
Make our short film, Little Bird
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We're a collaborative team of six Asian and immigrant filmmakers, each pursuing our master's degrees at the renowned American Film Institute. Together, we've come together to create our final thesis film, "Little Bird." Our diverse cultural roots span Vietnam, China, India, and Korea, and we are passionate about amplifying unique stories that strongly resonate with our shared beliefs.
Seeking to bring our script to the big screen, we aim to raise $25,000 by March 5th. Your contribution would be a crucial step toward realizing our cinematic vision!
Logline
Amidst 1980s Los Angeles, Linh Tran, a disheartened Vietnamese woman tasked with evictions, uncovers the harsh reality of displacing fellow Vietnamese refugees. Struggling with the choice to disclose her role or stand in solidarity with those she's meant to uproot, her moral dilemma deepens as she befriends a little Vietnamese girl caught in the midst of it all.
Story Synopsis
In 1980s Los Angeles, Linh Tran, a jaded 40 year old Vietnamese woman, is tasked with evictions. She is tasked with evicting Vietnamese refugees currently on rent strike, protesting their living conditions. Initially disapproving of the Rent Strike, Linh's perspective shifts as she discovers the dire living conditions and forms a deep connection with Thuy Nguyen, a young Vietnamese girl. Despite her duty, Linh becomes entwined in the warmth of the community.
Oanh-Nhi Nguyen, Director Statement
My storytelling has always been inspired by my experiences working in social justice spaces for girls of color and AAPI communities for the past ten years. Within my stories, I care about amplifying the experiences of Asian and Asian American women, specifically Vietnamese women and immigrants because our stories are rarely told and seen. I find inspiration from real people and experiences and aim to create narratives that offer moments of respite and triumph to my community while demonstrating the hardships we faced.
In the past year, I had the privilege of directing "TAKING ROOT" alongside VietLead, a docu-series capturing the narratives of Southeast Asian refugees in Philadelphia. Through this experience, I encountered remarkable community leaders and delved into the accounts of Southeast Asian refugees who, having been resettled in harsh conditions, initiated a rent strike to protest and compel the landlord to address building repairs.
The inspiration drawn from this event is loosely woven into "Little Bird." The narrative, however, takes a more intimate approach by centering on a Vietnamese female character. Having endured significant hardships during and after the war, she is solely focused on survival, distancing herself from others. Her journey takes a transformative turn when she encounters a young Vietnamese girl who challenges her to rekindle connections, both with her own humanity and others around her.
Project Introduction
Project Name: Little Bird
Length: 18 mins
Genre: Drama/History/Family/Heartfelt
Filming Location: Los Angeles, CA
Language: English/Vietnamese
Estimated Budget: $50,000
Current Amount: $25,000
Delivery Date: October, 2024
Donation Deadline: 3/5/2024
Fundraising Goal: $25,000 till March 5th, 2024
Team Bio
Oanh-Nhi Nguyen is a Vietnamese American film director and activist with 10 years of working for gender and racial justice. Her first episodic documentary, TAKING ROOT was an official selection for the Tribeca Festival. Her comedy pilot, UNACCEPTABLE, was accepted into the 2022 Athena’s Writers Lab. She is currently a Directing Fellow at the AFI Conservatory.
Ysabeaux Ng is a Chinese American screenwriter and film director. She attends the American Film Institute as a Screenwriting Fellow. Ng’s work centers around intersectionality and radical empathy, often exploring the colors of her own life. Her script A Faded Yellow won 1st Place in the Mayhew Screenwriting Contest.
Eva Zheng is a producing fellow at the American Film Institute and an alumna of Emerson College, holding a Bachelor of Visual Arts. Her short film, "DESCENDANTS OF STRING," earned the Best Short Film award at the Asian Film Festival and Hollywood Screenings Film Festival. Prior to AFI, Eva was a commercial producer working with renowned brands. She was the Assistant to Director Gigi Saul-Guerrero on the Blumhouse TV series "INTO THE DARK,"(2019) and the Assistant to Producer on Amy Schumer's feature comedy "I FEEL PRETTY."(2017).
Timothy Shin's unique upbringing in Aberdeen, WA, living in a church, sparked his love for light and space, influencing his cinematography style. He started at Vimeo and Milk Studios in NYC, mastering digital media. His commercial experience as a DP, gaffer, and lighting director combines precision and artistry. Collaborating with Janusz Kaminski and Ridley Scott honed his craft. He aspires to create visually captivating stories and leave a cinematic legacy.
Bala Govind Kumar is an accomplished architect and a self-taught artist hailing from India. He has honed his skills as an assistant art director under the guidance of some of India's leading production designers. His invaluable experience includes contributions to notable films such as "INDIAN 2," "BIGIL," and "AYALAAN." His expertise has not been confined to the silver screen; he has also lent his creative vision to more than 10 independent short films. He is currently a Production Design Fellow at the American Film Institute.
Adhyaksh Amarnath is an award winning editor with over seven years of experience in narrative and documentary films. His documentary QUIET SUNDAYS has WON awards at Mid-Atlantic Emmys, Coronado Short Films, Southampton International Film Festival and Dam Short Films. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Editing from the American Film Institute.
Donation Credit & Return
Special Thanks: $1-$299
On-Screen Special Thanks Credit
Copy of Film (private screener link)
Benefactor: $300-$1499
On-Screen Benefactor Credit
Copy of Film (private screener link)
Sponsor: $1500-$5000
On-Screen Sponsor Credit
Copy of Film (private screener link)
Associate Producer: $5000-$9,999
IMDb Credit - Associate Producer
On-Screen Associate Producer Credit
Invitation to Film Festivals & LA Premiere
Copy of Film (private screener link)
Digital copy of the script
Executive Producer: $10,000+
IMDb Credit - Executive Producer
On-Screen Executive Producer Credit
Invitation to Film Festivals & LA Premiere
Copy of Film (private screener link)
Digital copy of the script
Means of Donation
AFI
***Please select AFI Thesis Film 2419-Little Bird in the drop-down menu
***Since AFI is a non-profit organization, your donation may be Tax-Deductible
***Please note that donations using this first method will receive a receipt/acknowledgement from AFI. Donations through GoFundMe may not be deductible and will not be recognized by AFI.
GoFundMe
Check
****Please mail your check to American Film Institute, Finance Department, 2021 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 and put AFI Thesis Film 2419-Little Bird in the memo of the check.
***Mailing a check will avoid any payment processing fee.
Please contact the producer Eva Zheng([E-Mail ausgeblendet]) and Oanh-Nhi Nguyen ([E-Mail ausgeblendet]) about other preferred means of donation such as Venmo to avoid processing fees.
Distribution & Release:
We plan to submit Little Bird to as much renown film festivals as possible, as listed below:
Screenings and Premieres: Showcase at AFI Fest in October 2024
Film Festivals:
Sundance Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
Austin Film Festival
SXSW
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
Athena Film Festival
Student Academy Awards
Through Women's Eyes International Film Festival
Asian American International Film Festival
Telluride Film Festival
LA Shorts International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)
Venice International Film Festival
About AFI
AFI is a 501c3 non-profit advancing the art of the moving image by empowering storytellers and inspiring audiences At the world-renowned AFI Conservatory, a dedicated group of working professionals from the film and television communities serve as mentors in a hands-on, production-based environment nurturing the talents of tomorrow's storytellers.
The Conservatory is consistently recognized as one of the world's top film schools. With an emphasis on narrative visual storytelling and personal expression, each class breaks into teams that mirror a real production environment. Those teams collaborate on and produce more films than any other graduate level film program.
Established in 1969, the two-year Master of Fine Arts program provides training in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting.
Admission to AFI Conservatory is highly selective, with a maximum of only 140 graduates per year. AFI alumni continually celebrate critical recognition, including wins at the Academy Awards (Wally Pfister, INCEPTION, cinematography class of 1988), Emmy Awards (Dante Di Loreto, TEMPLE GRANDIN, producing class of 1991), Tony Awards (Anne Garefino, "The Book of Mormon," producing class of 1988) and the Grand Prizes at the Cannes Film Festival (Terrence Malick, TREE OF LIFE, directing class of 1969) and Sundance Film Festival (Drake Doremus, LIKE CRAZY, directing class of 2005). Most recently, multiple AFI alumni received 2011 Emmy Award nominations, including Patty Jenkins (THE KILLING, directing class of 2000), Anne Garefino (SOUTH PARK, producing class of 1988), Brad Falchuk (GLEE, screenwriting class of 1996), Dante Di Loreto (GLEE, producing class of 1991), Bradley Buecker (GLEE, directing class of 2003), Jeremy Podeswa (BOARDWALK EMPIRE, directing class of 1984), Manny Cotto (DEXTER, directing class of 1984) and Paul Starkman (TOP CHEF, cinematography class of 1998).
Contact Information
Producer: Eva Zheng / e [E-Mail ausgeblendet]
Director: Oanh-Nhi Nguyen / o [E-Mail ausgeblendet]

Organisator
Oanh-Nhi Nguyen
Organisator
Los Angeles, CA