JUST FRIENDS AGAIN - A FILM

After breaking up two months prior, Mia and Arthur are forced to confront each other at a Christmas party - with all their mutual friends.

Hi there! We are a group of filmmakers from the GTA who are in the midst of creating a split-screen Christmas film surrounding the messy nature of breakups and friendships.

Just Friends Again has finished its first block of filming, and we need your help to continue into block 2!

We're seeking donations to support our access to resources (equipment, locations, props etc.) and, most importantly, help keep our cast & crew fed and happy. Every little bit you donate helps us a lot, so please share this and consider giving us a couple of dollars to finish what we've started.

Statements from the Writer/Directors on the project:

"Going through a breakup is such a hard thing that often makes you feel alone, yet it is an experience that can be universally relatable. After experiencing my first major breakup, it was hard to go back to being friends after years of history together. I made the difficult decision to part ways from my ex and this is what helped me re-discover myself. Just Friends Again explores the inner and outer turmoil that a breakup can cause, as well as the confusion and disorientation that follows between two individuals. The split-screen effect will portray two sides to the same story while also providing pairs of aesthetically pleasing visuals that complete each other, playing on the push and pull nature of the characters’ relationship." • Marley Abdull (Writer/Director/Lead Actress)

"I’ve had the concept of Just Friends Again, a split screen film about a couple after their breakup, as an idea since high school. Throughout the years, I’ve played with many different versions of the story but could never fully develop the idea, until I presented it to Marley. Bringing in her perspective allowed us to both evolve the film into an examination of not just romantic, but platonic relationships. I think that now, as young adults, it’s the perfect time to be able to write and share this story as it is ultimately about growing up and growing apart. I’ve matured and been through a lot from the time I initially conceptualized Just Friends Again, navigating through various complicated relationships the past couple of years. I think the split screen emphasizes the fact that our two protagonists are struggling to be on the same page and see the other’s perspective. I also want to show the audience that there isn’t anyone at fault for their break up, and at the same time, they are both at fault." • Kristoffer Bradley Cruz (Writer/Director/Lead Actor)

Meet the Crew!

Marley Abdull (Writer/Director, Co-Founder of Abdull Sisters Productions) ...is a filmmaker who enjoys exploring the space between dream and reality. She started her artistic journey in high school, majoring in film at Etobicoke School of the Arts. Her passion and dedication to the art of filmmaking has led her through Toronto Metropolitan University, where she continued to practice her craft and adapt the creative skills to excel her further in her creative career. Her most recent film “Luna: Dawn of the Prime” follows an outcast, young woman as she must find a place of belonging and earn her keep amongst her newfound family of wolves. Made entirely during the COVID pandemic, Marley had to work with limited resources to execute the film in all its glory. Working part-time as a graphic designer and YouTube manager for TMU’s English department, Marley is a hard-working individual with a love for translating a story from the paper to the screen.

Kristoffer Bradley Cruz (Writer/Director, Co-Founder of Gooshlems) ...is a Filipino-Canadian writer, director, and actor born in Toronto, Canada. He has been making short films since he was 12 years old when he co-founded Gooshlems, an independent media collective. Since then, they have produced multiple creative projects under Gooshlems, including films, podcasts, and livestreams. His works include the musical-drama Tonight, You Will Shine!, comedy-thriller short Please Laugh and the fantasy-romance short Ma citrouille, mon beau (My Pumpkin, My Boo), the latter two having been featured at the Asian American International Film Festival and Reelworld Film Festival, respectively. They are passionate about using their creative work to support and advance the representation of marginalized groups. 

Lorenza De Benedictis (Co-Producer) ...is a filmmaker from Vaughan who loves drama - which makes sense why she's attached to this production. Through her education at Toronto Metropolitan University, where she majored in Film Studies, she has developed an appreciation for fiction and stories that reflect real life in raw, observational ways. Her films have been screened at several festivals, including the Lunenburg Doc Fest and Hawaii International Film Festival. Her most recent short, Cod Story, is the recipient of the awards for Best Production (Image Arts Film Festival at Toronto Metropolitan University) and Best Short Documentary (Forest City Film Festival in London). Her interests lie in documentary filmmaking, experimental cinema and film preservation, none of which really relate to this film, but she thought she'd mention that anyway.

Adam Gomes (Co-Producer) ...is making his debut in the film industry with this film. He is from Scarborough and orginally was in broadcasting and television industry which led to his new found passion to create films. Through his education at Guelph University, getting a bachelor in media studies, and from Humber college getting a diploma in mass communication he was able to experience the industry in multiple forms. While working at the ICFF (Italian Contemporary Film Festival) he decided to change and pursue a career in film. His focus and interests now lie towards film creation as a producer or working in the camera department. With this debut he hopes to create a film that people can connect to and enjoy.