A Focus on Family: Crowdfunding Picks

Family dynamics are an ever-evolving part of life; a large element of understanding family is understanding our individual selves. At times, familial relationships can feel overwhelming or confusing, as we are all learning to communicate and trying to accept one another’s growth and changes. It’s important to find the humor within the serious moments and celebrate the times we are able to connect and show support for each other across emotional boundaries or differing experiences. 

This week’s crowdfunding picks feature filmmakers who delve deep into the realm of familial connections and tell stories of women navigating their own family relationships and independent lives. These women are on personal journeys but are challenged to further understand what family means to their life and how they fit within it. From holiday events and traditions to scientific investigations, these characters are all rediscovering and redefining themselves in relation to family.

The short film “The Family Meeting,” written and directed by Rebecca Usoro, takes her actual annual Christmas meetings with her family and transforms them into a story about finding one’s place in the world — even when it collides with family expectations. “After Dark” is an animated short that follows a scientist through a futuristic dystopian Los Angeles, where she untangles the secrets of a family who is long gone, and highlights how necessary vulnerability is for everyone. Kayla Abuda Galang’s “When You Left Me On That Boulevard” is about a Thanksgiving Day in the life of a teenager who smokes weed for the first time and gains new perspectives on her family as she tries to keep herself together through the holiday.

Here are Women and Hollywood’s latest crowdfunding picks.

“The Family Meeting” (Short) – Written and Directed by Rebecca Usoro

“The Family Meeting” gives a different spin on the typical family Christmas narrative. This comedy is inspired by writer-director Rebecca Usoro’s real-life annual Christmas meetings with her family, where they debrief on the year and prepare for the upcoming months. The humor within the film exists in the range of personalities within the family; by highlighting the varying points of view, the audience is able to see themselves within the different family members.

As Usoro explains, “I want this to be a film where people laugh and grow emotional while they’re watching. And I hope that by seeing my own personal story, audiences walk away with the realization that the immigrant experience is complex, but not so different from their own.” Usoro initially assumed her family’s annual meeting wasn’t relatable and posted about it for fun, but soon found people from Nigerian American families like hers as well as other backgrounds who connected with the experience.

A priority for Usoro with this project is to showcase an authentic look at family dynamics, based on personal experience but extending beyond to all audiences. The Seed&Spark page describes how the narrative weaves together themes of “responsibility, upward mobility, identity, and the immigrant experience” through the lens of this holiday tradition.

Learn more about “The Family Meeting” and donate on Seed&Spark.

“Almost Dark” (Short) – Directed by Heather Aquino

The animated post-apocalyptic drama “Almost Dark” is set in Los Angeles a century after a biochemical war, and follows a scientist named Zoe. She investigates the abandoned home of the Ito-Reyes family to uncover the reasons behind mysterious occurrences at the site. As Zoe discovers more information about this family, her journey evolves into understanding their dynamics as an outsider unraveling left-behind clues. This short film examines how emotional openness or lack thereof affects a family and their ability to connect with one another.

According to the project’s Seed&Spark campaign, “‘Almost Dark’ shines a light on how vulnerability is our greatest strength as humans.” Director Heather Aquino explains how representation in these animated roles gives more depth to her characters by highlighting the cultural differences within family dynamics. Aquino says, “Not only are there two strong queer moms as the leads, but they are an Asian couple — one with their own set of problems, dreams, and aspirations. I also wanted to comment on how it can be challenging to share vulnerably, especially coming from an Asian family.”

The “Almost Dark” team — who describe themselves as “a group of women and gender-expansive designers, illustrators, cell animators, compositors, composers, and sound efx/mixers” — prioritizes inclusion and diversity within their project, from the casting to the narrative as a whole. Through their pursuit of making representation an essential part of their storytelling, the crew highlights how expansive creativity becomes when there are a range of point of views coming together to collaborate.

Learn more about “Almost Dark” and donate on Seed&Spark.

“When You Left Me On That Boulevard” (Short) – Written and Directed by Kayla Abuda Galang

The coming-of-age short film “When You Left Me On That Boulevard” captures a glimpse into Thanksgiving Day 2006 through the eyes of 15-year-old Filipino-American Ly Diaz (Gwenny Govea). This teenage story showcases a point in Ly’s adolescence where her personal experience of smoking weed for the first time forces her to become a hazy observer of her family’s holiday event. Intertwining the antics of family with the rebellion of youth offers a lens for the audience to not only understand Ly’s life but also relate to her in this moment.

Writer-director Kayla Abuda Galang explains in her Seed&Spark statement, “‘When You Left Me On That Boulevard’ is based, in part, on the varied experiences of my friends, my cousins, my aunts, and myself. It takes an absurd but empathetic lens to my experiences growing up in mid-2000s Southeast San Diego.” Ly’s attempt to successfully navigate a single day acts as a window into this specific moment in time — AOL Instant Messenger plays a large role here — but also symbolizes the journey that is teenage girlhood.

Abuda Galang’s personal inspiration offers a new narrative that adds to the classic drama and humor of the coming-of-age genre, as well as acts as the story her younger self never had. This film intersects “Filipino culture, girlhood, and working-class suburban life” to create an authenticity onscreen that feels personal to the lead yet familiar to the audience. 

Learn more about “When You Left Me On That Boulevard” and donate on Seed&Spark.

To be considered for Women and Hollywood’s crowdfunding feature, please write to wandhcrowdfunding@gmail.com. All formats (features, shorts, web series, etc.) welcome. Projects must be by and/or about women.