Help support an AFI Thesis Film!

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ISABELLA & THE POT OF BASIL is an American Film Institute Thesis film, based on the poem by John Keats. 

Photo: Tristan and Isolde by Slevin Aaron

Through ISABELLA & THE POT OF BASIL, we explore the conflicts that arise between love and family, many of which are still prevalent today. This film is set in a historical time period. This story, however, is timeless.

The heart of Isabella's story lies in the darkness of human nature, pain, and loss. The texture of the film needs to reflect a certain level of grit, of visceral-ness.


We are a group of AFI students currently in our final year of an MFA at the American Film Institute, which sees members from each discipline collaborate to create a thesis film on a budget of $45,000.

This money is primarily raised by the team through donations from friends and family. However, for us reaching the $45 limit crucial, and we need your help! Our challenges are many, but these will always appear when passion and ambition combine.

What We Need :

For us to tell this story properly, we need authenticity. Los Angeles limits our access to 16th-century Spanish architecture, meaning we need to build a realistic set which will require $7,000. 



This is broken down accordingly:
$1,000 is needed to pay for the labor to build the set.
$3,000 would go towards buying the materials for the build.
$1,500 is allocated for the set dressing; &
$1,500 is required for the props, their duplicates, and the creation of specific props needed for the film. 

We need funds secured by November the 22nd, as we'll be 5 weeks out from filming!

Anything raised above this would be used to lock external locations for the film. 

Risks & Challenges:

Folk tales have this vibrant and timeless style of story telling so we have decided to stay true to its roots (no pun intended.)

This presents us with immense challenges, however, we believe this is the proper form for the story. 

Other ways you can help:

Contributing is not just giving money. We'd appreciate it if you could share our project with your community - it might just be simply liking out Facebook page, or sharing this campaign, but every little bit helps! 

By sharing our story you are still supporting our education, and perhaps introducing us to others who can help financially. 

You can also directly donate on the AFI page by selecting ISABELLA & THE POT OF BASIL from the drop down menu.