“Close To Home”: Post-Production and Festival Fundraising

Hi friends and family!

We are back raising our final round of funding to finalize our horror short film, previously called “Sunday Mornings”, now called “Close To Home”. After completing the filming and editing phases, we still need to raise $2,750 for post-production work and to submit our film to various international festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival and The New York Tribeca Film Festival. We are incredibly close to the finish line, and any support from you, big or small, will help us get there!

Why Your Support Matters: The funds will be used for critical post-production tasks such as color grading, sound mixing and composing, special effects, and covering submission fees for international film festivals.

See Our Passion and Dedication: Here's some behind-the-scenes footage from our film shoot and a teaser trailer of the short film to show you just how much we’ve put into this project.

How to Donate:

Every contribution brings us one step closer to sharing our story with the world. We’re offering special thanks in our film credits and exclusive updates to our donors as a token of our gratitude.

Thank you very much for considering supporting our journey. Your belief in our project means the world to us.

Spotlight on Diversity: The Women and Voices Behind Our Film

One of the aspects we are most proud of in creating “Close To Home” is our team's diversity and the unique perspectives it brings to our storytelling. Our project is led by an all-female team of producers and directors, a rare feat in the film industry. This unique leadership has infused our film with a distinct voice and sensitivity that we believe sets it apart.

Furthermore, our crew is incredibly diverse, with talented individuals mostly hailing from Latin America. This rich tapestry of backgrounds not only enhances the creative process but also brings a wide range of cultural insights and nuances to our horror short film. We believe that this diversity is our strength, allowing us to create a film that is both universal in its themes and specific in its viewpoint.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Previous Funding Round Information

Sunday Mornings is a horror short film about toxic relationships.

LOGLINE

Luisa spends a romantic, lazy Sunday morning with her boyfriend John until terror begins to take over the household, revealing hidden truths about their relationship.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As an upcoming filmmaker, Ana has directed, edited, and written various short films such as: the horror film about sleep paralysis "You Can't Move", selected for the 2021 Los Angeles Horror Film Festival, and the romantic drama "The Morning After", first place winner in the Hayah Festival Internacional de Cortometrajes de Panamá and selected for the New York Independent Cinema Awards, Lift Off Festival & Katra Film Festival in the USA.

WHY THIS STORY?

Horror is a genre of storytelling that aims to evoke fear in its audience by utilizing supernatural elements, violent or dangerous situations, and sometimes graphic or gory experiences. As an actress, I find this genre incredibly liberating to play because it involves dealing with the highest of stakes. However, as a writer and filmmaker, I am most interested in exploring this genre as a metaphor for anything that feels as supernatural or “high stakes” as these horror elements do. In this case, I explore the cyclical and volatile nature of a toxic romantic relationship through the lens of horror.

In "Sunday Mornings", the protagonist Luisa finds herself in a dilapidated house that appears to be haunted by a ghost in the shape of her loving boyfriend, John. Through this piece, I want to explore Luisa's emotions as she navigates a dead-end, decaying, and potentially dangerous relationship (symbolized by the house) while holding onto the hope of reviving it to its former state (represented by John).

WHY PANAMA?

We are excited to film in Panama for several compelling reasons. First, Panama offers a diverse range of locations that are easily accessible to each other, making it an ideal location for cinematic storytelling. From lush rainforests to pristine beaches, from bustling urban centers to historic sites, Panama provides easy access to a wealth of backdrops. The second reason is the passionate crew of young Latin filmmakers based there, who are eager to share more important stories through art and cinema.

Finally, our main reason for choosing Panama is to give back to the country that has inspired us. By featuring the natural beauty, rich culture, and vibrant people of Panama on screen, we hope to inspire young Panamanians to pursue careers in the film industry. We believe that Panama has great potential for filmmaking, and we want to help cultivate and support the next generation of storytellers in our country.

OUR BUDGET

Producing a film incurs significant expenses. Our team, united by a shared passion for this project, is generously donating their time. However, there are numerous external costs that we hope to finance through this Go Fund Me campaign. We want to be transparent with our supporters about where their donations will go, so we have listed our main costs below.

1. Location, travel, and transportation: Our team is composed of members from diverse locations, spanning Panama, the United States, and Canada. Even though pre-production and post-production will be taking place internationally, it is imperative to bring everyone together at the designated film location for the shoot days. Furthermore, we need to secure and reserve locations, which comes with additional costs.

2. Cameras and gear: To produce a high-quality short film, we require specialized equipment, which will need to be rented for every day of filming.

3. Props and set decoration: The creation of a believable on-screen world requires the procurement of suitable props and decorations to bring our vision to life.

4. Food and lodging services: Providing sustenance and support to our cast and crew members is essential to ensure their well-being and productivity during long shoot days.

5. Post-production: There are costs associated with each film festival submission we make in order to showcase our film.

If you donate, with your permission, we will add your name to the thank-yous of the film’s credits to show our appreciation for your donation! Finally, if you are interested in making a significant contribution to our project, we would love to discuss the possibility of having you as an Associate Producer of the film. Please reach out to us to explore this opportunity further.

MORE ABOUT THE TEAM

Ana Grethel Solis

Writer, Director, Producer, Lead

Panamanian actress, director and producer, Ana Grethel Solis, has expanded her career in theater and as a filmmaker internationally, while still creating and cultivating important projects in her beloved hometown, Panama. She completed an MFA in Acting at The New School (New York) after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Administration, Drama and Film from the University of Virginia. She ventured into filmmaking starting out as an actress and has had the honor of starring in films such as "El Sacrificio" by Alberto Serra together with Isabella Sierra (La Reina del Sur, Telemundo).

Jane Skapek

Director

Jane Skapek (Director) has been a New York City and New Orleans based artist. Selected directing credits include Arlington (New Visions), Salome (The New School), The Prisoners of Quai Dong (The Tank/Prism Stage Company), New York Mining Disaster (Hangar Theatre Lab Co.), Marat/Sade (Fordham University), The Laramie Project (Theatrical Outreach Program). Selected assistant director credits include Girls and Boys (Minetta Lane), The Lightning Thief (National Tour, Theatreworks USA), Constellations (Hangar Theatre) and Angels in America (Broadway, 2018). Jane is an Associate Member of SDC and a recipient of the Doug Hughes Directing Fellowship.

Cristina Acha

Executive Producer & Producer

Cristina is a Panamanian data scientist with a strong commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in the arts. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Engineering at MIT, she joined Meta Platforms, where she has been a leader in several organizations dedicated to empowering underrepresented groups. She was one of the first leads for Meta Women in Analytics, a group that provides mentorship and support to women pursuing careers in data science. As a producer of this film, Cristina is passionate about elevating diverse voices in the entertainment industry and investing in sharing interesting, impactful stories through art and film.

Analissa Moreno

Associate Producer

Analisa is a bilingual actor, writer and producer born and raised in Panama City, Panama. Trained at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles, CA, and at The Markland Studios, North Hollywood, CA. Some of her projects are productions such as "I.C.E. CREAM'' (2017), which she wrote, co-produced, and acted in, and is now available on ShortsTv by DirecTv. She produced other works such as "Abuse!" (2018); produced, and acted in "Cupid Diaries" (2020) and "Sheepskin" (2018); and has been the lead for Panamanian productions such as ‘The Wild Mallard’ (2021) and ‘Brotherhood’(2021). She has also been a part of theatrical productions such as 'Rent', 'In the Red and Brown Water', 'Bright. Apple. Crush.', and 'Posh'.

Juan Albarran

Director of Photography

Juan Albarran is a filmmaker and cinematographer based in Panama City, Panama. He graduated from Icelandic Film School (IFS) in 2018 and has since worked in award-winning short films and music videos. He's worked since 2015 at the International Film Festival of Panama and continues to work closely with local filmmakers to help them film their passion projects. He currently specializes in working with accessible resources to make projects viable without the need for specialty cinema equipment, strongly believing in the democratization of cinema as a force for social change and inclusivity.

Esmeralda Gonzalez

1st Assistant Director

Esmeralda González Aguirre is a photography and visual artist. She graduated from the Inter-American University of Panama and the Iber-American Center for Photography and Cinema in Mexico. She has worked as a stills photographer for different reality shows, such as Beyond the Edge for CBS, and is currently making stills for the Life Raft Show on the Discovery Channel.

Aisha Donker

Art Director

Born in the Netherlands with a strong passion for art, Aïsha moved to Panama at the age of 15 and completed high school there. Two years later, a new chapter began as she ventured to the Czech Republic to study film at the Prague Film School. Throughout her career, she has worked on over 50 film projects in various roles including director, producer, art director, editor, and AD. Seeking to expand her film knowledge, Aïsha relocated to Spain two years ago to study film directing at Tai Arts. Recently returning to Panama, she is eager to participate in more film projects where she can showcase her artistic abilities.

Juan DC

Assistant Art Director

Juan Caballero is a university student and filmmaker from Panama. He’s directed and edited two short films “Pizza Time” & “The Man”. He’s also worked in various positions for “Making Amends” (AD and 2nd editor), “The Prince” (Script Supervisor), “Nos Vamos Perro” (Camera Op), and “PRISMA” (Sound Operator). Currently, he’s interning in the art department of a movie being filmed in Panama. Before focusing on film, he acted in theater for five years.

Luis Roberto Herrera

Writing Team

Luis Roberto Herrera is currently a South Florida based Colombian-American playwright with a B.F.A. in Acting from the University of Florida and an M.F.A. in Playwriting from The New School. He was a resident playwright in the GREENHOUSE Residency at SPACE on Ryder Farm and a Fellow at Athena Theatre in 2019. His full-length plays include; Poolside Glow, Born Still, SAA (not that one), and BLOOD ON THESE HANDS. He was most recently a part of the LatinX Playwrights Circle 2022 Mentorship Intensive and is a member of the 2022-2023 HOMEGROWN Playwright Residency with City Theatre.

Emma Rathe

Writing Team

Emma Rathe, from Waverly IA, graduated from Missouri State University with a BFA in Musical Theatre and from The New School with an MFA in Acting. She has written, directed and performed in two one-woman cabarets, perFectly imperFect and Fishhooked; bringing Fishhooked to both Chicago and New York. You can see her in her recent film credits including On the Rocks and It’s That’s A Wrap, which she also wrote and directed. Her stage credits include: The Cherry Orchard, Arlington and Avenue Q.

FINAL NOTE FROM THE PRODUCERS

Our film crew is a diverse and talented group, united by a shared passion for storytelling. As a predominantly female team, we are committed to empowering women in the film industry and amplifying their voices through our work. By supporting us, you can help us bring to life a powerful and personal story, written by a female writer drawing from her own experiences.

But our project is about more than just one film. We believe that the media industry should be more inclusive and diverse, and we are committed to making that vision a reality. With your donation, you will not only be helping us cover the costs of production, but you will also be supporting our mission to create a more equitable film industry. Even a small contribution can make a difference in inspiring future generations of female and Latinx filmmakers to tell their own unique and diverse stories.

Thank you very much for considering supporting our project!

Warmly,

Cristina & Ana, your producers