We Made a Movie!
I Agree With You is ready.
Join us as we share it with the world!
Our Awards and Laurels:
Best Feature ● East Lansing/Lake Michigan Film Festival — Best Comedy ● Feature Touchstone Independent Film Festival — Nominee ● Broad Street Film Fest — Official Selection ● Grand Rapids Film Festival — Official Selection ● Royal Starr Film Festival — Official Selection ● Soo Film Festival — Honorable Mention ● Torchfire Film Festival — Official Selection ● Sheboygan Film Festival
Take home
I Agree With You
TODAY!
Be the first to own a blu-ray copy of our
first feature film, I Agree With You!
Blu-ray features include the trailer and
Premiere Q&A with the filmmakers
The Latest
Saturday, January 3rd, 2026
We are planning our next screening of I Agree With You in the near future. Keep your eyes peeled to our Substack for latest info!
Take home
I Agree With You
TODAY!
Be the first to own a blu-ray copy of our
first feature film, I Agree With You!
Blu-ray features include the trailer and
Premiere Q&A with the filmmakers
Big thanks to the IFA Chicago, for helping us bring this story to life.
Meet Fortified Films
The four of us love movies. That's hardly unique. What is unique is the friendship forged by this shared love of movies. We each bring a different perspective to the art of filmmaking. This foundation creates a dynamic creative process to make great movies – for us and for you.
Ross Compton
// Writer + Actor
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Ross has been a Chicago-based writer, actor, and producer for over a decade, WHICH IS NUTS. Formally a member of the iO, CIC, and Under The Gun Theaters, he is currently an ensemble member at Theatre Above the Law in Rogers Park, which produced both of his full length plays: Amicable in the summer of 2019 and Henchpeople in the summer of 2021.
In addition to writing plays, he’s written several film sketches and short films. He has also appeared on stage in plays like Constellations with TATL and Upon This Shore with Idle Muse, and on camera in projects such as the viral independent horror film Rorschach and the upcoming independent sitcom Camp Lake. And, of course, a commercial for Buddig lunch meat.
He’d like to thank Bob Zemecksis’ Who Framed Roger Rabbit for giving him his first taste of magical realism, Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead for solidifying for him the importance of music in film and that nothing needs to be just one genre, Miranda July’s The Future for showing him that relationship stories can be unconventional, and most recently the Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All At Once for encapsulating all the facets he’s just written about.
Tyler Core
// Producer
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Actor, photographer, cinematographer, web design, and more! There is quite sim- ply nothing that Tyler Core can’t do. The heights of his creativity is only matched by his kindness and enthusiasm for supporting other artists. If you know an actor in Chicago there is a good chance that Tyler has done their headshot. For over a decade Tyler has been taking headshots. You can take a look at his work here: https://www.tylercoreshoots.com/
Scott Cupper
// Producer
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A veteran of Chicago storefront theater since 2004, he was a company mem- ber with Strange Tree Group. His time with them comprises his most proud accomplishments including The Dastardly Ficus, the dual role of Cristroff/ Capt. Mandy in The Mysterious Elephant, Semyon Semyonovich in Goodbye Cruel World, Shakespeare’s King Phycus and two successful runs of The Three Faces of Dr. Crippen as part of both Steppenwolf Garage Rep and the New York Fringe Fest. He credits his love of movies with E.T. being his first theater-going experience in its original run.
Jake VanKersen
// Director
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The day after he turned 16 Jake got into the movie business...as an usher at Cinema Carousel in Muskegon, MI. Getting this job was his first professional goal as he spent a solid year dreaming about it. He shot his first short film, “Refund” at the age of 18 with his friends on a camcorder and edited it with two VCRs. It screened at the inaugural Muskegon Film Festival.
Later, Jake went to film school at Columbia College Chicago and profession- ally, he has been a video producer for over a decade working on interviews, short documentaries, webinars, and more.
Like many kids that grew up in the 1980’s Jake’s love for cinema was ignited by the films of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.
Our Other Projects
Étude
We filmed a short film the previous year to Fortfied, called Étude.
Starring Melanie McNulty and Nico Fernandez.
Written by Scott Cupper.
Take home
I Agree With You
TODAY!
Be the first to own a blu-ray copy of our
first feature film, I Agree With You!
Blu-ray features include the trailer and
Premiere Q&A with the filmmakers
Thank you so much for joining us on this exciting journey.
We can’t wait to make this magic happen!
