"Boxes for Rox" began as a short story that I wrote in February, 2018. That spring, artist Don Hoenig and I met for coffee to discuss making it into a film. It quickly evolved into an exciting, collaborative art experiment, combining classical hand-drawn animation with modern post-production tools. 

Starring Jaclyn Wells as the voice of Rox, featuring all original drawings by Don Hoenig, musical score by composer Jonathan Franco, and animations by Jeff Sokoloski and Matthew Peach, this film was a labor of love created by a small but mighty team.

In its select screenings so far, "Boxes for Rox" has left its audiences giggling and cheering, reviving the rebellious robot that lives in all of us.

- Chelsey R. Knapp, Writer / Director / Editor / Lead Animator

Director Statement

Chelsey R. Knapp is a Michigan-based filmmaker who experiments with various mediums of storytelling.
Knapp's directorial debut into the short film festival circuit with gothic period piece, "Lemon Eyes" (2017), screened throughout North America and Europe at 33 festivals, winning 16 independent film awards, including a Best Director and Best Editor award for Knapp.
After focusing on writing for a few years as Lemon Eyes continued screening, Knapp created her second film, an animated experimental short "Boxes for Rox" (2019), which screened at prestigious indie festivals such as Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival, Midwest Film Festival, and Austria International Film Festival throughout 2020 and 2021. Soon after, due to the pandemic and multiple family emergencies, Knapp was forced to pause the film's submission process until 2024. She looks forward to seeing the animated short return to film festivals in the coming years.

Knapp strives and continues to evolve as an artist, currently in post-production on a short comedy about overcoming grief entitled "Have You Seen Aunt Spammy?" which the filmmaker will dedicate to her late father.

Knapp is also writing, producing and editing "Writing is Strange," a podcast where Knapp and co-writer/co-host Samantha Sawnick examine the joys and perils of creativity as they develop their first published series of books together. Find them at writingisstrange.com.

Director Biography

Jaclyn Wells (now Jaclyn Bethel), the voice of Rox, has been a part of the Metro Detroit film scene for many years, gliding between Acting and Art Direction. 

Jaclyn has performed in many Indie Short and full-length films, loving comedy and drama but holds a special place for the horror genre's special effects make up and gore. She started in children's television and stage performing and is still engaging with children's performances and volunteering with her own children's schools and events. 

"Boxes for Rox" is her first animated voice-over role and this film marks her second project with Director Chelsey R. Knapp. Chelsey also cast Jaclyn as the lead in Lemon Eyes (2017), a 1920s drama that stands the test of time, as it is still invited to screen at festivals across the world after nearly 8 years. 

Jacly, her husband and their 2 children live in the metro Detroit area with their 2 cats, vast dinosaur toy collection, and grow hot peppers. She is also a writer, sharing stories as a 'sandwich generation' from being a mother of special needs and caretaking for parents and grandma. Follow her at www.facebook.com/share/1Aub2iZg5Q/

Actor Biography

Don Hoenig is a retired advertising Art Director, now struggling cartoonist and painter. He has illustrated two
books (Reluctantly Related) about mother and daughter-in -law relationships that are sold on Amazon. He
started painting after retirement and manages to sell fairly well and win some local awards.

Artist Biography

Matthew Peach is a product of Detroit. Hard working, passionate and a love for community. Born in the blizzard of ’78 in the heart of Detroit, this native Michigander has never lost his passion for the metro area he grew up in. He dreamt about building up the city his grandparents had called home. Today they would be proud of what he has built so far, and how much farther he intends to go! Peach founded M-1 Studios in 2008. As President of M-1 Studios, Matthew brings over 20 years of production experience along with a previous career as a business consultant. Combining marketing/business knowledge with his film experiences, Peach applies a unique mix of business and creativity to his leadership style with a team of passionate creative individuals with an eye for success. He considers himself a “Front Line Leader” as he leads the production teams from the field. 
Films, TV Shows and Documentaries has always been part of Peach’s professional career. M-1 is Michigan’s only SAG/AFTRA approved remote recording location, which provides many opportunities to work with professional talent and directors from top film and video game studios on a regular basis.  He has a passion for documenting history and has been involved with several award winning films & documentaries with several of his own in the works. With over 30 film credits, his experience shows with a strong reputation of running productions on schedule and on budget. 

Matthew's vast film experiences have earned him five regional nominations. Behind the camera as a Director of Photography, and a Producer. Many of his projects have screened in top festivals around the country and overseas, winning numerous awards in technical categories, and top awards in writing, directing, acting and Best Film awards. He has enjoyed working with Hollywood director William Dear (Angels in the Outfield), and many other film industry professionals over the years. Recently his work with telling professional sports athletes’ stories has been in high demand and was brought in for a recent super bowl commercial specifically for this experience. 

"Boxes for Rox" is Matthew's first animated film and his fourth collaboration with Director Chelsey R. Knapp. As a producer, Peach is currently in production for his latest show that will be a culinary delight, and also currently in post-production on comedy short "Have You Seen Aunt Spammy?" 

Read more about Peach at peachmatthew.com. 

Producer Biography

Jonathan Franco is a composer, sound designer, and multi-instrumentalist born in Michigan, and currently based in NYC. His film scores and sound design have been featured at festivals such as the Maryland Film Festival and Ouray International Film Festival, as well as on platforms like NoBudge and Film Shortage. Franco’s work spans a wide range of genres, drawing from a diverse palette of traditional instruments, electronic circuits, found objects, field recordings, and both analog and digital processing. He is also an active performer in New York's experimental music scene.

Composer Biography

Jeff Sokoloski is a motion designer and VFX artist based in Detroit, working across creative and commercial industries.
 He loves technically challenging work and the satisfaction of bringing ideas to life. Currently, he is developing his passion project, a roguelike shooter in Unreal Engine 5. See his work at sokodesign.net.

Animator Biography

A factory worker questions whether or not their thoughts are being controlled. Awareness is the first phase.