BETWEEN YOU AND ME is a romantic-dramedy short, set on Tybee Island, GA, which follows a newly engaged couple, Adam and Clare, on their journey to find a missing engagement ring.

With the pressure of sunset looming, Clare and Adam split off down opposite ends of the beach in search of the ring and answers to their recent misfortune. Their luck changes when two beach goers, Guy and Rae, cross their paths and redirect their visions of the future. 

When nothing goes to plan, Adam and Clare must decide if their love can flow with the changing tides or be lost in the sand forever.

Growing up in the South, I had very few examples of what queerness looked like & even fewer examples of what the word could mean. I've learned that being queer doesn't look any one way. And it means so much. 

I do not speak for everyone in the queer community, only myself and from my experience. My relationship with queerness is a living, breathing thing. It is a relationship that is fluid and one that evolves every day. The more I pay attention to it, the more I understand how queerness works in my life and with those I am in a relationship with. 

Queerness is, in my opinion, available to all of us. A fruit that is always there, waiting for us to pick it. Many of us have trouble identifying with our sexuality because we have never known what it is like to live in a world where Heterosexuality is not the norm. But what if we did? What would we reach for then? 

Losing, searching, and finding; A process I have had to come to terms with, a quarter way through my life and a process that these characters in our story are learning to come to terms with too. This cycle, as constant as the ocean, is where we meet ourselves, somewhere in flux, somewhere in motion. 

-Kelsey L. Schmitt (writer, director, producer)

Queer representation in Film and TV will always be relevant. Without it, queer people lose the chance to see themselves on screen, tell their stories, and know they are not alone. We are living in a time where more than 21% of Gen Z identify as something other than heterosexual. The future is queer and yet our cinema today hardly reflects that.

Compared to films featuring straight characters, queer characters were outnumbered on screen by nearly 80% in 2021 by American box offices. 

“Of the 77 films theatrically released by the seven major box office studios (Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, United Artists Releasing, Universal Pictures, The Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros) 20.8 % contained LGBTQIA+ characters, a decrease of 1.9 percent from last year’s 22.7 %. The previous year’s report included a very limited number of theatrically released films as theaters had been largely closed in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.” 

“There was a significant decrease in screen time for LGBTQIA+ characters in the 2021 studio films. Only 7 of the 28 LGBTQ characters counted in 2021 clocked over 10 minutes of screentime, with the majority (17 out of 28) falling under five minutes of screentime, with six of those characters falling under one minute. This growing separation of near equal numbers of characters hitting under one minute and over ten minutes, with few characters falling in between, demonstrates the opportunity for more LGBTQ characters to be included in ensemble and lead roles.” 

-- 2021 box office report from GLAAD (The world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization) GLAAD stats for 2022 films are still being determined.

And it doesn’t stop there! Data on LGBTQIA+ people is hard to come by in general! 2021 marked the first time the U.S. Census Bureau started asking Americans about their gender identity and sexual orientation on their Household Pulse Survey, used to measure the pandemic’s impacts on households.

Our film also touches on relevant topics such as sexuality and fluidity within a time when state goverments have begun to outlaw education around sexual orientation and gender identity with Georgia's Parental Rights in Education bill passed in March of 2022. Also during a time when women are still fighting for the rights to their bodies with the recent overturn of Roe v Wade in June 2022.

The word queer is an umbrella term for a sexual, romantic, or gender identity that does not correspond to established ideas of sexuality and gender, especially heterosexual norms. Though I believe the word queer can mean so much more than that.

It’s a fluid movement beyond the binary of cisgender and heteronormativity. It can describe an entire community, and by using “queer” as a community term, it creates a sense of beloning, a kind of belonging that does not allow for isolation.

To be queer is to stray from the norm, from the expected. If you look up queer in the dictionary, you'll first find QUEER - strange; odd. And this story is just that. Nothing makes sense, nothing goes to plan, and everything is strange. This is our norm. 

However, the term queer is not something that all people on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum identify with. And we both respect and acknowledge that fact.

The term queer is intentionally vague, and all encompassing. Within heterosexual presenting relationships, queerness can still be found. And for a lot of queer people in heterosexual presenting relationships, whose queerness may not read so obviously on the surface, this is a huge struggle. Queerness starts from within, and our main characters are reminded of this fact in our story.

But, regardless of what anyone says, if you are queer, you are queer. No one can take that from you. It doesn’t matter who you are with or whom you love.

In our story, the word queer guides us in our aesthetic principles of filmmaking. It's rooted in everything you will see. Things like color, camera movement, sound design and character blocking, all relate back to the central idea of queerness, and we will use these elements to challenge audiences' expectations and their senses as they watch our film. This is know as queering. 

“Queering is something we do, rather than something we are (or are not)".

Using the device of queering to look at our world, Between You and Me will explore themes like:

Using a combination of experimental and magical realism genre aesthetics, our film will depict the natural landscape of the beach and the lives of its inhabitants in a grounded, yet surreal way. 

Using camera movement as a metaphor for fluidity, the camera will contrast sharply in its use of perpetual movement & static long takes to convey character headspace and perception of time.

Utlizing the natural beauty of the beach, our visual approach will rely on saturated pops color, 1.66 aspect ratio, and attention to the simple details of everyday life, like the shadows each character casts on their environment, long silences in conversation, and repetition of action over time.

We use this aspect ratio, as many of the french films that inspired this movie used. 1.66 being the European widescreen standard. We will make use of static long takes, contrasted with perpetual movement on a 360 axis to convey an omniscient, and dynamic POV throughout. Our goal is to engage the audience as viscerally as possible, asking them to use all their senses as they explore the beach along with Adam and Clare. 

We draw inspiration from French New Wave aesthetics like fast-paced editing, broken up with long takes of critical moments, extreme wide-shots & close-ups, and on-location shooting; many silent moments of characters' intimate gestures and capturing of everyday life, and its absurdity in real time.

Between You and Me will make use of poetic cinema aesthetics like emphasis on diegetic sound, attention to nature, and the passage of time within a scene. The film will be shot in real-time and the audience will experience the passing of time as it is happening to the characters. We will feel time pass in this film.

What is real time?

Real time within media is a method in which events are portrayed at the same rate at which they occur in the plot. For example, if a film told in real time is two hours long, then the plot of that movie covers two hours of fictional time.

We will go through the entire day at the beach with Adam and Clare, and experience the passing time on screen as our characters do in the story.

“When you try to show reality in cinema, most of the time it’s totally false. But when you show what’s going on in people’s minds that’s very cinematic.”

-Chantal Akerman

Between You and Me is influenced by the following works of art, the boundaries they broke, the minds they opened, and questions they left about love and the self. 

Experimental influences that heavily inspire the visual and tone are Chantal Akerman's La chambre short & feature film Je Tu Il Elle in its depiction of time and silence, in both the private and public spheres.Agnes Varda's La Pointe Courte and its examination of male and female impulses in love, as well as One Sings and the Other Doesn't,in its depiction of the evolution of female friendship and the transition from girlhood to womanhood. And lastly, François Truffaut's Jules and Jim, Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind and Alfonso Cuarón's Y tu mamá también in their telling of tragic love stories within unorthodox romantic relationships.

As well as photographer, Wolfgang Tillmans for his rejection of the prevailing conventions of photographic presentation, continuously developing connections between his pictures and the social space of the exhibition.

From left the right: Je Tu Il Elle (Chantal Akerman, 1974), La Pointe Courte (Agnès Varda, 1956)

From left the right: One Sings and the Other Doesn’t (Agnès Varda, 1976), Y tu mamá también (Alfonso Curarón, 2001) 

From left the right: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004), Jules and Jim (François Truffaut, 1962)

Je Tu Il Elle (Chantal Akerman, 1974)

To look without fear (Wolfgang Tillmans, Sep 12, 2022–Jan 1, 2023 - MoMA Exhibit)

Kelsey L. Schmitt (she/her) | director, writer, producer

Kelsey is a filmmaker and photographer from Birmingham, AL whose work includes short films, music videos, and portrait photography. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Fine Arts in Directing at the University of Georgia. Kelsey is committed to telling stories with women at the forefront that visually and narratively challenge her audience. Inspired by the work of directors Agnés Varda, Chantal Akerman and Claudia Llosa, Kelsey's filmmaking explores queer identity through comedy, drama, and experimental film. Her upcoming film, Between You and Me, which will be filmed on Tybee Island, GA, is her largest and longest production to date.

Albin R. Pepe (he/his) | director of photography, creative producer, editor

Albin is a Paraguayan-born film director, screenwriter, and award-winning editor. His creative work has been shown by HBOMax, The Tribeca Film Festival, Uninterrupted Media and The CW. He is currently pursuing his Master of Fine Arts in Film at the University of Georgia. Albin also began a recording project in 2020 and started releasing music under the moniker of Heavy Petting Zoo.

Lauren Spauling (she/her) | producer

Lauren is an award-winning writer, director, & producer who is committed to telling stories that challenge perceptions and inspire a better world. Her most recent short film, "Even the Old Die Young" was part of offical selection for Kansa City Underground and Branson Internation film festivals. Lauren now works at Content Talent South and is a founding member of the Trilith Institute. Lauren has written three feature films, directed two shorts, and has multiple credits as 1 AD, Script Supervisor, and producer.

Sophia Drewry (she/her) | production designer

Sophia is a daytime epidemiologist who's decided to take a break from studying diseases to explore the world of film. While she may be new to the industry, Sophia's lifelong love of making art and appreciation of design has prepared her for her role as a production designer. She enjoys experimenting with various art forms, including painting, drawing, and sculpture. Outside of her creative pursuits, Sophia can be found scouring the streets of Atlanta for the perfect feline to shower with affection.

Kyle Forte (he/his) | Special Effects Supervisor

Kyle is an African American male who specializes in camera work and special effects makeup (SFX HMU). He has been working on his craft for a few years, and would like to indulge in any work possible, especially those that require trips overseas. He works hard and can adapt to any environment. His favorite quote is: Nosce te Ipsum (Know thy self). Kyle will graduate from Gerogia Film Academy in May of 2023.

From left to right: Sofia Ruiz (Clare), Eduardo José Paco Mateo (Adam), Eliseo Arreola (Guy) & Hailey Ryann Carter (Rae).

This movie is a labor of love. We have been lucky enough to have a majority of our team donate their time, and their creative talent in order to make this film possible.

We are proud to say that our crew is made up of majority women and many first time filmmakers. By making a financial pledge to our campaign, you can allow filmmakers who are often overlooked, or side-stepped in this indsutry, the chance to grow their skillset. The chance to shine. And the chance to see themselves in the stories we watch on screen. 

We want to fill people's bellies and keep them safe and happy while soaking up the hot Georgia sun. Our talented crew is committed to bringing Between You and Me to life with passion and style, shooting entirely on location at Tybee Island Beach, GA. 

In order to bring this unique romantic-drama to life, and capture the messy and beautiful story of queer love on screen, we are aiming to raise a total of $15,000 for BETWEEN YOU AND ME. This is the largest amount we've ever attempted to raise for a film and we promise you we will make the most of it!

Your financial contribution will help us pay for renting housing on Tybee Island for our cast and crew of about 20 people. Your contribution will also allow us to rent special underwater equipment, so we can follow along with our characters every step of the way on their beach day. In addition to housing and gear, funds will go toward other practical production expenses like wardrobe, food, special effects makeup, and travel expenses, getting to and around Tybee Island.

As you can see, renting housing on Tybee Island is our biggest expense. In addition to housing, renting gear and covering gas and food costs for our cast and crew comproises the majority of our budget. Along with other necessary production and post-production expenseses, our budget relfects the essentials we need to make this movie with style and safety.

We can only reach so many people through texts, social media, and emails. The only way we can be sure Between You and Me's campaign will be successful is if we reach beyond our network and out into the world as far as we can.

If you'd like to see this film get made as much as we do, you can help broaden our reach by sharing our campaign and posting about it on social media.

Here's an example of something you could post, copy and paste if you feel so inclined!

A quick shoutout to @betweenyouandme_shortfilm on its current crowdfunding campaign! BETWEEN YOU AND ME is a romantic-drama film about a newly engaged couple, Adam and Clare, and their beach day gone horribly wrong when Clare's engagement ring goes missing in the sand. Set out on a journey to find what they're looking for, Adam and Clare uncover more than just the ring missing. I think this story sounds worth backing and I can't wait to see it on the big screen! Follow the film on Instagram at @betweenyouandme_shortfilm and on Facebook at Between You and Me Film. You can make a contribution to the film here: https://www.seedandspark.com/fund/betweenyouandme-shortfilm

We wouldn't be here without the people who love and support us and our artistic pursuits. We are so grateful to be able to make films, and for the oppurtunity to tell a love story like this one. Thank you for your time, advocacy, and your pledges to our campaign. You make independent films possible and our wildest dreams come true. THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN US. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING! AND THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING QUEER STORIES!