Bug
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
A twisted, dark comedy for anyone who has experienced the comically unending labyrinth that is the US immigration system (or cares about people who do!)
Green Light
This campaign raised $10,609 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
143 supporters | followers
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A twisted, dark comedy for anyone who has experienced the comically unending labyrinth that is the US immigration system (or cares about people who do!)
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
What if all that stood between you, and your long-sought future security, was the government forcing you to eat a big ol’ bug?
Sounds bonkers, but here’s the thing. Anyone who's gone through in the US immigration system can attest to the fact that can be 10-out-of-10 nuts. Bug is a surreal comedy about this side of the process; the frustrations of constantly having to prove oneself worthy in a system where the goalposts keep moving. It starts with our protagonist Kasha Swami having finally secured a green card interview after 10 years of waiting, under a new "fast-track" program. And not a moment too soon, as she’s just lost the job that was sponsoring her visa. But upon completing the interview, she finds out there's one additional stipulation she didn't know about: in order to prove her emotional commitment to migrating—and so the officers can choose from "an abundance of qualified candidates" she's asked to eat a dead bug.
Faced with an absolutely insane choice—consume the specimen or abandon her shot at permanent residency—Kasha moves through doubt, disbelief and desperation while contending with three apologetic, but unflappable immigration officers who insist they’re on her side. As the interview descends into chaos, she has to decide what her limits are, if indeed they exist.
Bug is urgently relevant now as a humanizing story in these insane, polarized times where immigration has become weaponized. It de-flattens immigrants by showing the effort, frustration and tangle of difficult decisions behind a person’s choice to come here, doing away with the over-simplified idea that “getting in” is a win with no drawbacks or regrets. Seeing even a small part of the challenges this journey entails, is critical to seeing immigrants as fully-formed people.
Kasha, the rule-follower: Kasha is the voice of reason caught in a shit storm of crazy. She’s a head down, keep-out-of-trouble type who desperately wants to make a good impression but if you push her just far enough, you'll unleash the Type A freakout within.
Immigration Officer 1 aka "Dad Band": a friendly, salt-of-the-earth, cargo-shorts-sporting uncle who'll happily talk your ear off about correct lawn-mowing technique. He’s proud of Kasha, and wants to see this kiddo succeed but shucks, can’t she see she’s just gotta play by the rules to do that?
Immigration Officer 2 aka "Necklace": Necklace loves her soul-cycle, matching lounge sets and secretly dreams of getting corn-rows but obviously WOULD NEVER. In her head, she’s the cool adult that the youths feel comfortable talking to. She’s crunchy granola now, but in 10 years she’ll be a Karen.
Immigration Officer 3 aka "Crew Cut": the least friendly of the three officers, and the least tolerant of Kasha’s hesitation to bug-eat. He a “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” guy, likely served, has a podcast about Napoleonic Wars military strategy, and runs Iron Mans for fun.
The Receptionist, the gatekeeper: we've all met The Receptionist. The Receptionist has nothing to do, and also no time for you. You've broken a rule but she won't tell you how to fix it and if you ask for clarification she will murder you with her eyes.
We’re script-locked and have our core crew (director, producer, DP and Production Designer) in place. Principal photography for Bug is scheduled for late July in NYC.
GET GENEROUS!
When you contribute to our campaign you are supporting a film that:
- Increases representation on screen by creating COMPLEX LEAD ROLES for South Asian women.
- Values DIVERSITY on and off the camera.
- HUMANIZES immigrants in a pretty horrible time for the community.
We’re thrilled to announce we’ve already been selected for the Wavelength grant (and one other we can't talk about till the press-release in May!) In addition to this, if we raise $12,000 through our Seed & Spark campaign we’ll be able to to cover the minimum costs of shooting the film at a production quality everyone involved can be proud of and avoid exploiting the work of all production members.
- If we raise $13,000, we'll be able to have contingency funds in place should anything go wrong.
- If we raise $15,000, we'll be able to cover post production, festival, distribution and promotional costs for completing and getting the film into the world and in front of a wider audience.
- If we raise $20,000, we'll be able to pay our director and producers (who are currently sacrificing pay for their work out of passion for the project and its message). And we'll be able to offer our team higher day rates for their time and effort!
SPREAD THE WORD!
- Follow our journey on Pratima’s Account on Instagram to get all the updates!
- Let people know about the film! People sharing the project with friends and family goes a HUGE way towards helping us make it a reality. Even posting something as simple as this in Instagram:
- Help @p.mmoney and a group of diverse independent filmmakers by supporting the dark, absurd immigration comedy BUG on @seedandspark! Join them here: https://seedandspark.com/fund/bug-the-short-film #bugtheshortfilm #crowdfunding #indiefilm #bugtheshortfilm #crowdfunding #indiefilm
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONSIDERING OUR PROJECT!
-Pratima
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew Meals
Costs $1,500
We want to feed everyone who's working on this. Humans famously love being fed!
Camera & Lighting Equipment rentals
Costs $3,000
Cameras! Lights! Sound Recording Equipment! We need 'em for all the obvious reasons.
Equipment Van + Gas
Costs $600
We need a big van to move equipment between locations!
Hiring Actors
Costs $2,750
We need 'em to act and be paid fairly for it!
Design + Special Effects supplies
Costs $500
We gotta dress our sets and build our props including one very special lil' bug.
Location Rentals (DMV-Style Immigration Office)
Costs $2,000
We're shooting in an office and (this is the expensive part) an immigration office style lobby.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Picture Car + Gas
Costs $500
We need a regular car to help us shuttle cast and crew between locations!
Insured Parking
Costs $1,000
We need an insured parking lot overnights to park our van full of expensive camera equipment!
Special Coffee Fund
Costs $150
Movie-making is long hours and hard work! I can't over-emphasize how much a steady coffee supply keeps everyone from murdering each other.
Share this update!
About This Team
PRATIMA MANI—WRITER/DIRECTOR
Pratima Mani is a 3-time Emmy nominated comedic writer and performer based in New York City, currently writing for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. She's also written for the likes of Reductress and Upright Citizens Brigade Theater’s Maude Night. She’s an alum of Spotify’s “Sound Up” US podcast bootcamp. Her last short "Stitched" screened at Hollyshorts, Julien Dubuque, Riverrun, CAAM Fest, New Filmakers LA and won Best Short at IFFSA. Alex Hirsch (Gravity Falls) once offered her a job and that was cool.
MATTHEW ROMANSKI—PRODUCER
Matthew Romanski is a New York-based producer on a mission to amplify diverse voices and empower unique, empathy-driven narratives. His recent works include, “The Scout” (2025), set to premiere at Tribeca (2025) and “NWA” (2024), which won Best Narrative at the Denton Black Film Festival.
CHRIS VIOLETTE—DP
Chris is a Brooklyn-based DP and shoots a mix of narrative and documentary work. He most recently shot “The Big Game”, a dark comedy feature executive produced by Jim Cummings. Previously he shot “Frogtown”, an experimental narrative feature film highlighting the weird and wonderful residents of a small town in Florida. He’s also worked with director Antonio Méndez Esparza (2018 John Cassavetes Independent Spirit Award) on three documentaries highlighting Florida's Early Childhood Court System.
BETSY FIGGINGER—CASTING DIRECTOR
Betsy Fippinger has worked on projects directed by Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Bo Burnham. She won an Artios Award for her work as the Casting Associate on the pilot episode of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”. Betsy cast Sarah Friedland’s upcoming “Familiar Touch” (winner of three awards at Venice ’24, including Best Debut Film), co-cast Nicholas Colia’s “Griffin in Summer” (winner of three awards at Tribeca ‘24, including Best Narrative Feature), and cast the lead youth roles for “Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret,” for which she won her second Artios Award.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
What if all that stood between you, and your long-sought future security, was the government forcing you to eat a big ol’ bug?
Sounds bonkers, but here’s the thing. Anyone who's gone through in the US immigration system can attest to the fact that can be 10-out-of-10 nuts. Bug is a surreal comedy about this side of the process; the frustrations of constantly having to prove oneself worthy in a system where the goalposts keep moving. It starts with our protagonist Kasha Swami having finally secured a green card interview after 10 years of waiting, under a new "fast-track" program. And not a moment too soon, as she’s just lost the job that was sponsoring her visa. But upon completing the interview, she finds out there's one additional stipulation she didn't know about: in order to prove her emotional commitment to migrating—and so the officers can choose from "an abundance of qualified candidates" she's asked to eat a dead bug.
Faced with an absolutely insane choice—consume the specimen or abandon her shot at permanent residency—Kasha moves through doubt, disbelief and desperation while contending with three apologetic, but unflappable immigration officers who insist they’re on her side. As the interview descends into chaos, she has to decide what her limits are, if indeed they exist.
Bug is urgently relevant now as a humanizing story in these insane, polarized times where immigration has become weaponized. It de-flattens immigrants by showing the effort, frustration and tangle of difficult decisions behind a person’s choice to come here, doing away with the over-simplified idea that “getting in” is a win with no drawbacks or regrets. Seeing even a small part of the challenges this journey entails, is critical to seeing immigrants as fully-formed people.
Kasha, the rule-follower: Kasha is the voice of reason caught in a shit storm of crazy. She’s a head down, keep-out-of-trouble type who desperately wants to make a good impression but if you push her just far enough, you'll unleash the Type A freakout within.
Immigration Officer 1 aka "Dad Band": a friendly, salt-of-the-earth, cargo-shorts-sporting uncle who'll happily talk your ear off about correct lawn-mowing technique. He’s proud of Kasha, and wants to see this kiddo succeed but shucks, can’t she see she’s just gotta play by the rules to do that?
Immigration Officer 2 aka "Necklace": Necklace loves her soul-cycle, matching lounge sets and secretly dreams of getting corn-rows but obviously WOULD NEVER. In her head, she’s the cool adult that the youths feel comfortable talking to. She’s crunchy granola now, but in 10 years she’ll be a Karen.
Immigration Officer 3 aka "Crew Cut": the least friendly of the three officers, and the least tolerant of Kasha’s hesitation to bug-eat. He a “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” guy, likely served, has a podcast about Napoleonic Wars military strategy, and runs Iron Mans for fun.
The Receptionist, the gatekeeper: we've all met The Receptionist. The Receptionist has nothing to do, and also no time for you. You've broken a rule but she won't tell you how to fix it and if you ask for clarification she will murder you with her eyes.
We’re script-locked and have our core crew (director, producer, DP and Production Designer) in place. Principal photography for Bug is scheduled for late July in NYC.
GET GENEROUS!
When you contribute to our campaign you are supporting a film that:
- Increases representation on screen by creating COMPLEX LEAD ROLES for South Asian women.
- Values DIVERSITY on and off the camera.
- HUMANIZES immigrants in a pretty horrible time for the community.
We’re thrilled to announce we’ve already been selected for the Wavelength grant (and one other we can't talk about till the press-release in May!) In addition to this, if we raise $12,000 through our Seed & Spark campaign we’ll be able to to cover the minimum costs of shooting the film at a production quality everyone involved can be proud of and avoid exploiting the work of all production members.
- If we raise $13,000, we'll be able to have contingency funds in place should anything go wrong.
- If we raise $15,000, we'll be able to cover post production, festival, distribution and promotional costs for completing and getting the film into the world and in front of a wider audience.
- If we raise $20,000, we'll be able to pay our director and producers (who are currently sacrificing pay for their work out of passion for the project and its message). And we'll be able to offer our team higher day rates for their time and effort!
SPREAD THE WORD!
- Follow our journey on Pratima’s Account on Instagram to get all the updates!
- Let people know about the film! People sharing the project with friends and family goes a HUGE way towards helping us make it a reality. Even posting something as simple as this in Instagram:
- Help @p.mmoney and a group of diverse independent filmmakers by supporting the dark, absurd immigration comedy BUG on @seedandspark! Join them here: https://seedandspark.com/fund/bug-the-short-film #bugtheshortfilm #crowdfunding #indiefilm #bugtheshortfilm #crowdfunding #indiefilm
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONSIDERING OUR PROJECT!
-Pratima
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew Meals
Costs $1,500
We want to feed everyone who's working on this. Humans famously love being fed!
Camera & Lighting Equipment rentals
Costs $3,000
Cameras! Lights! Sound Recording Equipment! We need 'em for all the obvious reasons.
Equipment Van + Gas
Costs $600
We need a big van to move equipment between locations!
Hiring Actors
Costs $2,750
We need 'em to act and be paid fairly for it!
Design + Special Effects supplies
Costs $500
We gotta dress our sets and build our props including one very special lil' bug.
Location Rentals (DMV-Style Immigration Office)
Costs $2,000
We're shooting in an office and (this is the expensive part) an immigration office style lobby.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Picture Car + Gas
Costs $500
We need a regular car to help us shuttle cast and crew between locations!
Insured Parking
Costs $1,000
We need an insured parking lot overnights to park our van full of expensive camera equipment!
Special Coffee Fund
Costs $150
Movie-making is long hours and hard work! I can't over-emphasize how much a steady coffee supply keeps everyone from murdering each other.
Share this update!
About This Team
PRATIMA MANI—WRITER/DIRECTOR
Pratima Mani is a 3-time Emmy nominated comedic writer and performer based in New York City, currently writing for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. She's also written for the likes of Reductress and Upright Citizens Brigade Theater’s Maude Night. She’s an alum of Spotify’s “Sound Up” US podcast bootcamp. Her last short "Stitched" screened at Hollyshorts, Julien Dubuque, Riverrun, CAAM Fest, New Filmakers LA and won Best Short at IFFSA. Alex Hirsch (Gravity Falls) once offered her a job and that was cool.
MATTHEW ROMANSKI—PRODUCER
Matthew Romanski is a New York-based producer on a mission to amplify diverse voices and empower unique, empathy-driven narratives. His recent works include, “The Scout” (2025), set to premiere at Tribeca (2025) and “NWA” (2024), which won Best Narrative at the Denton Black Film Festival.
CHRIS VIOLETTE—DP
Chris is a Brooklyn-based DP and shoots a mix of narrative and documentary work. He most recently shot “The Big Game”, a dark comedy feature executive produced by Jim Cummings. Previously he shot “Frogtown”, an experimental narrative feature film highlighting the weird and wonderful residents of a small town in Florida. He’s also worked with director Antonio Méndez Esparza (2018 John Cassavetes Independent Spirit Award) on three documentaries highlighting Florida's Early Childhood Court System.
BETSY FIGGINGER—CASTING DIRECTOR
Betsy Fippinger has worked on projects directed by Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Bo Burnham. She won an Artios Award for her work as the Casting Associate on the pilot episode of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”. Betsy cast Sarah Friedland’s upcoming “Familiar Touch” (winner of three awards at Venice ’24, including Best Debut Film), co-cast Nicholas Colia’s “Griffin in Summer” (winner of three awards at Tribeca ‘24, including Best Narrative Feature), and cast the lead youth roles for “Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret,” for which she won her second Artios Award.