I'm Cole, the writer and director of a new short film, a dark comedy that dives into the frustrations of modern dating. If you've ever asked yourself, "Why is it so hard to find a partner?", "Why am I doing this?" or "Is this all that is left?" then this story is for you. My films are for people who look at life a little bit differently, and I love telling stories that start grounded and escalate into quirky madness.

This film exists because of something deeply personal. Lions & Meerkats represents every person who has ever met a stranger from an app in the wild inspired by true stories from my time on the apps in NYC.

THE STORY

We follow Liza (Callie Ott), a kindergarten teacher putting herself out there IRL at a speed dating night. She's never been this bold and she's trying to stay optimistic. When she meets Dave (Alan Starzinski), a connection is made, but there's a twist. At its core, this film explores the ways we try to find human connection and asks: what could we excuse for a chance at love?

WHY NOW?

Stories like this matter right now because finding love can feel like an impossible task. How many dinners, drinks, coffees, phone calls, Zooms, FaceTimes can we do until we give up? Whether you’ve experienced being on a crazy date, or simply believe in meaningful storytelling, this film is something you can connect to and laugh with. Our goal is to create something honest, a bit wacky, and emotionally impactful. It's not just another short film, but something that resonates.

THE BREAKDOWN

To bring this vision to life, I need support to cover the essentials:

Every dollar raised will go directly into making this film the best it can be, helping me share a story that many people will relate to and enjoy.

THE TIMELINE

We're filming July 11-12 in Los Angeles and need to hit our goal to make this possible.

WHAT YOU GET FOR DONATING

By supporting this campaign, you'll be part of the creative journey. Every supporter's name will be in the credits, forever a part of this story. I'll keep you updated on our progress as well.

I encourage you to share the campaign with friends who might connect with the story. Your encouragement and generosity will help bring this unique film to a wider audience. Thank you for believing in me, indie filmmaking and for helping make this project possible.

Our Instagram Handle: @LMShortFilm

https://www.instagram.com/lmshortfilm

My other short films:

ESP - https://youtu.be/-fjfLPfrPqY

The Copier - https://youtu.be/eWhMM_uog7Y

More About Me:

Cole Quirk is a writer/director from Blue Bell, a small town outside of Philadelphia. She received her BS in Crime, Law and Justice from Penn State and attended New England School of Law. She then worked in private Criminal Defense in Philadelphia and Intellectual Property Law on Wall Street. She trained in sketch and improv comedy at Upright Citizen’s Brigade NY & LA, Second City Chicago, and The People’s Improv Theater NY. She then received an MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA and her play I'm Jennifer Mother F*cking Lawrence, which she wrote and directed, premiered to critical acclaim in the Hollywood Fringe Festival. She has assisted writers on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS), The 100 (CW), Resurrection (ABC), Scream (MTV), Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (NBC) and The Institute (MGM+). Her darkly comedic short films that she wrote and directed, THE COPIER (2024) and ESP (2025) were both official selections of The California Women's Film Festival. She sold a feature to The Hallmark Channel and was a staff writer on Justified: City Primeval (FX).