As the end of the year nears, the desire to examine and confront the unknown or the unfamiliar parts of our lives creeps to the front of our minds. When it comes to moving into a new point in time, there’s an inclination to understand ourselves, connect with others, and obtain a sense of belonging within that moment of change. We tend to want clear answers and mapped plans, but instead often get tough decisions, confusion, or a path with no obvious route.

In this month’s crowdfunding picks, three projects bring to light the internal battles that meet us at different points in life, focusing on how we learn to understand ourselves within unfamiliar or altered spaces as well as in the midst of change. These picks offer a range of takes surrounding personal journeys through unknown territory — evaluating what we choose to rely on, how we accept change, and how we keep moving forward. While these narratives widely differ, they all base themselves in the power of connection and a search for belonging during moments of uncertainty.

Annabelle Santino’s “Best Bud” gives a different lens to the stoner buddy comedy genre: it centers the voice of a teenage girl navigating the adolescent social hierarchy and finding genuine friendship amidst a search for popularity. “The Space Between,” from Nadia Fortini, breaks down the definitions of home by following an international student as she prepares to enter post-grad life, and reflects on her priorities during a final quest around New York. Kathy E. Mitrani’s “Tal Para Cual” delves into the topic of the mystical unknown through the recent widow Marisol and her grieving process.

Here are Women and Hollywood’s latest crowdfunding picks.

“Best Bud” (Short) – Directed by Annabelle Santino

Annabelle Santino’s short film is redefining the stoner buddy comedy from an angle that’s yet to be seen. After getting an invitation to a party thrown by the richest girl in school, Olivia, a teenage girl trying desperately to be accepted by the popular crowd, attends in hopes of bonding with these new, so-called friends. Her efforts of fitting in with these people fail consistently throughout the night, until her best friend Izzy crashes the party. Olivia feels divided when both of her worlds collide — the one with Izzy, where she already fits in, and the one in which she so badly wants to be included.

Despite the internal conflict, the bond between Izzy and Olivia is undoubtedly stronger and the comfort of being with her best friend brings a new vibrancy to Olivia’s character. After a smoke break, some chaos ensues for the two best friends, but that quickly changes when the host of the party kicks Izzy out. Once Izzy is gone and Olivia is alone again, the Kickstarter page explains that she “realizes that one real best friend is more valuable than countless fake friends. Just like a little good weed goes a lot longer than a lot of shitty weed.” Olivia leaves to share laughs and a joint with Izzy outside.

Santino’s goal here is to show a new take on this comedy sub-genre that’s been dominated by the perspective of men. This narrative incorporates the hijinks of classic stoner humor within a story of true friendship. It takes a new social setting with superficial connections to show Olivia just how special her dynamic with Izzy is.

Learn more about “Best Bud” and donate on Kickstarter.

“The Space Between” (Short) – Written and Directed by Nadia Fortini

This short film follows Zuza, an international student, the day after her last college party in New York City, just a few hours before returning to Poland. With limited time left before leaving the city, Zuza must find her missing bag and discuss the future with her best friend, Jo, who confesses her romantic feelings for Zuza during the search. Jo offers her a way to stay in the U.S.: a green card marriage. But Zuza doesn’t share Jo’s feelings.

Zuza grapples with the limitations within the decision and feels stuck in between these options. The film offers a new take on what it means to define a place as “home” and the implications of that when you’re not from the place that feels most like a home. Leaving behind a life that feels incomplete, Zuza knows New York is the place she wants to be. But she’s aware of not only the difficulties in attempting to stay, but also the consequences of the options she has if she stays.

Fortini explains the importance of telling a story that is typically not known by people outside of  circumstances like Zuza’s. According to the Seed&Spark page, “‘The Space Between’ highlights a lot of nuances that are unknown to most American viewers, including the difficulties that international students face studying in the U.S., and the struggles that they undergo by attempting to maintain lives in more than one place.” By highlighting the range of elements that go into this type of experience, the short offers viewers a new take on a more familiar story about the transition from student to post-grad life.

Learn more about “The Space Between” and donate on Seed&Spark.

“Tal Para Cual” (Short) – Written and Directed by Kathy E. Mitrani

This dramedy short examines the grief of newly widowed Marisol and how her emotions manifest within her Miami neighborhood. Marisol reclaims her fortune-telling powers and is convinced they are a gift from the dead after a neighbor’s construction unearths a graveyard. Marisol’s grief becomes her power as she comes into her own in this new chapter of life and finds a purpose within her community. Simultaneously, while Marisol believes the dead granted her her talents once again, her neighbor Flor is convinced the dead cursed her. 

This project follows both Marisol and Flor as they grapple with death and understand their roles within their community. At the forefront of this narrative is loss, something that is universal — death is inevitable — but the responses to which are completely individual and the utmost personal. Marisol turns to her craft to connect with herself again as well as to find a sense of purpose within her neighborhood.

Mitrani‘s motivation for this project is to capture grief within the lens of a specific space, to portray the ways loss and superstition come together in this Latinx community. She explained on the Seed&Spark page, “What I’ve learned is that we all respond to grief differently. Some of us are paralyzed by it, some of us deny it, and some of us get inspired by it. Seeing the matriarch in my family fearlessly admire life despite the aftermath of loss inspired me. Their love for life is contagious and this film is an ode to them.” The project aims to celebrate the new life that emerges from loss and the way grief embodies something different for everyone.

Learn more about “Tal Para Cual” 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.