Synopsis
When a feisty new girl joins a self-appointed neighborhood police squad in the fictional island nation of New Xanadú, a war of water guns, toy handcuffs, and playground politics erupts—with hilarious, heartfelt, and nostalgic consequences.
Set in a vibrant imaginary Latin American backdrop, the story is told from the perspective of pre-teens who idolize an intergalactic TV show while trying to maintain law and order in their two warring neighborhoods.
Main Characters
● Dahlia Navarro – Smart, fearless, and new to the block. Quickly becomes the mastermind behind a string of kid-led capers.
● Andre Ulysses – Head of the Iguanaburg Copper Squad. A dreamer who wants to serve justice.
● Pablo Rex – Juvenile nemesis in a cartoonishly criminal world.
Why it matters now!
1. Kids are living in a world full of rules—but few stories let them rewrite them.
In an age of standardized testing, lockdown drills, and growing adult anxieties, The Baby-Faced Outlaws gives kids a rare thing: agency. It’s a story where children police their world—but also push back when power is misused. It sparks conversations about fairness, community, and justice—all through squirt guns and tasty troll cola.
2. Diverse stories for kids are still underrepresented.
With key characters rooted in Latinx culture, this is the kind of multicultural adventure parents are hungry for—and kids rarely see. It's not preachy; it's playful, weird, and authentic. JJ, Thunder Voice, and even Andre’s Gwendolyn Walker fandom, reflect a vibrant, inclusive pop world kids already live in.
3. Nostalgia is driving what families want to watch—together.
This film is made for parents who grew up on Spy Kids, The Goonies, Bugsy Malone and Home Alone. It gives them a reason to sit down with their kids and laugh, connect, and maybe even talk about what justice means in their own neighborhoods.
4. It’s a creative win in the face of limited resources.
Shot in Costa Rica with a low budget and a bold imagination, The Baby-Faced Outlaws is exactly the kind of smart, inventive indie film that thrives in festivals, schools, and homes looking for something original.
Director’s Statement
The Baby-Faced Outlaws is my love letter to childhood, where the world is full of absurd authority figures, DIY justice, and the boundless power of imagination.
This film is powered by squirt guns, makeshift masks, and Tasty Troll Cola—but beneath the playful chaos is a story about fairness, betrayal, and redemption. Set in a fictional city called
New Xanadú, the world is both absurd and oddly familiar—a reflection of how kids process the adult world around them.
As a filmmaker from a multicultural background, I wanted this story to reflect the real makeup of today’s playgrounds. And the film’s fandom-within-a-film—Gwendolyn Walker—is my love letter to sci-fi- 90s space heroines and the Saturday morning cartoons that helped shape our childhood dreams.
We shot this on a shoestring budget in Costa Rica with a cast of local kids, and a lot of heart. What we didn’t have in resources, we made up for in invention. And what I hope audiences take away isn’t just laughter, but the reminder that kids understand fairness deeply—and
sometimes more clearly than adults.
We need stories that trust kids to lead, question, and imagine better worlds. Even if that world includes its own currency, soda brand, and vigilante patrol squad. Now, we’re asking for your support to bring our story to global audiences.
— Adrian Kayser
Writer/Director
The Baby-Faced Outlaws