Bento Box Short Film

Hi! I am seeking to raise funds for my short film, Bento Box, which I plan on filming this summer in Bloomington, Indiana. The story is about a little Japanese-American girl who brings a bento (an authentic Japanese lunch) to her first day of school and gets made fun of for it. Through the process of the film, she falls in love with herself and her bicultural identity and is able to take pride in her bento.

My mission for this film is to share a story that is both extremely personal to my life and one that I believe is universal to everyone. It is a story about longing to fit in and navigating the world as a person who belongs to two cultures but inevitably considered a foreigner in both at the same time. It is about finding your identity and teaching yourself to truly believe in yourself. I am so passionate about this film because I believe that it creates a platform for Asian-American voices to be heard. And I believe that telling this story through the voices of children and their innocence, we are able to become people of greater compassion and empathy.

All funds will go towards the production of this film. Because child labor laws are a thing (and for good reason), it will help to cover the high costs of child actors. The rest of the funds will help to feed my extremely talented crew who are volunteering their precious time and energy to help bring my vision to life.

Any amount of support would mean so much to me. I've been working on this story for a few years and never thought I could actually create it because of the high costs associated with it. Each and every penny will fill my heart with so much joy and appreciation. In return, I would love to include your name within the credits of the film.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so so so much!