Hi, my name is J.D. Estévez, and I’m currently finishing post-production on Beginnings, a surreal short film about memory, loss, love, and the passage of time.

The film follows Athan, a young man traveling through a hallway of doors, each containing memories from different stages of his life. Guided by a mysterious Hooded Man, Athan revisits moments of joy, heartbreak, family conflict, and regret, slowly realizing that life moves forward no matter how desperately we try to hold onto the past.

Inspired by films such as Synecdoche, New York, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Aftersun, and A Ghost Story, Beginnings explores the idea that even painful moments are essential in shaping who we are.

The film has already been shot, and we are now deep into post-production. This fundraiser is specifically to help us complete the final visual effects work and submit the film to festivals.

The visual effects are essential to the story, helping bring Athan’s surreal hallway of memories to life. Your support will help cover:

As an independent student production, every contribution genuinely makes a difference. Supporting Beginnings means helping a deeply personal film reach audiences beyond the classroom and giving it the opportunity to connect with people who may see themselves reflected in Athan’s journey.

At its heart, Beginnings is about accepting life in all its imperfection: the fleeting joys, the regrets, the people we lose, and the moments we wish we could revisit. It’s a film about learning to move forward.

Thank you for supporting independent filmmaking and helping us bring Beginnings to its final stage.

— J.D. Estévez