Help Fund a CSU Student Short Film -- "Bardo"

Hi, this is Cara Robbins on behalf of the entire "Bardo" team. We're a group of student filmmakers at Cleveland State University who are thrilled to be developing our final thesis project! We have high hopes and lots of big ideas, and we're looking for people interested in getting involved in the process through a financial contribution.

What's "Bardo"

The concept of Bardo refers to the Tibetan form of purgatory. The film "Bardo" follows the afterlife of Olivia, a young woman who hangs in the space between life and death after suffering from an overdose. Within the liminal, stark world of Bardo, she's greeted by two spirit guides who take her on a guided tour of the highs and lows of her life. Olivia is not yet ready to confront the consequences of her actions and simply wants to break free of the strange purgatory she's trapped in. Will Olivia finally be able to exercise her own free will and take control of her (after)life?

“Bardo” is grounded in a visual approach that highlights the lonely, surreal world that Olivia is in. The purgatory space is defined by a stark black-and-white tonality, reflective surfaces, and liminal space. Contrastly, her memories are visually distinct, colorful, and heavy with production design to fill the space.

The tone of the story is sentimental and heartfelt but incorporates elements of comedy to reinforce the theme of finding joy in small moments. This comedy is mainly kept to the spirit guide characters, and intentionally will never overshadow or demean the heavier themes of drug abuse and mental illness.

Check out our pitch deck here!

So Where's All That Money Going?

You know the saying -- "It takes a community". A film project is certainly no different, especially when it comes to student films. $1,750 certainly sounds like a lot of money, but we have a specific plan on how those funds will be allocated and why they will elevate the quality of the project.

Any money we receive will go to one of the designated categories:

Any donation that you can contribute, whether big or small, is sincerely appreciated. All funds donated will be used exclusively in one of the categories mentioned, and nowhere else.

Why is "Bardo" Important to Us?

For Ruby Harrison (Director), "Bardo" is an important story to tell because it tackles the theme of appreciating life because the good moments outweigh the bad. She wanted to direct this story so she could leave the film school with something that she is proud of and can call her own.

Lex Speer (Production Designer and Co-Producer) loves creating worlds and a visual atmosphere within a story. He believes that "Bardo" is going to be so visually stunning that it will showcase some of the true potentials that up-and-coming filmmakers have

Cara Robbins (Co-Producer) is excited to try her hand at a visually compelling, special-effects-heavy project. She is so looking forward to stretching her experience and capabilities as a filmmaker and has nothing but faith in the fantastic team of people behind this project.

How We Show Our Appreciation

Ever wanted to see your name on the silver screen? Here's your chance! We want to ensure that we show our gratitude to everyone who helps make this project possible. All donors, regardless of how much they contribute, will receive credit in the final cut of the film.

All donors will also receive the final version of the film. We will post a link to the final product on this GoFundMe page when it's complete. We'll also make sure to send out an email with the final cut included to anyone who provides an email along with their donation.