A Founder-Led Studio Focused on Original IP
CirrusFilm™ exists to develop and shepherd original feature film concepts and stories that are grounded and cinematic.
Founded by writer and filmmaker JD Herrera, the studio’s work draws from American history, subcultures, and mythologies, blending period detail, character-driven drama, and a deep respect for classic filmmaking traditions. This is a creative home for projects designed to move from page to screen with intention.
Original Feature Concepts
Narrative-driven films developed as complete cinematic worlds, not formulas.
Founder-Driven Vision
Projects authored and guided by a singular creative voice from development through production.
Built for Collaboration
Structured to invite producers, directors, financiers, and creative partners into the process.
Where Story Leads
Original feature films rooted in character, history, and place
Current Development Slate
The following projects represent CirrusFilm™’s current body of intellectual property, spanning narrative features and docu-drama.
Set along Route 66 across time, 66 unfolds as a period-driven character study with roots in the 1940s. Drawing tonal inspiration from classic noir and American road mythology, the film explores memory, identity, and the quiet violence of ambition.
Based on the 1980 Santa Fe Prison Riot, one of the deadliest prison uprisings in American history, this project examines the human cost and aftermath of an event that left 33 inmates dead. Unflinching, researched, and grounded in historical record and lived experience.
Centered on a pilot returning from a Lake Havasu weekend to Phoenix, Final Approach blends grounded drama with sharp, character-driven humor. A wise-guy tone undercuts an intimate story about responsibility, consequence, and the moments that define us mid-flight.
Founder
With a background in film, television, and broadcast journalism, JD brings a cinematic eye shaped by decades of professional work, including a distinguished career as a board-certified criminal trial attorney in both federal and state courts. His legal work has included major felony cases, death penalty litigation, and service as a special prosecutor in the aftermath of the New Mexico Penitentiary riot, the deadliest prison uprising in American history.
These experiences inform JD’s writing and filmmaking, grounding his projects in authenticity, moral complexity, and an unflinching engagement with American systems and histories. He has authored multiple feature-length screenplays and continues to develop narrative and docu-drama projects through CirrusFilm™.
In addition to writing, JD directs and produces feature films and has appeared as an actor in both film and television. His longstanding passion for aviation (and his status as a licensed pilot since 1972) continues to influence the themes and settings of his work.
Featured Project: 66
In recognition of the 100th anniversary of Route 66 in 2026, 66 is a feature-length period drama set in 1955, with narrative threads reaching back into the 1940s. Rooted in historical detail and cinematic tradition, 66 is both a reflection on the past and a timely re-engagement with one of America’s most enduring cultural symbols.