Short Film - Lemmi Winks and The Deuce Rats

"Lemmi Winks and the Deuce Rats" is a coming of age short film about a group of ratchet Miami teens. As a night of wild celebration unravels, the film peels back layers of excess and escapism to reveal deeper truths about what it means to grow up, to let go, and the responsibility we owe ourselves and each other. It is very much based on my experience growing up in Miami.

The inspiration for “Lemmi Winks and the Deuce Rats” comes from a deeply intimate place. The characters and setting are drawn directly from my own adolescence. Like Lemmi, I came of age as a young woman in Miami, a city where the vibrant culture of sex, drugs, and partying often blurred the lines between exhilaration and danger. Miami was both my playground and my battlefield—a place where I found moments of solace but also confronted profound darkness. The intensity of this environment amplified the already volatile highs and lows of teenage life. It was thrilling, yet perilous, particularly because I was too young to articulate what I was experiencing. Like the characters in this film, I lacked the emotional vocabulary to truly express myself or understand my peers, which led to emotions surfacing in unpredictable, sometimes reckless ways. Consequences felt distant, abstract, and often irrelevant.

Through this film, I want to explore the complexities of teenage grief, a subject frequently dismissed or misunderstood by society - delinquent kids have feelings, too! "Lemmi Winks and the Deuce Rats" presents an authentic portrayal of a young girl grappling with profound loss while navigating a city that never stops moving. It’s a story about the messy, unpredictable path towards understanding in a world that often pressures young people to maintain a facade of invulnerability.

Our team is bonkers so far. We have a bunch of badass women leading the team - including our DP Melanie Akoka (who had 2 projects at SXSW and 1 at Cannes this year, alone), our casting director LaShawnna Stanley who's also Harmony Korine's casting director (Beach Bum, Aggro Dr1ft, Rihanna's Needed Me), and our EP Haley Edelson (who's bringing this awesome team together). Most of us have graduated from USC and NYU's Masters film programs and have been working in our field, some of us for up to 25 years. And we're full of Miami locals!

Funds will be used for production and will cover equipment, cast rates, crew rates, location, permitting, set decoration, costumes, food, and everything in between!

If you're interested in a producer credit for a contribution, please reach out to us to discuss how to make this a win-win for you!