Milwaukee, WI – David William James Elliott's short film "I Forgot to Unsubscribe from a Stock Footage Service" is set to debut on YouTube on July 24, 2026, after a successful festival run that spanned multiple continents. The film, inspired by the all-too-common experience of being trapped in an unwanted subscription, follows a filmmaker's increasingly desperate attempts to reclaim his money using the very stock footage he is stuck paying for.
The film has garnered a bizarre array of awards, including "Best Stunt" and "Best Female Director," despite being directed by a man and composed entirely of stock footage. It has also been recognized for its voice work, writing, editing, and a scene that homages David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" recreated with stock clips. Elliott credits the subscription mishap with reigniting his creative career, leading to five other film projects and a poetry book released in the past six months.
Elliott, an MIT and Stanford graduate with training at Second City, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Steppenwolf, and The Annoyance, and a BJJ Black Belt, walked away from a chance to write for Saturday Night Live in 2012 to build sustainable farms. He says the subscription error prompted his return to the arts. "I was happy making one-off appearances on murder mystery shows and helping with camera work," Elliott said. "But a combination of being stuck with that subscription and receiving a free waiver from the Milwaukee Film Festival inspired this project."
The film's YouTube debut coincides with the launch of RIOUGA (Royal Institute of Objectively Universally Good Art), a startup production company co-founded by Elliott and Juan Sebastian Carcosa. Described as "PBS meets Adult Swim, for burnouts, by burnouts," RIOUGA is developing interview series, short films, and documentaries. The company aims to counter AI and corporate polish by inspiring people to pursue their creative passions.
For more information, visit the RIOUGA website. The film's trailer and updates are available on the RIOUGA YouTube channel.
