I wrote and directed my first short film!!!

In November, I brought together an incredibly talented group of young filmmakers and we shot for three days at my parents’ house and my apartment. I went into this believing I could fund it all myself, and I made every effort to keep costs as low as possible. While my savings are now completely depleted, I can say without hesitation that it was worth it.

I am so proud of what we were able to accomplish. Every member of my cast and the vast majority of my crew worked pro bono, and we sourced most of our equipment for free. Thanks to my brilliant team (and a little help from the rain), this ultra-low-budget project has an unexpectedly high production value, and I feel incredibly lucky.

The footage looks beautiful. The shots are strong, the performances are there, and you can feel how much care went into every frame. But all of the sweat, time, and love we poured into this means very little if I can’t afford proper sound design and color in the edit. As we head into post-production on January 15th, I need help making sure the film can truly live up to what we captured on set. I do hate to ask this, but if you’re able to donate any amount at all, I would be deeply grateful.

It seems as though everyone knew that this was what I was meant to be doing before I did. After a meandering path, it feels like I have arrived exactly where I’m meant to be. My goal is to deliver a finished film that can stand on its own at festivals and serve as a proof of concept for a tv pilot — something that demonstrates I’m ready to work on a larger scale.

This film is about a gender non-conforming person navigating identity, intimacy, and friendship. I think it's important to tell queer stories that aren’t always rooted in traumatic extremes. It’s inspired by my best friend Sam (who plays the lead), but it also references a lot of my own coming of age experiences.

There is a certain freedom of expression we lose as we grow up. For queer people, that freedom — the ability to exist authentically — is often delayed or denied in childhood, requiring a conscious fight to hold onto expression, creativity, and play in adulthood. While these themes are rooted in queer culture, the struggles my main character faces are ones I deeply relate to, and I believe they resonate with so many of us. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt too old to be lost and too young to be settled.

If you believe in me, this story, and the future I’m building as a filmmaker, I would be incredibly grateful for your support. Any contribution at all helps. And as a bonus: my 29th birthday is January 12th, so consider it a birthday gift to help me make something of myself before I turn 30!

I have included the synopsis and a summarized budget breakdown below so you can see exactly how the funds have been — and will be — used:

Synopsis:

Devon, a young gender-nonconforming person navigates the uncomfortable space between identity, intimacy, and growing up. They are torn between longing for a normal adult life and grasping on to what’s left of childhood. The short opens on the morning after a hookup with Devon’s deadbeat situationship. When their best friend Leila invites them to a dinner party with her golden retriever boyfriend’s picture-perfect couple friends, what begins as a simple favor spirals into a night of subtle microaggressions, emotional dissonance, and quiet heartbreak. Confronted by Leila’s sudden engagement announcement, Devon is forced to face how far apart their lives have drifted—and how much of themself they’ve boxed away to fit into others’ worlds. Tender, funny, and raw, Boxes is a coming-of-age story for those still trying to define what “coming of age” even means.

Budget Breakdown:

Labor

Subtotal: $3500

*My 9 cast members and the rest of my crew of 18 people worked pro bono

Supplies and Equipment

Subtotal: $1196.73

*My crew waived their kit fees and my DP was able to borrow most of our super high quality camera equipment free of charge!

Meals & Crafty - $1291.07

Post Production

Subtotal: $1900

*My editor and composer are working pro bono

Festival submissions - $2500

*I plan to submit to approximately 50 different festivals throughout the year

Gofundme Payment Processing Fees - $334

TOTAL: $11,136.60

-$1000 donation wired to me directly from my grandma, Tessa Kennedy :)

TOTAL: $10,136.60