Support "Smudge," a Short Film by Jesse Thurston

UPDATE! Smudge was successfully funded and shot in November, 2024. We are currently accepting additional donations in support of a festival run for the film.

If you would like to watch the film before donating, you can do so at Smudge on Vimeo. The PW is Watch^Smudge2025.

Smudge

Smudge is the third in a triptych of short films written and directed by Jesse Thurston, following 2016’s Snow Day and 2018’s Space. Taken together, the films offer a nuanced portrait of millennial loneliness that is variously haunting, tender and funny.

Dan’s girlfriend has moved her things out of the house they used to share. He returns home to discover that the bathroom window is open and his cat, Smudge, is missing. In disbelief, he tapes up signs around his neighborhood, eventually accepting the help of a chatty Uber driver, who is desperate to connect. When the two men discover what appears to be the body of a cat in the middle of the road, Dan’s grief overwhelms him. He returns home empty-handed, but Smudge may not have gone far after all.

The Team

Jesse here! I moved to LA from New York in the Spring of last year and I spent many nights during that time walking alone through the hills of LA’s east side, getting to know my new surroundings. I was struck on those nighttime walks by a particular sense of menace mingled with opportunity that seemed to be reaching out to me. Smudge aims to capture some of that feeling.

I’ll be working with a combination of old and new collaborators on this project:

The film will star Jonathan Gordon (Those People, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child [Broadway], Orphans [Broadway]), who previously acted in both Snow Day and Space. He will be joined by Bethany Walls (Rosie, Sun Dogs, H(app)y) and Jesse Kendall (Slamdance 2023 Nominee, Cracked, TikTok @jesse_kendall).

Our producing team is led by Vicki Culhane and Colleen Sullivan.

Our technical team is led by DP Markus Mentzer (I Think You Should Leave)

Why GoFundMe?

Film is a collaborative art form— that’s why we all love it— and a big part of the joy for me as a producer comes from creating opportunities for the artists I admire to express themselves and exercise their craft. For the most part, short films do not make money, but a short film is a great way to experiment, to stretch and to deepen your artist community.

Unlike other platforms, GoFundMe only charges a small per-donation fee, which for a low-budget project means a larger part of your donation will go straight to the artists involved. GoFundMe also allows teams to access funds at any point, which helps us jump into production right away.

Having produced two short films and a low-budget feature, I know what it takes to see a project of this scale through to completion. It all starts with support from generous donors like you-- I hope you’ll consider supporting our film!

Your donation will go to one of the following areas:

Wages for cast and crew

Production costs— Including equipment rental, insurance, production design and practical effects

Distribution— Including costs associated with submitting to and attending film festivals

Thank you!

If you have supported my work in the past, or taken the time to watch the films I’ve made, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Thanks in advance and we look forward to sharing the film with you!

Jesse and the Smudge Team.