Thrust into a new town following his father’s death, young Jason relies on a bicycle with magical powers to get him through dark middle school times. 

SYNOPSIS:

Act I When Jason’s father unexpected dies, leaving the family in financial ruin, 12-year old Jason and his mother must now relocate to a new city. Jason finds an old rusty Schwinn bike in the garage. The bike has the word QIANLIMA boldly stenciled on the frame. He cleans up the bike, repairs it, and repeatedly repaints it, but the word bleeds through each paint job. He eventually accepts that word as the name of his bike. Jason meets Hollie, a classmate, with whom he becomes friends. Unfortunately, Jason, being bi-racial and an athletic klutz in this rural Arkansas school, is being bullied by a group of boys who also make fun of his bicycle.

Act II Jason stands up to the bullies by riding his bicycle, and riding it fast – consistent with the name Qianlima (a mythical horse of ancient Chinese folklore). As he rides the bike, it helps create fantasies for Jason – becoming a horse in a medieval jousting match, a horse in the wild west, a flying horse at an ocean bluff – each time rescuing Hollie, his fair haired damsel in distress. After Jason truly does rescue Hollie from peril and becomes a local hero, Qianlima is replaced with a brand new 18-speed bike, and set aside and forgotten.

Act III Jason grows up, becomes a successful Olympic cyclist, moves out of his small house, and ultimately becomes the principal at his former middle school. He discovers a young boy riding the bicycle to the school and takes an interest in the boy when he sees other boys bullying him and ridiculing him about his Schwinn bicycle with QIANLIMA stenciled on the frame. As he talks and works with the boy, he learns that the bicycle’s mystical powers haven’t disappeared.

NOTE: QIANLIMA (pronounced “She-on-lee-ma”) is the name of a mythical horse of ancient Chinese and East Asian folklore. The winged horse is reportedly too swift and dignified to be mounted by any human and could travel a thousand miles in a single day. Also, QIANLIMA has been used as a metaphor for exceptionally talented people.

This film is a family drama and fantasy, likely rated PG, and should appeal to the same audiences that enjoyed The Karate Kid (1984), Matilda (1996), and Bridge to Terabithia (2007) as related to dealing with bullying and escape through fantasy.

QIANLIMA is a 2025 Final Draft Big Break Contest quarterfinalist, was selected to Coverfly’s Red List, and was a top 9% project on Coverfly just before it shut down.

QIANLIMA