"Violet" is an award-winning LGBTQ short film that needs your help to get into film festivals.

The film is about a young sex worker who is struggling to balance work, school, and romance. As conflicting schedules and commitments push Violet and her girlfriend further apart, an unexpected affection for a client pushes her toward a moment of crisis. The film explores two drastically different kinds of intimacy, each engaging different aspects of Violet's self. Which relationship is more real, more meaningful, more honest? And can they coexist?

But more than a drama, this film is about promoting positive and empathetic representations of sex workers and LBGTQ relationships in media, as well as sponsoring the inclusion of women and people of color in the film industry. Our cast and crew was predominantly comprised of incredibly talented women from diverse backgrounds, and the script was informed by conversations with real sex workers.


We need additional funds to afford festival submission fees, post-production work, and press kit materials.

We're asking for $5,000 to help fund an aggressive festival submission campaign. With each submission costing about $45 or more, the costs add up quickly, and that's without the work required to adequately prepare the film to be screened. This includes things like closed captions in multiple languages for submitting overseas, promotional materials, DVD and Blu-Ray authoring, and more.

We're aiming to have the film ready to go by the new year, and with your help, we can cross that finish line.


We're offering several perks for different donation levels, but everyone who donates can watch the unfinished cut the moment they donate!

Every donor, regardless of donation amount, will receive a private link to preview the film as a work in progress. Currently the film is lacking a score and sound design, which are being worked on at the time of this writing, but otherwise it is very close to the finished product.

You are free to donate whatever you wish; a single dollar goes a long way! But the following amounts unlock special rewards, along with the rewards available at donation levels below what you donated. So for example, if you donate $25, you get the reward for that level and the rewards for $10 and $5 as well.

$5 ~ Social media shout out on our Instagram  and Facebook page , plus a "Sex Work is Real Work" button designed by artist Nina Merry 
$10 ~ Early digital access to the finished film
$25 ~ 11"x17" poster
$50 ~ 11"x17" poster signed by actors & writer/director Rafael Hernán Gamboa
$100 ~ Script signed by writer/director
$150 ~ Blu-ray signed by writer/director
$200 (for Los Angeles locals only) ~ Invite to premiere cast & crew screening
$200 (for non-locals only) ~ Skype call Q&A with writer/director
$250 ~ Tickets to a film festival (dependent on which festivals our film enters) and a Special Thanks credit
$500 ~ Associate Producer credit with IMDb listing
$1000 ~ Executive Producer credit with IMDb listing


Your support means the world to us.

This film is a labor of love, but in this industry, the love of the artist isn't enough. For our medium to thrive, we need the love of the people--viewers and patrons like you, willing to become the other half of the conversation art seeks to create. We couldn't do this without you, and we are forever grateful for any support you can give to our little film. Even if you can't donate, simply helping to spread the word by sharing this page to friends and family is a huge help to us, and would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all so much!

--The Cast & Crew of "Violet"