At a pitstop, a moment can last forever—for better or worse. A single glance at a gas station could morph from a “What could be?” to a “What could’ve been” all before the cash register rings; a spark to flames to ashes in a blink of the “Open” sign.

Pitstop is an upcoming independent short film that explores such themes of liminality and the fleeting nature of love and life through dance and arthouse stylization. Filming is set to take place during mid-September 2025 at a gas station in the beautiful Santa Cruz, California. The University of California, Santa Cruz is what has brought the cast and crew together, along with a love for the filmmaking craft and a dedication towards capturing the meaningful moments of life on film.

This is a labor of love—which means our team needs your help bringing this short film to the screen. Your donation will go to every aspect of creating this short film, such as:

Your donation ensures your name in the “Special Thanks” segment of the film’s credits as well as early access to the completed project prior to its festival run. We look forward to sharing our creation with you!

More about the team…

Director

Amelia York is a storyteller looking to capture all of the aspects of identity—the good, the bad, the ugly—on film. Recently having graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Arts in Film & Digital Media, York is looking to spread her horizons from student films to serious pictures. With a Fan Favorite Submission award from the Santa Cruz Television Film Festival for "Barnyard Tango" and "C/H/R/Y/S/A/L/I/S" having starred as an Official Selection for the Sacramento Midnight Film Festival, York is eager to continue sharing what she has to say about gender, sexuality, and finding out who you are with festivals to come.

YouTube Link: https://youtube.com/@yorkstudios?si=KWXs8TOi5FbKlviq

Producer

Claire McNairy is a producer, filmmaker, and media creator from Sonoma, California. With a BA in Film and Digital Media from UC Santa Cruz, her passions include working collaboratively with other creators and making impactful media that holds a lasting effect. She currently works on productions in the Bay Area with companies such as Netflix, the San Francisco 49ers, and Snowflake Inc.

Director of Photography

Ian Anderson works as a freelance cinematographer, gaffer, and photographer. He's the cinematographer for "The Hazy Pink Door," which won "Best Film" at the 2024 Butte Film Festival, and his film "LIZ" won "Best Comedy" at the 2023 Grizzly Film Festival. He has worked on film projects with companies like Amazon, Luxury Magazine, and Crunch Labs by Mark Rober.