Garrett Patten's 'Self Custody' Reveals Dual Aspects of Bitcoin, Featuring Adrien Grenier and Henry.

      “Self Custody,” a sharp and humorously intense new thriller co-directed by and starring Garrett Patten, effectively illustrates both the positives and negatives of Bitcoin.

      The advantage of Bitcoin lies in its nature as a decentralized, peer-to-peer digital currency that is untraceable and lacks government regulation.

      Conversely, the downside to Bitcoin is the same: it is a decentralized, peer-to-peer digital currency that is untraceable and unregulated by any government.

      “Self Custody” delves into both aspects, though it primarily focuses on the downsides. The film is inspired by the reality that millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin are lost annually due to fraud or mere forgetfulness. The title refers to the fact that Bitcoin holders are solely responsible for their assets.

      The film debuted at a special screening during SXSW on Saturday night, featuring a post-film Q&A session with Patten, along with Entourage alumnus Adrien Grenier—who appears in “Self Custody” as a detached and ambiguous chaotic figure—and two-time UFC champion Henry Cejudo, who makes a late entrance in the film, showcasing his fierce nature both onscreen and in the ring. Odette Annable also delivers a strong and convincing performance.

      Patten characterizes the 31-minute film as more of a micro-feature than a short, and it is available on Amazon Prime, Tubi, and Plex. He is both relatable and engaging as Scott, a father and business owner facing financial challenges. He believes he has found a solution when a friend and advisor (Michael Monks) informs him that he stands to inherit a fortune in Bitcoin from a signing bonus he received over a decade ago.

      However, there’s a catch: to access these funds, Scott must remember his old PIN code and a seed phrase. Things quickly spiral out of control.

      TBK Productions

      Both Grenier and Cejudo mentioned on Saturday that they agreed to participate in the film because of their friendship with Patten. Grenier also has a personal stake: he is a Bitcoin maximist, or a true believer, convinced that its advantages far outweigh any drawbacks.

      When the audience inquired about the term “maxi,” Grenier humorously defined it as “someone who believes in Bitcoin above all other cryptocurrencies, or s— coins. That’s a technical term, you know. There are two sides to the coin, or Bitcoin.”

      After eliciting laughter from the audience, he added: “It’s a pure technology that truly resembles digital gold, while other cryptocurrencies often have many vulnerabilities. You cannot access Bitcoin, and that's intentional, as it comes with many checks and balances. In contrast, other cryptocurrencies are essentially just fancy apps or websites.”

      Good news? Here’s the downside again. Patten explained that while those checks and balances are beneficial, they come with risks. His inspiration for creating “Self Custody” stemmed from a friend's experience with losing millions in Bitcoin because he couldn't access it.

      “A friend who lost his job discovered that he had been gifted crypto in the past, and he embarked on a journey to try to recover it,” Patten shared.

      During the film’s research phase, which he co-directed with Fernando Ferro, Patten uncovered numerous instances of people losing hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin.

      Garrett Patten on Filming ‘Self Custody’ in Austin

      Saturday's screening in Austin, held at the beautiful Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Mueller, marked a homecoming for the film, which was shot in the heart of SXSW. The film boasts exceptionally high production values, which Patten attributes to his Austin crew.

      “For an indie film, it felt like you were watching a feature, and that’s all due to the crew,” he remarked. “You can’t achieve that quality in every city. I’ve filmed in many places, and Austin truly has much to offer.”

      (He discussed the advantages of filming in Austin during a recent Sundance panel on the best places to live and work as a filmmaker.)

      Grenier, a local resident, expressed his satisfaction in filming close to home.

      “I’m a strong advocate for the Austin film industry and Texas as a whole,” he stated. “I aim to produce projects within this region. For personal reasons, I want to return home to my family at the end of the day, and with the $1.5 billion incentive coming from the Texas government, I believe we’ll see an increase in projects being developed.”

      The Cast of ‘Self Custody’

      (L-R) Moderator Mia Galuppo with “Self Custody” actors Henry Cejudo, Garrett Patten, Adrian Grenier, and Michael Monks.

      Patten, who has primarily worked behind the camera in the past, has produced several projects including 2022’s Bandit, featuring Josh Duhamel, Elisha Cuthbert, and Mel Gibson, as well as last year's The Hand of Dante, which starred Oscar Isaac and Al Pacino.

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