Coming of Age at Any Age: Crowdfunding Picks

Sometimes it feels like we are always coming of age with each new stage of life. We come of age as young people, sure, but we come of age again when our circumstances change and when we change — when we became parents, when we become activists, when we become survivalists, when we become our truest selves. Becoming is a cyclical act that waxes and wanes but never goes away, and this month’s crowdfunding picks reflect that.

In the sci-fi world of feature film “Phase,” Ursula, a young pregnant woman, must learn to survive on her own when she is ejected from the space station where she lives. Leaving home is a cleaving of the self and community, and Ursula must learn how to make a home for herself. 

Short film “Clementine” shows that it is never too late to come into your own as Ly, a late-blooming API Trans woman, navigates the medical system, determined to create a womanhood that is all her own, not one that is forced upon her by a hostile society.

As so many of us reenter the public sphere very different from the people we were three years ago, it is important to remember that we are always coming into a new age and a new way of being in the world. 

Here are Women and Hollywood’s latest crowdfunding picks.

“Phase” – Written by Jessica Vogt and Tom Ransom; Directed by Jessica Vogt

Feature film “Phase” explores an alternate timeline in which Earth was evacuated during the 1980s, centering on a young pregnant woman, Ursula, who lives on the Alexandria space station. While most there stay for life, there are strict rules, and one misstep results in ejection from the community — which is the situation Ursula finds herself in. Adrift from the only life she’s known, Ursula begins to search for the father of her unborn baby, while also journeying through her tragic memories of her mother.

A commentary on individualism, capitalism, scarcity of resources, climate change, and tough choices, “Phase” is a timely film set in another time. Much of the film is set in Ursula’s space capsule, and this sci-fi indie includes some rather impressive sets that evoke the nostalgia of the space race.

Director Jessica Vogt, who is also taking on producing and co-writer duties, has worked on both live-action and animation feature films with BAFTA-award-winning teams. “Phase” is her feature directorial debut. The filmmaking team have shot around 60% of their low-budget, self-funded feature and are now seeking additional funds to complete production, pay cast and crew, and cover post-production costs including voiceover artists and a colourist.

Learn more about “Phase” and donate on Kickstarter. 

“Clementine” (Short) – Written by Yên Sen; Directed by Sally Tran

“Clementine” is an API trans-centered dramedy following Ly (Yên Sen) who has to deal with a medical issue unique to AMAB (assigned-male-at-birth) trans individuals — navigating this issue, Ly must decide what it means to be a woman on her own terms. 

Explained Sen: “As an American-born Southeast Asian trans woman trying to find and understand herself in this very cis-gendered, heterosexual, white, and binary society, many questions had to be asked. The most prominent being, ‘Do I want this for me, or do I want it because patriarchal society has conditioned me into thinking that I want it for me?’” The story draws on her experiences and a monologue she had previously written.

Sally Tran — whose short “Centuries and Still” was a Vimeo Staff Pick — is on board to direct, and the project is well on its way to raising the $25,000 they require to cover wages, locations, equipment, production design, catering, COVID-19 safety protocols, post-production, and more.

You can learn more about “Clementine” and donate via its Kickstarter page. 

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.