Affidavit
Austin, Texas | Film Short
Drama, Family
A narrative short film that explores the emotional rupture between childhood innocence and adult understanding. Affidavit asks how much we are willing to forgive while exploring the messiness and nonlinear nature of healing.
Green Light
This campaign raised $12,250 for development. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
151 supporters | followers
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A narrative short film that explores the emotional rupture between childhood innocence and adult understanding. Affidavit asks how much we are willing to forgive while exploring the messiness and nonlinear nature of healing.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Affidavit is a narrative short film following Lucia, a college-aged woman visiting her incarcerated father, Adan. As their conversation progresses, Lucia's memory of a daddy-daughter date unravels. She struggles to confront the truth of his character with who she remembers him to be.
"AFFIDAVIT carries the kind of emotional depth that’s rare to find in a script. It’s a story that fits the short film format perfectly: intimate, layered, and emotionally honest. We’ll be shooting in West Texas, and as a native Texan passionate about keeping film in the state, I’m excited to capture the stark beauty of the region. The landscape mirrors the emotional terrain of the story—open, raw, and full of weight."
-Andrew Orticio, Director
"Affidavit is a personal story born from a space I wasn’t sure I would ever write from: the complex relationship between a daughter and her incarcerated father. Inspired by my own experiences visiting my father in prison, the film explores memory, confrontation, and the quiet, confusing ache of trying to reconcile pain with love. As Lucia comes face-to-face with her father, she also comes face-to-face with herself—as an adult survivor of a relationship shaped by volatility, but also longing and care. Writing Affidavit was my first go at working on a film behind the scenes. I approached the process with more questions than answers, and I think the story reflects that. It’s messy, emotional, and unresolved—because sometimes, healing is all of those things. More than anything, I hope audiences sit with the discomfort of Lucia's choice and reflect on their own relationship with memory, truth, and the people who shaped them."
-Sara Michelle Rubio, Writer & Lead Actress
According to Seed and Spark policy, we have to reach 80% of our goal for the project to be green-lit. We NEED to reach our goal of $15,000 or we won't receive any of the funds raised.
Your contribution will ensure this project reaches its potential and help us curate and care for a talented team of filmmakers and artists. We are confident and committed to delivering a high-quality product by high-quality people. Feel free to take a look at all the fun incentives we have to offer you! The $15,000 you are helping us raise will go towards:
- Renting the necessary film equipment, such as camera, lenses, lights, etc..
- Nourishing and taking care of our cast and crew through local catering.
- Ensuring compensated travel for our production.
- Paying fair wages for our talented cast.
- Building the world of the story through costumes and production design.
While our goal of $15,000 will help us green-light production, the costs of filmmaking do not end with this stage. Reaching the following stretch goals would allow us to further invest in our team, film, and distribution.
- At $20,000, our gear rental allocation increases to allow us to use industry-standard equipment.
- At $25,000, we will be able to cover travel expenses to any of the film festivals our film is selected at.
- At $30,000, we will be able to pay all our crew that is generously offering their services in-kind.
If you cannot contribute financially, that's all good! There are other ways to support our project such as:
- Following our Seed&Spark page!
- Following our instagram page! (@_affidavit_)
- Sharing this link with people who you think might resonate with this story!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast
Costs $3,500
Talent and performance are two of the priorities of Affidavit. Making sure our cast is properly remunerated is key.
Gear Rentals
Costs $2,000
Super 8 Film and the rest of the digital camera package, our lighting package, and more. The tools that will help us make Affidavit!
Art Department
Costs $950
Designing the world of Affidavit is essential to bring this film to life.
Production Costs
Costs $5,600
Location fees, production insurance, catering & crafty, among other things. The logistical side of Affidavit to make sure things run smooth.
Post-Production
Costs $950
Editing is the third way we rewrite a film, and we want to make sure we own the pen with which we write the post-production of Affidavit.
Distribution & Marketing
Costs $2,000
Film festival submissions, merch to promote the film, and potential travel expenses to said festivals.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer & Lead Actor - Sara Michelle Rubio
Sara Michelle Rubio is a stage, film, and TV actress. From the US-Mexico border to the big screen, Sara brings cross-cultural storytelling to every frame. As a native Spanish speaker, she hopes to continue telling stories that reach both Spanish and English audiences. She is currently training at the Carol Hickey Acting Studio and recently graduated from UT Austin. She is represented in the South Central market by the SAG Franchised Bankston Agency and Aqua Talent in Los Angeles.
Director - Andrew Orticio
Andrew Orticio is an independent filmmaker based in Austin, Texas. Orticio’s credits include Todd Rohal’s FUCK MY SON, Richard Linklater’s HITMAN, and Orticio’s directorial debut, BAHALA NA, a feature-length documentary now available on YouTube. Orticio currently serves as the communications manager at Texas Archive of the Moving Image and enjoys working on passion projects by minority filmmakers.
Producer - Marlon Rubio Smith
Marlon Rubio Smith is an award-winning Mexican-American director, cinematographer, and producer based in Austin, TX. Born and raised in Mexico City, he hopes to uplift and empower the voices of underrepresented groups through film. Some of his most notable producing work includes the experimental narrative Baby Steps (dir. Avery Gann, 2025), the heart-touching story of La Bendición (dir. Brandy Frausto, 2023), and Xavier Ingram’s fan short film The Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) which has garnered almost half a million views on YouTube. He is currently developing two feature films and three shorts under his production company, MXR Films.
Director of Photography - Josh Bowlin
Josh Bowlin is an Austin, Texas-based filmmaker and cinematographer. He loves the process of helping writers and directors tell the stories that are most important to them through the creation of unique, dynamic, and textured visual languages. His past credits extend from commercial and TV productions you can find on HBO, Lifetime, Peacock, and Netflix, to indie narratives you can find at The Austin Film Festival.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Affidavit is a narrative short film following Lucia, a college-aged woman visiting her incarcerated father, Adan. As their conversation progresses, Lucia's memory of a daddy-daughter date unravels. She struggles to confront the truth of his character with who she remembers him to be.
"AFFIDAVIT carries the kind of emotional depth that’s rare to find in a script. It’s a story that fits the short film format perfectly: intimate, layered, and emotionally honest. We’ll be shooting in West Texas, and as a native Texan passionate about keeping film in the state, I’m excited to capture the stark beauty of the region. The landscape mirrors the emotional terrain of the story—open, raw, and full of weight."
-Andrew Orticio, Director
"Affidavit is a personal story born from a space I wasn’t sure I would ever write from: the complex relationship between a daughter and her incarcerated father. Inspired by my own experiences visiting my father in prison, the film explores memory, confrontation, and the quiet, confusing ache of trying to reconcile pain with love. As Lucia comes face-to-face with her father, she also comes face-to-face with herself—as an adult survivor of a relationship shaped by volatility, but also longing and care. Writing Affidavit was my first go at working on a film behind the scenes. I approached the process with more questions than answers, and I think the story reflects that. It’s messy, emotional, and unresolved—because sometimes, healing is all of those things. More than anything, I hope audiences sit with the discomfort of Lucia's choice and reflect on their own relationship with memory, truth, and the people who shaped them."
-Sara Michelle Rubio, Writer & Lead Actress
According to Seed and Spark policy, we have to reach 80% of our goal for the project to be green-lit. We NEED to reach our goal of $15,000 or we won't receive any of the funds raised.
Your contribution will ensure this project reaches its potential and help us curate and care for a talented team of filmmakers and artists. We are confident and committed to delivering a high-quality product by high-quality people. Feel free to take a look at all the fun incentives we have to offer you! The $15,000 you are helping us raise will go towards:
- Renting the necessary film equipment, such as camera, lenses, lights, etc..
- Nourishing and taking care of our cast and crew through local catering.
- Ensuring compensated travel for our production.
- Paying fair wages for our talented cast.
- Building the world of the story through costumes and production design.
While our goal of $15,000 will help us green-light production, the costs of filmmaking do not end with this stage. Reaching the following stretch goals would allow us to further invest in our team, film, and distribution.
- At $20,000, our gear rental allocation increases to allow us to use industry-standard equipment.
- At $25,000, we will be able to cover travel expenses to any of the film festivals our film is selected at.
- At $30,000, we will be able to pay all our crew that is generously offering their services in-kind.
If you cannot contribute financially, that's all good! There are other ways to support our project such as:
- Following our Seed&Spark page!
- Following our instagram page! (@_affidavit_)
- Sharing this link with people who you think might resonate with this story!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast
Costs $3,500
Talent and performance are two of the priorities of Affidavit. Making sure our cast is properly remunerated is key.
Gear Rentals
Costs $2,000
Super 8 Film and the rest of the digital camera package, our lighting package, and more. The tools that will help us make Affidavit!
Art Department
Costs $950
Designing the world of Affidavit is essential to bring this film to life.
Production Costs
Costs $5,600
Location fees, production insurance, catering & crafty, among other things. The logistical side of Affidavit to make sure things run smooth.
Post-Production
Costs $950
Editing is the third way we rewrite a film, and we want to make sure we own the pen with which we write the post-production of Affidavit.
Distribution & Marketing
Costs $2,000
Film festival submissions, merch to promote the film, and potential travel expenses to said festivals.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer & Lead Actor - Sara Michelle Rubio
Sara Michelle Rubio is a stage, film, and TV actress. From the US-Mexico border to the big screen, Sara brings cross-cultural storytelling to every frame. As a native Spanish speaker, she hopes to continue telling stories that reach both Spanish and English audiences. She is currently training at the Carol Hickey Acting Studio and recently graduated from UT Austin. She is represented in the South Central market by the SAG Franchised Bankston Agency and Aqua Talent in Los Angeles.
Director - Andrew Orticio
Andrew Orticio is an independent filmmaker based in Austin, Texas. Orticio’s credits include Todd Rohal’s FUCK MY SON, Richard Linklater’s HITMAN, and Orticio’s directorial debut, BAHALA NA, a feature-length documentary now available on YouTube. Orticio currently serves as the communications manager at Texas Archive of the Moving Image and enjoys working on passion projects by minority filmmakers.
Producer - Marlon Rubio Smith
Marlon Rubio Smith is an award-winning Mexican-American director, cinematographer, and producer based in Austin, TX. Born and raised in Mexico City, he hopes to uplift and empower the voices of underrepresented groups through film. Some of his most notable producing work includes the experimental narrative Baby Steps (dir. Avery Gann, 2025), the heart-touching story of La Bendición (dir. Brandy Frausto, 2023), and Xavier Ingram’s fan short film The Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) which has garnered almost half a million views on YouTube. He is currently developing two feature films and three shorts under his production company, MXR Films.
Director of Photography - Josh Bowlin
Josh Bowlin is an Austin, Texas-based filmmaker and cinematographer. He loves the process of helping writers and directors tell the stories that are most important to them through the creation of unique, dynamic, and textured visual languages. His past credits extend from commercial and TV productions you can find on HBO, Lifetime, Peacock, and Netflix, to indie narratives you can find at The Austin Film Festival.