“Sweet Virginia” – Short Film (What’s it about?)

Don’t let the title fool you, this short will be based and filmed in southern Maryland, specifically St. Mary’s County.

It follows Virginia, a restless 13-year-old girl who continuously commits small devious acts. Stories of the past from her Uncle Roy spring her into action as she attempts to take hold of the stifling summer days in her small town in the only ways she knows how.

The story touches on themes of loneliness, desperation, love, and hope. It’s a bit funny and kind of hurts, combining dreaminess and sweaty memories.

Some artistic comparisons could be the texture of Lucrecia Martel's films, and Andrea Arnold's romantic realism.

Why does it matter?

I’ve never heard of anything being filmed where I spent the first 15 years of my life: St. Mary’s County.

It’s a place that I’ve found myself always trying to recreate in my past work, a place with a lot of heart. None of these attempts have quite lived up to the real thing. I recently realized that there’s nothing stopping me from going to the source, honoring the town and my memories accurately. The people are genuine and hardworking, there's a harshness of life that brings a common mentality of resilience.

It’s very rural, yet slowly getting developed due to the local Naval Base. Every time I go back to visit, the growth strikes me.

Change is always scary, reminding us of our own mortality. However, filmmaking offers a sense of preservation; of a place and time, a people. I have the chance to capture the atmosphere of my youth in its rawness, to make it into a dream that feels more true than life. I hope to represent a way of living that will help more people feel seen.

How can you help?

With a crew of no more than six, including myself, I’m going as low-budget and guerrilla as possible this summer. This is my favorite way of filming, with my best friends and a camera. However, some of my crew live in Montreal where we went to film school together. As a way to save money, I plan on road-tripping, but gas adds up and everyone needs to stay fed.

Food, gas, a couple of nights at an Airbnb, and a little bit of gaffer tape will add up for me. As a 21-year-old who is just wrapping up film school, I live month-to-month paying for my rent and necessities. A couple hundred dollars would go a very long way to help me make this film. Grateful for any donation is an understatement. If you cannot support financially, sharing the campaign and spreading the word would be very appreciated.

About the director

Ariel Gill-Ehrenreich is a young and emerging filmmaker, currently studying Film Production at Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema in Montreal.

After her films were selected for production by an industry-professional jury during years one and three of film school, she has had the opportunity to direct and produce multiple of her own shorts.

Her first-year film “Like Smoke” has screened at several international festivals, winning “Best Student Film” at the renowned Jim Thorpe Independent Film Fest.

Even when she was not backed by the school, she wrote, directed, and produced her own short which has gone on to screen at several local festivals and is currently streaming on the indie-movie platform Amathus.

Her next venture, “Sweet Virginia” is one that she has been developing over the past year. With or without funding, she intends to make it to the best of her abilities.