After surviving Final Destination Bloodlines, Kaitlyn Santa Juana is trading death’s elaborate designs for the less supernatural hazards of life in a touring band. The actor heads-up The Jam Van, a Canadian indie comedy-drama that centers on a dysfunctional pop-punk group chasing its big break, with early-2000s angst along for the ride.
The feature has completed principal photography in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and is now in post-production. Santa Juana heads a cast that includes Nikki Roumel (Ginny & Georgia), Maclean Fish (Little House on the Prairie), Madison MacIsaac (My Secret Santa), Cassandra Potenza (Clown in a Cornfield) and Dom Bergeron (High School).
Penned by Peter Roumeliotis and Alec Carlos, and directed by the latter, The Jam Van follows a fractious pop-punk outfit on the road to a gig that could make or break its future. The film has been likened to Superbad crossed with Almost Famous — a collision of coming-of-age chaos and rock’n’roll aspiration, with the band’s internal dynamics threatening to derail the whole thing before it even reaches the stage.
Carlos makes his feature directorial debut with the film. Roumelotis’ co-writing credit is accompanied by a role behind the scenes, with the filmmaker also serving as music supervisor. The soundtrack draws on the early-2000s pop-punk scene, with Fall Out Boy, Paramore and blink-182 among the stated musical influences. Composer Blitz//Berlin, whose recent credits include the 2025 reboot of Silent Night, Deadly Night, Marc Klasfeld’s Do Not Enter and Casey Walker’s Ithaqua, will compose the film’s score.
The supporting cast features Ryan McDonell (Shoresy), Jesse Camacho (Locke & Key) and Stephanie Sy (FUBAR).
Santa Juana is also producing alongside Jordan Connor, Helen Roumeliotis, Peter Roumeliotis, Kyle Guerrero and Carlos. Allen Roman and Mike Ng are executive producers.
The Jam Van marks the fifth feature from the Popternative Pictures banner, whose credits include David Dastmalchian-led The Cure, Bigfoot thriller Sawtooth Mountain and the upcoming drama Sometimes I Believe in Ghosts, starring Brenna D’Amico.
A release date is still TBC, so keep CinemaChords bookmarked for the latest.
