“The Lapse” Feature Film!

Hi everyone!

We’re a team of passionate filmmakers from the University of Chicago who are working together to film our first feature film. This is the first time such a project has been undertaken at our university, and we are thrilled to be leading the way! 

The Lapse explores addiction through the lens of a contained psychological thriller. The film follows Maxine, a recovering alcoholic who begins to experience flashbacks to events she can’t remember. She must confront her own self-destructive behavior to uncover the horrifying truth about her past. We have already completed nearly half of production, and are asking for your assistance to complete the second half of filming and post-production.

We are fortunate to have a talented and dedicated crew, led by our director, Nicholas Merchant. This is Nicholas’s second feature film production, and he has experience directing multiple short films, working as a director of photography, and also working professionally in the film industry. We are also delighted to have a diverse and inclusive team assembled: the majority of high-level roles are women, and our crew members represent an international perspective from India, China, Greece, Colombia, Canada, and more.

We aim to produce a professional quality film, and we are so far very happy with the results. The current footage has been edited into an assembly and has greatly exceeded our expectations in both look and our talented cast’s performances. We’ve included some very early, unprocessed production stills to showcase some of our work thus far. Keep in mind, this is without any color correction or grading.

That's why we have been in pre-production since September of 2022, carefully planning every aspect of our film. We have now been in production for three months, and we are eager to extend our production into the summer. By doing so, we will be able to take our time and ensure that every detail is perfect. This extended production will allow us to elevate the quality of our film to a professional level, making it worthy of submission to festivals.

But we need your help to make this happen! We are asking for your support through our Go Fund Me campaign. Your generous donations will help us cover the cost of equipment, location fees, and other expenses associated with filmmaking.

We believe that our film has the potential to be something truly special, and we hope that you will share our enthusiasm for this project. Please consider donating to our campaign, and help us bring this amazing film to life!

Synopsis: When Maxine, a recovering alcoholic, starts having dreams about a past relationship, she suspects her current fiancée has erased her memory and must do everything in her power to find the woman of her dreams. As the story unfolds, Maxine goes deeper into the rabbit hole of her mind and regresses into her old self. She realizes there is no true villain - it’s always been about her and her choices. Maxine is ultimately caught between her fiancée and the mystery woman but realizes the only one who can truly save her is herself.

LEVELS OF SUPPORT & REWARDS:

$15 - Link to the film

$20 - Thank you in the film's end credits

$50 - Invitation to the film's premiere screening + previous rewards

$100 - Signed film poster + previous rewards

$250 - Signed film still + previous rewards

$1,000 - Associate Producer billing + previous rewards

$2,500 - Co-Producer billing + previous rewards

$5,000 - Executive Producer billing + previous rewards

MEET OUR TEAM!

NICHOLAS MERCHANT is a writer/director based in Chicago. He has directed several narrative short films, as well as the award-winning web series “Derek & Ryan.” Recently, he served as executive producer and director of “American Killer in College”. He has worked professionally in the television industry for the Lionsgate production “Power Book IV: Force.”

CLEO SHINE is an actress and filmmaker from Chicago who has worked on the stages of Steppenwolf, The Hypocrites, Jackalope, and Victory Gardens Theatres. She has studied filmmaking and editing at the Maryland Institute College of Art and continues her acting endeavors in her home city of Chicago.

CARLA CORREA VARELA (Producer) is a third-year student pursuing a double degree in Cinema Media Studies and Economics at the University of Chicago. She is originally from Cali, Colombia! She has had extensive training in performing arts and arts administration through intensive programs at Yale University, NYU and OKCU. Professionally, she has worked as a coverage writer for Slated Inc., a programmer for the Chicago International Film Festival, and a casting assistant for Paramount Global.