Love Yourself First - Short Film

Hi, my name is Melfin, and I’m excited to share the journey of "Love Yourself First," my first short film as a writer and director. This project has been a labour of love, and I’d be grateful for your support as we look to fund future projects.

"Love Yourself First" was entirely self-funded and has gone on an incredible year-long festival run, winning over 20 awards worldwide! I’m proud to say that it premiered in my hometown, Goa, India, at the Goa Short Film Festival. The film's success has been more than I could have hoped for, but now, after putting everything into this project, we're seeking to recover the funds used for production and festival run. Your support will help us continue making more impactful films in the future.

If you’ve seen the film and it resonated with you, please consider donating—even £1 would mean so much in helping independent filmmakers like myself grow. Every contribution will go directly toward recouping the expenses from this project and fueling future creative endeavours.

About the Film:

In "Love Yourself First," we follow Alyssa, a young woman who stumbles upon a mysterious book in a library. The book promises her a dream life, and following its instructions, Alyssa finds herself transported to a surreal dream world. There, she encounters a strange and unsettling figure named Chase. However, the deeper Alyssa ventures into this new reality, the more she realizes something isn't right. Eventually, she escapes back to the real world, only to discover a second book titled "Love Yourself First." With the wisdom from this book, Alyssa uncovers the key to true inner fulfilment and self-love.

The film serves as both a cautionary tale about blindly following promises—especially in today’s social media-driven world—and a celebration of the importance of self-love. It’s a story I poured my heart into, and I hope it resonates with you as much as it did with me.

The inspiration for "Love Yourself First" came unexpectedly one night as I was scrolling through TikTok. I noticed a concerning trend – young people experimenting with dark magic spells, some viewing it as a cool trend, while others were crying out for help with no clear way to reverse the consequences. This led me to reflect on the dangers of easily accessible information online and the risk of diving into things without fully understanding the potential outcomes.

In the film, we follow Alyssa, a teenager who stumbles upon a magic card promising happiness. Like so many young people today, she is lured by the quick fix but soon finds herself trapped in something much darker than she expected. Alyssa’s story highlights how easily we can be drawn into making impulsive choices without knowing the long-term effects.

But "Love Yourself First" is more than just a cautionary tale about the risks of social media or information found at ease. At its heart, this film is a reflection on self-love and self-acceptance. Alyssa's inner conflict – the desire for external love while neglecting the need to care for herself – is something I’ve experienced personally, and I know many of you have too. Through Alyssa’s journey, the film emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, learning to love yourself first, and navigating life’s challenges with confidence.

I’m passionate about this project because it speaks to the struggles so many of us face – balancing relationships, self-esteem, and the overwhelming flood of information we encounter nowadays. By supporting "Love Yourself First," you’ll help bring this message to a wider audience. Together, we can inspire people to be more cautious in what they pursue online and, most importantly, to prioritize their own well-being.

Whether you can donate or simply share this campaign with others, I’m incredibly grateful for your support. Let’s spread the message that before we can truly love others, we need to Love Yourself First.

Thank you for being part of this journey!

Melfin Pereira

Writer/Director, "Love Yourself First"