The making of "Te Amo, Papá" short film

Hi, my name is Dave Brown, and I'm an aspiring filmmaker. In 2015, I wrote and directed a short film which was selected for several film festivals, and I have written a handful of (unproduced) feature-length scripts.

In 2024, I plan to make my second short film, “Te Amo, Papá” and I need your help. Here’s how it all came about…

During the pandemic, I wrote a feature-length script with my youngest daughter, Maddie (she was 11 at the time). It was her story and her characters, I just filled in the blanks. She called the film "Jingle Blades" and it was about a 12 year old bi-racial, Black and Latinx girl who, after being bullied at school, teams up with 3 friends and a ninja to beat the mean kids in a sword competition. It's funny and serious and heartwarming and full of good holiday cheer. The back story is that Ruby - the spunky and insecure kid - desperately misses her deceased father and is looking for ways to connect with him. It's all about the sword that he competed with as a young man and that has been passed down through five generations of Rivera's.

The short script for "Te Amo, Papá" ("I Love You, Dad") is excerpted from "Jingle Blades” and it explores Ruby's relationship with her father and her reverence for his sword. There's Pippa - the snarky, Alexa-like virtual assistant with a British accent; Lita, the doting grandmother; and Bree, the mean girl. But mostly there’s Ruby and her intense desire to connect with her father.

It's also funny and serious and heartwarming...but no holiday cheer. Darn.

It would mean so much to Maddie and me if you could support this short film and help bring it to life. The funds will pay for the cast, crew and equipment. 

All donors will be listed in the credits and the top donors will receive production credits. If you've ever wanted to be an Executive Producer now is your chance. And if we win the Academy Award for short films, you will, too.