BLUSH
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Teen
Throughout a humid night in Singapore, teens Leah, Alex, and Nadia navigate colliding girlhoods and burgeoning sexuality. Exploring obsession, desire, and isolation in 2014 Singapore, Blush unpacks multicultural adolescence and friendship's meaningful role in this rootless experience.
BLUSH
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Teen
8 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $10,960 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
122 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Throughout a humid night in Singapore, teens Leah, Alex, and Nadia navigate colliding girlhoods and burgeoning sexuality. Exploring obsession, desire, and isolation in 2014 Singapore, Blush unpacks multicultural adolescence and friendship's meaningful role in this rootless experience.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A story of lust, isolation & longing.
Set on a Friday after basketball practice, we meet Leah and Alex on the Singapore MRT - in search of adventure and escape. When the longtime best friends meet up with Nadia, the it-girl of their high school, the three teens become entangled in a triangle of desire, and jealousy. As day turns into night, the girls are forced to navigate the pressures of girlhood alone.
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Leah (15) loves daydreaming. A fly on the wall and a bit in her own introverted world, Leah tends to overthink. Leah wants to explore her sexuality. She finds herself drawn to Nadia, an older, cooler classmate. Leah will have to decide whether or not to explore this curiosity.
Alex (15) loves adventure. Alex is witty, outgoing, and athletic. Despite her humor, she's embarrassed about her family's lack of wealth. She wants to fit in with her richer classmates. She steals, and lies. Her obsession with Nadia's validation is taking a toll on her self-esteem.
Nadia (16) loves attention. You either hate her, love her or want to be her. Regardless of her popularity, Nadia is lonely. She longs for connection. Nadia will have to determine whether or not to share her attraction for Leah, with Leah herself.
A note from Ana, the writer/director of Blush:
The characters and world of Blush have been floating in my brain for the last year. I was inspired to write the short after returning to Singapore, my hometown, in March of 2023. It had been several years since I last lived there, so I had high expectations of a celebratory and grounding homecoming.
However, I was overwhelmed by nostalgia for a city that had changed and grief for a childhood that was over. Sitting in my bedroom with decaying photos and memorabilia, I realized how disconnected I was from a city I once called home. I fell into full identity-crisis mode trying to piece together a fading adolescence. The trip was confusing and sweaty and reminded me of all the nuances I felt growing up as an American in Southeast Asia, floating in both worlds and not feeling rooted in any. I also found myself reflecting on my girlhood in Singapore - which was a complicated and dark experience in the context of the city's capitalism, while also a beautiful, diverse upbringing thriving in between many worlds -- rooted in intentional friendships.
Blush is both a love letter to my hometown and an acceptance of my teenage self's many desires, jealousies, and obsessions. Through a teenage gaze, the story explores isolation in a metropolis and embraces identity as a complicated discovery - that evolves and shifts with each world one explores and person one meets. Most importantly, Blush is a tribute to the friendships I had as a teen that grounded my experience of existing in between worlds.
I hope that audiences see their teenage selves in Blush.
16 year old Ana - 2015
I was 15 a decade ago!
Even today, I have moments where I feel exactly like that 15-year-old. I think these versions of us never leave and become buried the more experiences we have. As a 25-year-old, I can reflect on my adolescence a lot more clearly.
Stranger Things investigated the 1980s, PEN15 unpacked the early 2000s- it's time to revisit the 2010s. The 2010s was a unique time for social media. A generation of kids who had grown up with the internet and cell-phones were now becoming teenagers. We were the first to use certain technologies, and attach various meanings to them- influencing larger conversations about mental health. Our adolescence was informed by an era pre-Me-Too, having a great impact on how we did (and didn't) talk about sexuality & consent.
Photo by nguan
Through an intimate, handheld style, Blush will follow Leah, Nadia, and Alex through their Singapore.
Chatting on a crowded MRT after school or smoking on secret rooftops perched above busy streets. Stealing makeup from sterile and fluorescent department stores and scarfing down food in cramped hawker stalls. We will also be with the girls in more quiet, meditative moments - as they daydream in their bedrooms, or reflect in the backseats of taxi cabs.
.png)
Singapore is a city that prides itself on cleanliness. Blush, however, celebrates the island’s grittiness.
The color scheme will feature warmer, softer tones in the afternoon, then transition colder and harsher as the girls navigate a confusing night.
.png)
Blush is set in 2014.
The 2010s saw a rapid emergence in social media. Platforms like Instagram, Vine, and Tumblr connected youth and gave them access to many worlds, opinions, and experiences. We begin to see how embedded technology is in a teen’s life and the impact these structures have on young mental health. This tension will be apparent in the Blush world - specifically in how the girls make meaning of their identities in a hyper-sexualized, capitalist media storm.
From Petra Collins' Teenage Gaze
$13,000 is the goal for our project. Your contributions will help us pay for essential components of the film, including sound, lighting and camera equipment, insurance, and wardrobe & production design. A portion of the money will go to permits for locations, as we are shooting on location in Singapore. Additionally, we will need to collect funds for food costs throughout our four-day shoot.
In terms of where we’re at in the production process, we have our crew booked, casting is underway and our shoot is officially locked for April of 2025. We are in the process of planning several fundraising events that will occur throughout the summer, that will bring creatives together, and spread word about our project.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Locations/Permits
Costs $5,000
We will need to rent out multiple filming locations in Singapore, and also purchase permits for them.
Production Design/Set Dressing/Wardrobe
Costs $1,500
To create a mid 2000's world, we need to decorate our sets & pick out period accurate wardrobe.
Equipment
Costs $4,500
This is our budget to rent sound, camera and lighting equipment for our production.
Insurance
Costs $1,000
Equipment insurance for the production is important to protect us from paying thousands in case of damages, losses, etc.
Catering/Craft Services
Costs $1,000
To fuel our cast and crew over the course of the shoot, we will need a budget for 1 meal per person per day, as well as snacks and drinks.
Share this update!
About This Team
Ana Chavez - Writer/Director
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Singapore, Ana Chavez is a filmmaker and video artist.
While studying for her BA in Film at UC Santa Barbara, Ana edited several documentary shorts and music videos. A pilot-writing course inspired her to explore narrative storytelling. Her first screenplay, Her and I, won the Best Screenplay and Best Filmmaking awards at the Santa Barbara Film Festival's 10-10-10 Program and screened at multiple festivals across the US. The short also picked up Best Comedy and Best Actress nominations at the Official Latino Film Festival.
Ana relocated to LA in 2021, directing and editing shorts, music videos, and branded content. She's also worked as an assistant editor in the docu-series world, having had the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from many talented editors in the industry. Her experiences in the unscripted world have influenced her to shoot & edit her own non-fiction shorts, specifically about LA's vibrant underground club scene. Her favorite memories include filming A Club Called Rhonda & Banjee Ball. Ana's most excited to merge worlds for Blush- bringing together a team of close collaborators from LA, with talented Singapore-based creatives.
Shiao-ya (Maggie) Huang - Director of Photography & Producer
Shiao-ya (Maggie) Huang is a filmmaker born in Taiwan, raised in Latin America, and currently based in Singapore and Taiwan. Her passion lies in storytelling through filmmaking, screenwriting, stop-motion, and creative technologies.
She aims to use these mediums as vehicles to share authentic stories that bring warmth and resonance to the world. To bridge differences and connect the world with storytelling. Her works have been part of various national and international film festivals, such as the inaugural Sony Future Filmmakers Awards and Singapore Mental Health Film Festival, National Youth Film Awards 2021 and 2022, Festival Animanie, and Chaniartoon 2021 International Animation Festival.
She believes everyone carries a story worth telling, and she invites you to share yours and form meaningful dialogue.
Jordan Pfeifer - Producer & 1st AD
Jordan is a director, writer, and producer originally from Austin, Texas - now based in Los Angeles. She graduated with a major in Film Production from the School of Film and Television at Loyola Marymount University in 2020. In March 2020, she founded the female and non-binary led film collective/production company ONYX Films, which now has over 70 members. Since then, she has directed 9 narrative short films that have won awards in the festival space, including Necromantic, Noxious, and Strawberry. She has produced many other projects, including the award-winning feature film Meltdown. Her focus is telling authentic stories about women and the LGBTQ+ community, as someone who identifies as both female and queer.
Gabriella Kashi - Producer & Production Designer
Gabriella Kashi is a multicultural director/producer/production designer based in Los Angeles. With a background working in development at a studio, she has made the jump to the world of music videos, short films, and commercials. She has directed for artists like Lauren Mayberry and Jennie Lawless and some of her art department credits include large projects like Euphoria S2 and Don’t Worry Darling.
Ayesha Minocha - Producer
Ayesha Minocha is a film producer based in Los Angeles, CA. Her love of film and television came from both classic American sitcoms and the colorful and dramatic world of Bollywood. At UC Santa Cruz, she majored in Film & Digital Media and History of Art & Visual Culture, sparking her interest in entering the production world. In 2021 she moved to Los Angeles and has since worked on features, shorts, music videos, and more. Her notable credits include Four Samosas, Doja Cat’s Get Into It Yuh, and The Making of I ___You. Ayesha is extremely excited to be producing Blush and hopes to continue pushing forward great female films and filmmakers.
Hayley Nash - Producer
Hayley Nash is a producer, writer, and director focused on female-driven narratives in independent film. She has produced numerous award-winning projects including Suburban Witch, Meltdown, Recent Idols, and Make Up Your Mind. She has worked at Warner Brothers Television, Atlas Entertainment, Zero Gravity Management, and Legendary Entertainment. Her emphasis on developing feminist films has led her to produce multiple projects with the non-profit organization ONYX. Her films have been featured in numerous acclaimed film festivals including the Florida Film Festival, the Topaz Women in Film Festival, FLIFF, and Reading Film Fest. She is so excited to be a part of the producing team for Blush, continuing to help innovative female filmmakers bring their work to life.
Selin Genç - Associate Producer
Selin is an actor, writer, and producer originally from Montreal, Canada and currently based in Los Angeles. Originally with a background in theatre, she began acting in short films after graduating from McGill University, which led to writing her own films with a focus on female and queer stories. She is excited to be making the leap into producing as a part of the Blush team.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A story of lust, isolation & longing.
Set on a Friday after basketball practice, we meet Leah and Alex on the Singapore MRT - in search of adventure and escape. When the longtime best friends meet up with Nadia, the it-girl of their high school, the three teens become entangled in a triangle of desire, and jealousy. As day turns into night, the girls are forced to navigate the pressures of girlhood alone.
Leah (15) loves daydreaming. A fly on the wall and a bit in her own introverted world, Leah tends to overthink. Leah wants to explore her sexuality. She finds herself drawn to Nadia, an older, cooler classmate. Leah will have to decide whether or not to explore this curiosity.
Alex (15) loves adventure. Alex is witty, outgoing, and athletic. Despite her humor, she's embarrassed about her family's lack of wealth. She wants to fit in with her richer classmates. She steals, and lies. Her obsession with Nadia's validation is taking a toll on her self-esteem.
Nadia (16) loves attention. You either hate her, love her or want to be her. Regardless of her popularity, Nadia is lonely. She longs for connection. Nadia will have to determine whether or not to share her attraction for Leah, with Leah herself.
A note from Ana, the writer/director of Blush:
The characters and world of Blush have been floating in my brain for the last year. I was inspired to write the short after returning to Singapore, my hometown, in March of 2023. It had been several years since I last lived there, so I had high expectations of a celebratory and grounding homecoming.
However, I was overwhelmed by nostalgia for a city that had changed and grief for a childhood that was over. Sitting in my bedroom with decaying photos and memorabilia, I realized how disconnected I was from a city I once called home. I fell into full identity-crisis mode trying to piece together a fading adolescence. The trip was confusing and sweaty and reminded me of all the nuances I felt growing up as an American in Southeast Asia, floating in both worlds and not feeling rooted in any. I also found myself reflecting on my girlhood in Singapore - which was a complicated and dark experience in the context of the city's capitalism, while also a beautiful, diverse upbringing thriving in between many worlds -- rooted in intentional friendships.
Blush is both a love letter to my hometown and an acceptance of my teenage self's many desires, jealousies, and obsessions. Through a teenage gaze, the story explores isolation in a metropolis and embraces identity as a complicated discovery - that evolves and shifts with each world one explores and person one meets. Most importantly, Blush is a tribute to the friendships I had as a teen that grounded my experience of existing in between worlds.
I hope that audiences see their teenage selves in Blush.
16 year old Ana - 2015
I was 15 a decade ago!
Even today, I have moments where I feel exactly like that 15-year-old. I think these versions of us never leave and become buried the more experiences we have. As a 25-year-old, I can reflect on my adolescence a lot more clearly.
Stranger Things investigated the 1980s, PEN15 unpacked the early 2000s- it's time to revisit the 2010s. The 2010s was a unique time for social media. A generation of kids who had grown up with the internet and cell-phones were now becoming teenagers. We were the first to use certain technologies, and attach various meanings to them- influencing larger conversations about mental health. Our adolescence was informed by an era pre-Me-Too, having a great impact on how we did (and didn't) talk about sexuality & consent.
Photo by nguan
Through an intimate, handheld style, Blush will follow Leah, Nadia, and Alex through their Singapore.
Chatting on a crowded MRT after school or smoking on secret rooftops perched above busy streets. Stealing makeup from sterile and fluorescent department stores and scarfing down food in cramped hawker stalls. We will also be with the girls in more quiet, meditative moments - as they daydream in their bedrooms, or reflect in the backseats of taxi cabs.
Singapore is a city that prides itself on cleanliness. Blush, however, celebrates the island’s grittiness.
The color scheme will feature warmer, softer tones in the afternoon, then transition colder and harsher as the girls navigate a confusing night.
Blush is set in 2014.
The 2010s saw a rapid emergence in social media. Platforms like Instagram, Vine, and Tumblr connected youth and gave them access to many worlds, opinions, and experiences. We begin to see how embedded technology is in a teen’s life and the impact these structures have on young mental health. This tension will be apparent in the Blush world - specifically in how the girls make meaning of their identities in a hyper-sexualized, capitalist media storm.
From Petra Collins' Teenage Gaze
$13,000 is the goal for our project. Your contributions will help us pay for essential components of the film, including sound, lighting and camera equipment, insurance, and wardrobe & production design. A portion of the money will go to permits for locations, as we are shooting on location in Singapore. Additionally, we will need to collect funds for food costs throughout our four-day shoot.
In terms of where we’re at in the production process, we have our crew booked, casting is underway and our shoot is officially locked for April of 2025. We are in the process of planning several fundraising events that will occur throughout the summer, that will bring creatives together, and spread word about our project.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Locations/Permits
Costs $5,000
We will need to rent out multiple filming locations in Singapore, and also purchase permits for them.
Production Design/Set Dressing/Wardrobe
Costs $1,500
To create a mid 2000's world, we need to decorate our sets & pick out period accurate wardrobe.
Equipment
Costs $4,500
This is our budget to rent sound, camera and lighting equipment for our production.
Insurance
Costs $1,000
Equipment insurance for the production is important to protect us from paying thousands in case of damages, losses, etc.
Catering/Craft Services
Costs $1,000
To fuel our cast and crew over the course of the shoot, we will need a budget for 1 meal per person per day, as well as snacks and drinks.
Share this update!
About This Team
Ana Chavez - Writer/Director
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Singapore, Ana Chavez is a filmmaker and video artist.
While studying for her BA in Film at UC Santa Barbara, Ana edited several documentary shorts and music videos. A pilot-writing course inspired her to explore narrative storytelling. Her first screenplay, Her and I, won the Best Screenplay and Best Filmmaking awards at the Santa Barbara Film Festival's 10-10-10 Program and screened at multiple festivals across the US. The short also picked up Best Comedy and Best Actress nominations at the Official Latino Film Festival.
Ana relocated to LA in 2021, directing and editing shorts, music videos, and branded content. She's also worked as an assistant editor in the docu-series world, having had the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from many talented editors in the industry. Her experiences in the unscripted world have influenced her to shoot & edit her own non-fiction shorts, specifically about LA's vibrant underground club scene. Her favorite memories include filming A Club Called Rhonda & Banjee Ball. Ana's most excited to merge worlds for Blush- bringing together a team of close collaborators from LA, with talented Singapore-based creatives.
Shiao-ya (Maggie) Huang - Director of Photography & Producer
Shiao-ya (Maggie) Huang is a filmmaker born in Taiwan, raised in Latin America, and currently based in Singapore and Taiwan. Her passion lies in storytelling through filmmaking, screenwriting, stop-motion, and creative technologies.
She aims to use these mediums as vehicles to share authentic stories that bring warmth and resonance to the world. To bridge differences and connect the world with storytelling. Her works have been part of various national and international film festivals, such as the inaugural Sony Future Filmmakers Awards and Singapore Mental Health Film Festival, National Youth Film Awards 2021 and 2022, Festival Animanie, and Chaniartoon 2021 International Animation Festival.
She believes everyone carries a story worth telling, and she invites you to share yours and form meaningful dialogue.
Jordan Pfeifer - Producer & 1st AD
Jordan is a director, writer, and producer originally from Austin, Texas - now based in Los Angeles. She graduated with a major in Film Production from the School of Film and Television at Loyola Marymount University in 2020. In March 2020, she founded the female and non-binary led film collective/production company ONYX Films, which now has over 70 members. Since then, she has directed 9 narrative short films that have won awards in the festival space, including Necromantic, Noxious, and Strawberry. She has produced many other projects, including the award-winning feature film Meltdown. Her focus is telling authentic stories about women and the LGBTQ+ community, as someone who identifies as both female and queer.
Gabriella Kashi - Producer & Production Designer
Gabriella Kashi is a multicultural director/producer/production designer based in Los Angeles. With a background working in development at a studio, she has made the jump to the world of music videos, short films, and commercials. She has directed for artists like Lauren Mayberry and Jennie Lawless and some of her art department credits include large projects like Euphoria S2 and Don’t Worry Darling.
Ayesha Minocha - Producer
Ayesha Minocha is a film producer based in Los Angeles, CA. Her love of film and television came from both classic American sitcoms and the colorful and dramatic world of Bollywood. At UC Santa Cruz, she majored in Film & Digital Media and History of Art & Visual Culture, sparking her interest in entering the production world. In 2021 she moved to Los Angeles and has since worked on features, shorts, music videos, and more. Her notable credits include Four Samosas, Doja Cat’s Get Into It Yuh, and The Making of I ___You. Ayesha is extremely excited to be producing Blush and hopes to continue pushing forward great female films and filmmakers.
Hayley Nash - Producer
Hayley Nash is a producer, writer, and director focused on female-driven narratives in independent film. She has produced numerous award-winning projects including Suburban Witch, Meltdown, Recent Idols, and Make Up Your Mind. She has worked at Warner Brothers Television, Atlas Entertainment, Zero Gravity Management, and Legendary Entertainment. Her emphasis on developing feminist films has led her to produce multiple projects with the non-profit organization ONYX. Her films have been featured in numerous acclaimed film festivals including the Florida Film Festival, the Topaz Women in Film Festival, FLIFF, and Reading Film Fest. She is so excited to be a part of the producing team for Blush, continuing to help innovative female filmmakers bring their work to life.
Selin Genç - Associate Producer
Selin is an actor, writer, and producer originally from Montreal, Canada and currently based in Los Angeles. Originally with a background in theatre, she began acting in short films after graduating from McGill University, which led to writing her own films with a focus on female and queer stories. She is excited to be making the leap into producing as a part of the Blush team.