You don’t have to be a daredevil to feel the exhilarating danger of tightrope walking.
In fact, life often forces us to occupy roles that are incompatible with our own desires, that sometimes even compromise our autonomy. Too often, women are pressured to prioritize the needs of others in service of familial or social duty; at the same time, these women also act as the linchpin to patriarchal institutions. Such noble acts of personal sacrifice are matched only by the acts of courage by the women who fiercely seek happiness for themselves — despite the obstacles at every turn.
But what happens when the delicate art of balancing societal expectations with individual sovereignty falls apart? What happens when the warring worlds collide? Should one take precedence over the other?
These crowdfunding picks all spotlight women and girls caught between two worlds. Partially autobiographical, Alyse Hamilton’s “Odd Job” is about a budding actress managing the drudgery of her corporate job while preparing for the audition of a lifetime. Similarly, the eponymous character in Gelli Pascual’s “Malaya” wants to be a filmmaker but meets resistance from her traditional Filipino family, and is forced to hide her professional ambitions along with her sexuality.
Finally, Tiarra Smith’s “Bunny and the Wood” has its protagonist, Ellamia, drifting between real and fantastical worlds to make her time at home more bearable. The whimsical short shows how a child’s imagination can offer a verdant escape route from a family life plagued with discord and neglect.
Here are Women and Hollywood’s latest crowdfunding picks.
“Odd Job” (Short) – Written and Directed by Alyse Hamilton
“Odd Job” is a lesson in pragmatism and passion — one that would resonate with many creatives nurturing their craft while also toiling to remain financially solvent.
Loosely based on the life of writer, director, and lead actress Alyse Hamilton, “Odd Job” is a comedic short that follows actress-in-the-making Samara as she juggles her corporate job and her creative ambitions. As the official website teases, Samara is working remotely when a glowing opportunity arises: a chance to audition for a career-changing role.
Samara now must meet the demanding deadlines of her day job while also preparing for a performance that would decide the trajectory of her acting career. “Hilarity ensues as Samara tries to keep her two worlds from colliding,” according to the Indiegogo page.
Hamilton leads a team comprised of mostly Black and women filmmakers, all working to share a personal, intimate story about a young woman fighting tooth and nail for her career but also having fun while doing so.
“By supporting this film you are supporting Black and female creatives break into an industry where we are grossly underrepresented and often misportrayed,” the Indiegogo page states. “Short films are an accessible jumping off point for independent filmmakers, and projects like this will make all the difference in propelling our careers and fostering diversity behind the lens, in the writers’ room, and on screen.”
Learn more about “Odd Job” and donate on Indiegogo.
“Malaya” (Short) – Directed by Gelli Pascual; Written by Gelli Pascual and Jo Bulaong
“In Tagalog, Malaya means freedom or to be free. But I don’t know if I live up to my name,” Malaya (Sal Rubi) narrates in this short’s official trailer.
The titular character is an aspiring filmmaker hailing from a lineage of nurses, pressured by her family to pursue a career in the medical field. At the same time, she conceals her sexuality from her strict mother (Hope Floren) lest she disappoint her traditional Filipino family.
“As Malaya’s truth unfolds,” the Seed&Spark page reads, “Malaya is forced to face her family and challenge their expectations for her.” She discovers that in hiding her dreams and desires from her loved ones, she has also derailed herself from her roots.
Malaya works through her grievances to “grow even closer to her true self and embraces her identity and her Filipino culture.” Most importantly, however, “Malaya” shows Filipino-American audiences that you don’t have to sever yourself from your heritage or family when you forge your own path.
The “Malaya” team is majority Filipino, POC, and LGBTQ+, and eager to bring on-screen representation for the Filipino community seldom seen in mainstream media. The team also hopes to mobilize difficult conversation within the Filipino community about happiness and success as well as financial security and passion.
“These are challenging decisions that everyone can relate to, and we hope ‘Malaya’ inspires people to fully forge their own paths while honoring their origins,” the Seed&Spark page reads.
Learn more about “Malaya” and donate on Seed&Spark.
“Bunny and the Wood” (Short) – Written and Directed by Tiarra Smith
“Bunny and the Wood”
Remember the cottagecore aesthetic takeover from the early days of lockdown? Tiarra Smith distills the same idyllic comfort of the woodlands and pastoral landscapes in her proposed short, “Bunny and the Wood.”
“Our young protagonist, Ellamia, wants nothing more than to be seen, she wants to witness love, but her parents’ constant arguing makes her feel invisible and unloved,” the Kickstarter page teases. “Her method of coping is finding an escape within her own mind.”
Ellamia runs away from home to the nearby forest for respite from her parent’s constant bickering. She brings nothing but her favorite stuffed rabbit and best friend, Alma. Determined to find a new home in the forest, the duo encounters two woodland fairies, Oren and Malka, who offer Ellamia everything she’s longed for but never experienced: how it feels to be loved and be seen.
According to the Kickstarter page, “Bunny and the Wood” cross-pollinates elements of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” with “Peter Pan” to construct a universe where a young Black girl finds escapism in make-believe. Smith also derives visual inspiration from titles including Spike Lee’s “Crooklyn,” Agnieszka Holland’s “The Secret Garden,” and Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom.”
Imbued with fairy tale magic, “this is a story about escapism, love, mental health, and the way parental behavior affects the perspectives of young children,” Smith describes.
Learn more about “Bunny and the Wood” and donate on Kickstarter.
To be considered for Women and Hollywood’s biweekly crowdfunding feature, please write to wandhcrowdfunding@gmail.com. All formats (features, shorts, web series, etc.) welcome. Projects must be by and/or about women.
