part by

  • Illegal Pete's on the Hill

    Thanks

  • Isaiah Chilton

    Thanks

    Where the Lavender Lies

  • Logan Nesleroad

    Thanks

    Dearest

  • Tim Grassley

    Thanks

    Why we ride: The Buffalo Bicycle Classic

  • Office Evolution Boulder

    Thanks

  • Augusta Good

    Special Thanks

  • Joe Jatcko

    Special Thanks

    Summoning the Spirit

  • Marilyn Dewar

    Special Thanks

  • Kelly Sumners

    Special Thanks

  • Steve Geiger

    Special Thanks

    The Virus part two

  • Terri Geiger

    Special Thanks

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