Hi! My name is Hannah. I am a New Zealand-born and raised screenwriter earning my master's at The American Film Institute.

The Chop is an off-beat comedy about a fresh-off-the-boat New Zealand Park Ranger working in a California park trying to save a tree from being cut down to make space for a parking lot. Our protagonist, Taka, is a socially anxious ball of sunshine who would rather talk to plants and trees than her all-male fellow rangers.

Growing up in New Zealand, I have always had a connection with the natural world. As kids, we’d go hiking, swim in waterfalls, eat off the land, and sleep on the land. The outside world gave me a deep sense of safety and spirituality. At times it feels as though our world is moving away from this intuitive connection to the Earth as we use and abuse our natural resources. The Chop aims to remind us of this fact and move us back, even a little bit, to a place of appreciation for our Papatūānuku (Te Reo Māori word for land or mother earth).

The Chop is a 10-minute short film with the mandate to inspire people that even one person can impact mother earth and make a change!

The funding we receive will cover our crew payments as we want to respect the time and skills of all those working on our film. We will pay for locations, meals, filming permits, equipment, and other miscellaneous items needed to bring this story to life! As an environmentally focused film, we will be using only sustainable filming practices, which unfortunately still cost more.... meaning our budget is slightly higher than those of other short films.

Here's where the money goes:

Locations - $4000

Food on set - $900

Snacks on set - $500

Camera Equipment - $3000

Lighting Equipment - $1200

Walkie Talkie, Tents, Chairs and Tables - $300

Truck Rental - $300

Gas Fees (Truck and Crew) - $400

Generator Rental - $417

Generator Fuel - $277

Costumes - $350

Porta Potty - $220

Art Department (create props and design for set plus rentals) - $1200

Film Permitting - $1500

Our team includes a talented collective of creatives from six different countries spanning five continents!

Our Writer, Hannah Rice has written for the screen and stage with her play BLOOD BUSINESS shortlisted for New Zealand Playmarket's B425 Competition. Recent credits in Los Angeles include co-writing on the short film FINESSIN and writing and performing the one-woman comedy play HOT THOUGHTS at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, 2022.

Our Producer, Tori Ichikowitz, originally from South Africa, has worked with brands like Apple and Nintendo in their content departments. She has been published in several international magazines as an editorial photographer.

Our Director, Fiona Obertinca has worked in development on shows such as HBO Max's MADE FOR LOVE, BBC's RIDLEY ROAD and much more. The Chop will be her thirteenth short film. Her work has been screened in international film festivals (incl. in Sweden, UK and USA.)

Our Production Designer, Ana Visuetti is a Panamanian Production Designer with a background in architecture who has worked on numerous noteworthy buildings in Panama City, such as the San Miguelito Comercial Center.

Our cinematographer, Natalie Jones is a Los Angeles based cinematographer who graduated from AFI Conservatory in 2023. Her mission is to make films that empower others to claim their space as creatives and leaders of change.

Our Editor, Ace Wang worked as a post-production intern at Legendary Entertainment and worked on the features DUNE (2021), GODZILLA VS. KONG (2021) and other projects in development. Her editing work includes FLAWLESS (2019), CATCH ME (2020), BURGEONING (2020), FEAR NOT (2020) and AMERICAN PARENT (2022). Wang's short film BURGEONING was selected as the 2020 Finalist of Worldfest Houston IFF.

"No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or returns on investment are offered in exchange for any donations made to my GoFundMe."