Between Us
Buffalo, New York | Film Feature
Drama, Comedy
"Between Us" is a grounded, heartfelt story about an unexpected friendship between two women decades apart in age. Inspired by the writer Sarah’s life, it explores grief, healing, and the quiet moments that move us forward. We need more stories about the power of connection across generations.
Between Us
Buffalo, New York | Film Feature
Drama, Comedy
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $40,565 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
101 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
"Between Us" is a grounded, heartfelt story about an unexpected friendship between two women decades apart in age. Inspired by the writer Sarah’s life, it explores grief, healing, and the quiet moments that move us forward. We need more stories about the power of connection across generations.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A feature film about unexpected friendship, quiet transformation, and the kind of healing that arrives in bits and pieces.
1. We're telling a new story about intergenerational female friendship.
The media’s mold of female friendship is limited.
When we look at the canon of female friendship on screen (Girls, Sex and the City, Thelma & Louise) we often find relationships rooted in sameness: shared age, shared stage, shared context. But real friendship doesn’t always mirror or match.
Between Us expands what female friendship can look like, on and offscreen. It tells the story of Jenny and Elaine, two women decades apart whose bond is built not on similarity, but on emotional collision, resistance, and care. It’s about a young woman adrift in grief and an older woman resisting erasure, and what happens when their lives brush against each other in the quiet rhythm of an assisted living facility.
This is a film about friendship as a great love story. And like real friendship, it doesn’t come with rules.
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2. The story is a homecoming for Buffalo native Sarah Helbringer.
It’s also a hometown story. Writer and lead actress Sarah Helbringer grew up in Buffalo, where her father ran an actual senior home. She spent her childhood surrounded by older women who were funny, stubborn, brilliant, and deeply alive, none of whom she ever saw on screen. This film is her love letter to them.
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3. Our production is backed by a team of creative, accomplished women.
Between Us is written, directed, and produced by women. It’s a grounded, emotionally honest story rooted in female perspective and lived experience. In a landscape hungry for authentic, character-driven narratives, this is the story we wish we’d seen growing up, and the one we’re uniquely positioned to tell.
When Jenny drops out of college and moves home after her mother’s death, she’s not looking for a second act. She’s just trying to survive the first one. Numb and just making it from one day to the next. She's pushed into working at her father’s assisted living facility, Bristol Village, a job she expects to breeze through on autopilot.
Jenny’s plan to fade into the wallpaper of Bristol Village is interrupted by Elaine: a fierce, sharp-witted, and quick tongued resident who doesn't do small talk. Or pleasantries. Or, frankly, Jenny.
What begins as awkward friction and eye rolls slowly deepens into something unexpected. Over cookies and quick turns of phrase, regrets and stories from the past, Jenny and Elaine start to see parts of themselves in each other. Grief, resilience, stubbornness, and longing. Around them, Bristol Village hums with life, laughter, loss, and the quietly blooming relationships that come from simply showing up. And when a high school acquaintance reenters Jenny’s life, what first felt like going backwards begins to feel like starting again.
Between Us is a tender, funny, and emotionally honest film about intergenerational friendship, mental health, and the kind of healing that doesn’t come all at once but is found in the unexpected, in bits and pieces.
IN THE SPIRIT OF...
If you connected with the aching honesty of The Farewell, the messy intimacy of Lady Bird, or the or the raw emotional depth of The Holdovers, Between Us is for you.
We’re drawing from the everyday magic of films that trust their characters to carry the story, amplified by an artistic language that centers a female protagonist’s emotional experience.
We’re living in a moment of disconnection. Between generations. Between neighbors. Between our grief and the space to name it. Between Us is about what happens when two people—across age, loss, and identity—choose to witness one another anyway.
It’s a story that honors:
- Grief as a landscape we move through, not a plot point to "get through and over"
- Friendship as one of the deepest loves of our lives—regardless of age
- Female connection as a steward of healing, and how this relationship delivers an inheritance of emotional resilience.
Jenny and Elaine share something rare: an unscripted, mutual friendship that rewrites their stories by interrupting them. They’re caretakers, challengers, and mirrors for each other. And they represent women too often left out of the frame: young adults facing invisible mental health struggles, and older women written off as no longer evolving.
Between Us is a story of feminine connection and its capacity to be a steward of healing. For generations, women have carried the invisible weight of emotional labor, tending to others’ grief and translating pain into care. These acts often go unseen, but they are sacred forms of resilience.
In theater, an elegy is a creation born of mourning. In Greek tragedy, grief often marks the moment of transformation. Rather than a collapse, it is a turning point. A transcendence. In Between Us, the relationship between Jenny and Elaine becomes a kind of elegy in itself. Where pain is felt, so love can be remembered, so healing can be had.
Instead of framing Elaine’s relationship as the wiser older elder and the lost youthful gift, Jenny and Elaine both have their moments in each of these roles. They share their gifts and comfort in a way that is found in female friendships since teenage hood.
Between Us is a film about the sacred connection between women that can beckon in strength. There are things to be felt before there are things to be said, and there are things to be said before there are things to be understood. Some of the greatest loves of my lives, loves that have held my hand through hardship, have been my female friendships. Between Us honors this sacred connection, and like an elegy, it gives form and voice to what might otherwise be lost.
— Remy Rose Small, director of Between Us
We’re in pre-production and aiming to shoot this fall in Buffalo, New York. We’ve assembled a passionate, professional indie team committed to telling grounded, emotionally resonant stories. Overall, we hope to raise $300k, with Seed & Spark providing the initial funds to greenlight the project.
Your support helps us:
- Bring on a full cast and crew
- Secure key equipment and locations
- Create the world of Bristol Village with care and authenticity
If you’re in the Buffalo area and want to help with:
- Production support
- Location or housing assistance
- In-kind donations (gear, snacks, printing, transport, etc)
→ Reach out! We’d love to hear from you. Our email is [email protected]
Looking to make a contribution above $5k?
We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] to chat about custom perks and ways to get involved. We’re happy to discuss other special perks (such as cameos, brand placement, logo features in our credits/press materials, outreach to our mailing list) in exchange for your support. We may also be able to make your donation tax-deductible, and we gladly welcome in-kind donations too.
What happens when we’re funded:
- We bring Between Us to life, then move straight into production, filming in Fall 2025 in Buffalo.
- We begin a robust festival run targeting top-tier and mid-size festivals that champion personal, character-driven work.
- We search for a distribution partner who can help our film find its audience.
- We bring the film home—to senior centers, community screenings, and intergenerational spaces that inspired it.
Stretch Goals Will Help Us:
- Additional Shoot Days
- Upgraded Equipment
- Expanded Cast & Crew Support
- Post-Production Enhancements
- Festival Submission & Distribution Fund
- Community Screenings & Accessibility
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Instagram: instagram.com/betweenusfeature
Email: [email protected]
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for any and all support!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera and Electric Gear
Costs $5,000
To capture the intimate, naturalistic look of the film—we need professional camera and lighting gear to do the story justice.
Cast
Costs $10,000
To bring these layered, emotionally subtle characters to life, we need a talented cast that can carry both humor and heartbreak.
Crew
Costs $20,000
We’re hiring a local, experienced, women-led crew to ensure the film is made safely, professionally, and with the care this story deserves.
Catering and Crafty
Costs $5,000
Long days on set mean we need to keep our cast and crew nourished, energized, and focused with reliable meals and snacks.
Post Production and Music Composition
Costs $3,500
To bring the film to life, we need editing, color, sound design, and an original score that captures its emotional depth and tone.
Office Supplies and Insurance
Costs $500
From production insurance to basic office supplies, these essentials keep our set safe, organized, and running smoothly behind the scenes.
Transportation
Costs $1,000
We need reliable transportation—crew vans, a box truck, and gas—to safely move cast, crew, gear, and props to our Buffalo locations.
Travel and Accommodations
Costs $3,000
Some key cast and crew are coming in from out of town—this helps cover their travel and housing so we can film together in Buffalo.
Wardrobe, Hair and Makeup
Costs $2,000
To create authentic, character-driven visuals, we need wardrobe, hair, and makeup that reflect the world and emotional journeys of our cast.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Sarah Helbringer- Writer, Producer, Lead Actress
Sarah Helbringer is an actress and writer based in New York City, originally from Buffalo, NY. She recently appeared in Netflix’s You (Season 5) and The Six Triple Eight, and is a graduate of Point Park’s Conservatory of Performing Arts. Her debut feature film, Between Us, is inspired by her own experience growing up on the grounds of her father's assisted living facility. Sarah is passionate about grounded, female-driven stories that explore mental health, grief, and connection. She is repped by Malissa Young Mgmt and Forward Talent Agency.
Remy Rose Small- Director
Remy Rose Small is a Buffalo born, LA based director and writer. Brought into art by playwriting, she is a Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference Semi-Finalist and finds joy in discovering The Theater present in all forms of art (and our everyday.) A graduate of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television, Remy is drawn to stories that hold our hands with humor and leans into the tender absurdities of being alive.
Sadie Scott- Producer
Sadie Scott is a producer and actress based in Los Angeles. A Northern California native, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Production and Multimedia Journalism. Most recently, she served as Associate Producer on The Watchers, directed by Aidan Campbell (2025). Her producing work spans both film and photography, with editorial credits in Marie Claire, Numéro Netherlands, and Flaunt magazine. She is represented by Media Artists Group and Citizen Skull Management.
Melanie Sudyn- Producer/ 1st AD
Melanie Sudyn is a Buffalo, NY native and the co-founder of Xylograph Films. She is an accomplished producer, writer, and first assistant director with over 20 credits spanning short films, commercials, branded content, and feature-length projects. Her debut feature, White Demise, was distributed by Gravitas Ventures in 2020. Her work has been featured at international festivals, including her recent short film Loving Day, which premiered at the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase during the Cannes Film Festival. Her earlier film Re-Rehab screened at the 2019 Toronto Shorts International Film Festival and is currently available on Amazon Prime. She has collaborated with notable brands and production partners such as Red Bull TV, SONY, RIT, and the Entertainment Technology Center. In addition to her film work, Melanie has worked in PR at Perception PR in Los Angeles and currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Ritual Ads, an AI-driven commercial production company. She is known for her strong leadership, creative instinct, and ability to bring both structure and artistry to every project she takes on.
Jillian Nordby- Producer
Jillian Nordby is a producer based in Los Angeles. Originally from the Bay Area, she has worked across television, film, and commercial content. Most recently, she worked as Coordinating Producer on FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Seasons 15–17), FX’s The Patient starring Steve Carell, and ABC’s High Potential Season 1. She is currently in production on Season 2. Her independent work includes producing over ten short films, including the award-winning Cabin for Two, which was acquired by the sci-fi streaming platform DUST. Her most recent short film, Agonist, is currently being developed into a feature, with CAA attached to package the project.
Avery Chung-Melino- Producer
Avery Chung-Melino is a producer and marketer from San Francisco, CA. She recently produced the meditative basketball short "Draft Night," psychological drama "Wesley,” and cult horror film “Agonist,” which is currently being developed into a feature, with CAA packaging the project. “Exposure,” a thriller feature film where she was the Producer of Marketing, premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival, where it was acquired by Gravitas Ventures. Her projects have screened at 50+ festivals and garnered over 20 awards.
Dorie Magowan- Casting Director
Dorie Magowan is a casting professional based out of New York City. Her most recent experience includes casting for Netflix and Amazon, and she is thrilled to take her next steps on this exciting Feature. She is passionate about coming together with like minded creatives to make thought-provoking, exciting art and is so excited to jump in with this amazing team.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A feature film about unexpected friendship, quiet transformation, and the kind of healing that arrives in bits and pieces.
1. We're telling a new story about intergenerational female friendship.
The media’s mold of female friendship is limited.
When we look at the canon of female friendship on screen (Girls, Sex and the City, Thelma & Louise) we often find relationships rooted in sameness: shared age, shared stage, shared context. But real friendship doesn’t always mirror or match.
Between Us expands what female friendship can look like, on and offscreen. It tells the story of Jenny and Elaine, two women decades apart whose bond is built not on similarity, but on emotional collision, resistance, and care. It’s about a young woman adrift in grief and an older woman resisting erasure, and what happens when their lives brush against each other in the quiet rhythm of an assisted living facility.
This is a film about friendship as a great love story. And like real friendship, it doesn’t come with rules.
2. The story is a homecoming for Buffalo native Sarah Helbringer.
It’s also a hometown story. Writer and lead actress Sarah Helbringer grew up in Buffalo, where her father ran an actual senior home. She spent her childhood surrounded by older women who were funny, stubborn, brilliant, and deeply alive, none of whom she ever saw on screen. This film is her love letter to them.
3. Our production is backed by a team of creative, accomplished women.
Between Us is written, directed, and produced by women. It’s a grounded, emotionally honest story rooted in female perspective and lived experience. In a landscape hungry for authentic, character-driven narratives, this is the story we wish we’d seen growing up, and the one we’re uniquely positioned to tell.
When Jenny drops out of college and moves home after her mother’s death, she’s not looking for a second act. She’s just trying to survive the first one. Numb and just making it from one day to the next. She's pushed into working at her father’s assisted living facility, Bristol Village, a job she expects to breeze through on autopilot.
Jenny’s plan to fade into the wallpaper of Bristol Village is interrupted by Elaine: a fierce, sharp-witted, and quick tongued resident who doesn't do small talk. Or pleasantries. Or, frankly, Jenny.
What begins as awkward friction and eye rolls slowly deepens into something unexpected. Over cookies and quick turns of phrase, regrets and stories from the past, Jenny and Elaine start to see parts of themselves in each other. Grief, resilience, stubbornness, and longing. Around them, Bristol Village hums with life, laughter, loss, and the quietly blooming relationships that come from simply showing up. And when a high school acquaintance reenters Jenny’s life, what first felt like going backwards begins to feel like starting again.
Between Us is a tender, funny, and emotionally honest film about intergenerational friendship, mental health, and the kind of healing that doesn’t come all at once but is found in the unexpected, in bits and pieces.
IN THE SPIRIT OF...
If you connected with the aching honesty of The Farewell, the messy intimacy of Lady Bird, or the or the raw emotional depth of The Holdovers, Between Us is for you.
We’re drawing from the everyday magic of films that trust their characters to carry the story, amplified by an artistic language that centers a female protagonist’s emotional experience.
We’re living in a moment of disconnection. Between generations. Between neighbors. Between our grief and the space to name it. Between Us is about what happens when two people—across age, loss, and identity—choose to witness one another anyway.
It’s a story that honors:
- Grief as a landscape we move through, not a plot point to "get through and over"
- Friendship as one of the deepest loves of our lives—regardless of age
- Female connection as a steward of healing, and how this relationship delivers an inheritance of emotional resilience.
Jenny and Elaine share something rare: an unscripted, mutual friendship that rewrites their stories by interrupting them. They’re caretakers, challengers, and mirrors for each other. And they represent women too often left out of the frame: young adults facing invisible mental health struggles, and older women written off as no longer evolving.
Between Us is a story of feminine connection and its capacity to be a steward of healing. For generations, women have carried the invisible weight of emotional labor, tending to others’ grief and translating pain into care. These acts often go unseen, but they are sacred forms of resilience.
In theater, an elegy is a creation born of mourning. In Greek tragedy, grief often marks the moment of transformation. Rather than a collapse, it is a turning point. A transcendence. In Between Us, the relationship between Jenny and Elaine becomes a kind of elegy in itself. Where pain is felt, so love can be remembered, so healing can be had.
Instead of framing Elaine’s relationship as the wiser older elder and the lost youthful gift, Jenny and Elaine both have their moments in each of these roles. They share their gifts and comfort in a way that is found in female friendships since teenage hood.
Between Us is a film about the sacred connection between women that can beckon in strength. There are things to be felt before there are things to be said, and there are things to be said before there are things to be understood. Some of the greatest loves of my lives, loves that have held my hand through hardship, have been my female friendships. Between Us honors this sacred connection, and like an elegy, it gives form and voice to what might otherwise be lost.
— Remy Rose Small, director of Between Us
We’re in pre-production and aiming to shoot this fall in Buffalo, New York. We’ve assembled a passionate, professional indie team committed to telling grounded, emotionally resonant stories. Overall, we hope to raise $300k, with Seed & Spark providing the initial funds to greenlight the project.
Your support helps us:
- Bring on a full cast and crew
- Secure key equipment and locations
- Create the world of Bristol Village with care and authenticity
If you’re in the Buffalo area and want to help with:
- Production support
- Location or housing assistance
- In-kind donations (gear, snacks, printing, transport, etc)
→ Reach out! We’d love to hear from you. Our email is [email protected]
Looking to make a contribution above $5k?
We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] to chat about custom perks and ways to get involved. We’re happy to discuss other special perks (such as cameos, brand placement, logo features in our credits/press materials, outreach to our mailing list) in exchange for your support. We may also be able to make your donation tax-deductible, and we gladly welcome in-kind donations too.
What happens when we’re funded:
- We bring Between Us to life, then move straight into production, filming in Fall 2025 in Buffalo.
- We begin a robust festival run targeting top-tier and mid-size festivals that champion personal, character-driven work.
- We search for a distribution partner who can help our film find its audience.
- We bring the film home—to senior centers, community screenings, and intergenerational spaces that inspired it.
Stretch Goals Will Help Us:
- Additional Shoot Days
- Upgraded Equipment
- Expanded Cast & Crew Support
- Post-Production Enhancements
- Festival Submission & Distribution Fund
- Community Screenings & Accessibility
Instagram: instagram.com/betweenusfeature
Email: [email protected]
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for any and all support!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera and Electric Gear
Costs $5,000
To capture the intimate, naturalistic look of the film—we need professional camera and lighting gear to do the story justice.
Cast
Costs $10,000
To bring these layered, emotionally subtle characters to life, we need a talented cast that can carry both humor and heartbreak.
Crew
Costs $20,000
We’re hiring a local, experienced, women-led crew to ensure the film is made safely, professionally, and with the care this story deserves.
Catering and Crafty
Costs $5,000
Long days on set mean we need to keep our cast and crew nourished, energized, and focused with reliable meals and snacks.
Post Production and Music Composition
Costs $3,500
To bring the film to life, we need editing, color, sound design, and an original score that captures its emotional depth and tone.
Office Supplies and Insurance
Costs $500
From production insurance to basic office supplies, these essentials keep our set safe, organized, and running smoothly behind the scenes.
Transportation
Costs $1,000
We need reliable transportation—crew vans, a box truck, and gas—to safely move cast, crew, gear, and props to our Buffalo locations.
Travel and Accommodations
Costs $3,000
Some key cast and crew are coming in from out of town—this helps cover their travel and housing so we can film together in Buffalo.
Wardrobe, Hair and Makeup
Costs $2,000
To create authentic, character-driven visuals, we need wardrobe, hair, and makeup that reflect the world and emotional journeys of our cast.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Sarah Helbringer- Writer, Producer, Lead Actress
Sarah Helbringer is an actress and writer based in New York City, originally from Buffalo, NY. She recently appeared in Netflix’s You (Season 5) and The Six Triple Eight, and is a graduate of Point Park’s Conservatory of Performing Arts. Her debut feature film, Between Us, is inspired by her own experience growing up on the grounds of her father's assisted living facility. Sarah is passionate about grounded, female-driven stories that explore mental health, grief, and connection. She is repped by Malissa Young Mgmt and Forward Talent Agency.
Remy Rose Small- Director
Remy Rose Small is a Buffalo born, LA based director and writer. Brought into art by playwriting, she is a Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference Semi-Finalist and finds joy in discovering The Theater present in all forms of art (and our everyday.) A graduate of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television, Remy is drawn to stories that hold our hands with humor and leans into the tender absurdities of being alive.
Sadie Scott- Producer
Sadie Scott is a producer and actress based in Los Angeles. A Northern California native, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Production and Multimedia Journalism. Most recently, she served as Associate Producer on The Watchers, directed by Aidan Campbell (2025). Her producing work spans both film and photography, with editorial credits in Marie Claire, Numéro Netherlands, and Flaunt magazine. She is represented by Media Artists Group and Citizen Skull Management.
Melanie Sudyn- Producer/ 1st AD
Melanie Sudyn is a Buffalo, NY native and the co-founder of Xylograph Films. She is an accomplished producer, writer, and first assistant director with over 20 credits spanning short films, commercials, branded content, and feature-length projects. Her debut feature, White Demise, was distributed by Gravitas Ventures in 2020. Her work has been featured at international festivals, including her recent short film Loving Day, which premiered at the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase during the Cannes Film Festival. Her earlier film Re-Rehab screened at the 2019 Toronto Shorts International Film Festival and is currently available on Amazon Prime. She has collaborated with notable brands and production partners such as Red Bull TV, SONY, RIT, and the Entertainment Technology Center. In addition to her film work, Melanie has worked in PR at Perception PR in Los Angeles and currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Ritual Ads, an AI-driven commercial production company. She is known for her strong leadership, creative instinct, and ability to bring both structure and artistry to every project she takes on.
Jillian Nordby- Producer
Jillian Nordby is a producer based in Los Angeles. Originally from the Bay Area, she has worked across television, film, and commercial content. Most recently, she worked as Coordinating Producer on FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Seasons 15–17), FX’s The Patient starring Steve Carell, and ABC’s High Potential Season 1. She is currently in production on Season 2. Her independent work includes producing over ten short films, including the award-winning Cabin for Two, which was acquired by the sci-fi streaming platform DUST. Her most recent short film, Agonist, is currently being developed into a feature, with CAA attached to package the project.
Avery Chung-Melino- Producer
Avery Chung-Melino is a producer and marketer from San Francisco, CA. She recently produced the meditative basketball short "Draft Night," psychological drama "Wesley,” and cult horror film “Agonist,” which is currently being developed into a feature, with CAA packaging the project. “Exposure,” a thriller feature film where she was the Producer of Marketing, premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival, where it was acquired by Gravitas Ventures. Her projects have screened at 50+ festivals and garnered over 20 awards.
Dorie Magowan- Casting Director
Dorie Magowan is a casting professional based out of New York City. Her most recent experience includes casting for Netflix and Amazon, and she is thrilled to take her next steps on this exciting Feature. She is passionate about coming together with like minded creatives to make thought-provoking, exciting art and is so excited to jump in with this amazing team.