Updates

CJ is shopping a feature about the creation of the Rainforest Café in collaboration with its founder, Steve Schussler!

CJ wrote freelance episode "Dereks Don't Die" for Season 3 of AppleTV+'s SHRINKING, premiering March 3, 2026.

Tickets available at the links in each festival name - hope to see you there!

OFFICIAL SELECTION - 2025 (transparent).png

OFFICIAL SELECTION - HollyShorts Film Festival - 2025.png

Short film BATHROOM SPIDER, written by CJ and directed by Christine Weatherup, premiered as part of Dangerous Visions at the Chattanooga Film Festival on June 21st, 2025. It is an official selection at Cinequest 2026, the 2025 Anomaly Film Festival, 2025 SpookyFest, the 2025 Island of Horror Film Fest and at Haunted House FearFest 2025, where it won the Storyteller Spotlight Award and was nominated for Best Horror Short.

CJ co-wrote a freelance episode for Season 2 of AppleTV+'s SHRINKING, which aired November 20, 2024.

PLAYGROUND GAMES, written by CJ and directed by Richard Piatt, won Best Play (English), two Judges' Choice Awards, Best Director, and an Actor's Circle award for Shira Englender (Jessica) at the 2024 Short Sweet Hollywood Festival.

Poster for "Playground Games" at Short+ Sweet Hollywood 2024

YOUR VIRTUAL ASSISTANT (written by Nick Barragan & Suhas Sridar, directed by Nate Myers, produced by Sarah Soderquist and CJ) won Festival Directors' Choice at Chicago Horror Fest 2024 and has placed in and is nominated for awards in several other festivals.

Winner Laurels for the Chicago Horror Festival

OFFICIAL SELECTION - Night of Horror - Three Fires International Film Festival - 2024.png

Selection Laurels for the Screaming Room Horror Festival 2024

Talented actors read CJ's half-hour animated pilot, MISSPELLED, in February, 2024, at Studio/Stage in Hollywood.

Seated from left to right: Christine Weatherup, Ricky Faust, Rokhsane Zadeh, Tiffany Cornwell, Chris Mollica, Jason Rose, and Katie Stoddard. Behind them, Nate Myers and CJ Hoke.

Seated, from left to right: Christine Weatherup, Ricky Faust, Rokhsane Zadeh, Tiffany Cornwell, Chris Mollica, Jason Rose, and Katie Stoddard.
Standing, from left to right: Nate Myers and CJ Hoke.

THE BANK YANK, written and directed by Nate Myers, executive produced by CJ, won Best of Fest at the 2026 Giggle Shitz Film Festival, was nominated for multiple awards at the 2026 Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema, was a Semi-Finalist at the 2026 Zed Film Fest & Screenplay Competition and the Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival, and an official selection at the 2026 Shock A Go-Go Film Festival (where cast member Katie Stoddard took home the Best Actress in a Feature Award), 2026 Miami Beach Film Festival, 2026 Toronto Indie Funny Film Festival, and the 2026 Long Beach Underground Film Festival.

Short film DONALD MCRONALD, written and directed by Matt Gerrish, produced by CJ, is currently in post.

CJ wrote with the tabletop game company EVIL GENIUS GAMES.