What happens when grief feels safer than connection?

Carrie’s Cemetery is a short film about the quiet weight of losing a parent, and the terrifying courage it takes to let someone sit beside you in that silence. Aubrey hasn’t been the same since her mother died. She keeps her life simple. Work. Home. Silence. Repeat. She avoids questions. She avoids memories. She avoids anything that might make her feel too much.

Every day, she passes the same cemetery. At first, it’s just background, a blur of stone, and stillness. But slowly, it becomes something else. It becomes a place where grief feels honest. A place where pretending isn’t required.

That’s where she meets Carrie.

Carrie is gentle, observant, and unexpectedly comforting. She speaks about loss without flinching. She listens without trying to fix anything. With Carrie, Aubrey begins to open up in ways she hasn’t allowed herself to since her mother’s passing. Then, there’s Dylan. A guarded, withdrawn person, carrying his own unresolved pain. Through small, tentative interactions, the three form a fragile connection built on shared grief and unspoken understanding. But healing asks something terrifying: vulnerability.

Aubrey must decide whether staying numb feels safer than risking connection.

This is an intimate, emotionally grounded film about depression, loss, and the quiet ways we learn to survive. Healing rarely arrives loudly. Sometimes, it shows up as someone sitting beside you in silence.

Why This Story Matters

Grief is universal. Isolation is often invisible.

We live in a culture that tells people to “stay strong” and “move on.” But many people don’t move on, instead, they shut down. They withdraw. They convince themselves that being alone is easier than explaining their pain.

This film speaks to:

• Anyone who has lost a parent
• Anyone battling depression in silence
• Anyone who doesn’t know how to reach someone they love who is grieving

We want to tell a story that says:

You are not strange for struggling.

You are not weak for grieving.

You do not have to carry it alone.

This project creates space for conversation around mental health and loss, especially among young adults who often feel pressure to appear “okay.”

Why are we the Ones to Tell It?

Our goal is not just to make a short film.

This project was born from real conversations about grief that felt unfinished. Moments where someone said, “I don’t know how to talk about this,” and the subject changed.

As emerging filmmakers, building Skyline Cinematics Production Company in Scottsdale, Arizona, we believe storytelling can open doors that everyday conversation cannot. We are drawn to stories that sit in uncomfortable silence, because that’s often where truth lives.

This is our first short film as a production company, and we want it to set the standard for everything that follows: grounded performances, intimate storytelling, and emotional honesty. There is a growing mental health crisis among young adults. More people are struggling quietly than ever before. Conversations around grief and depression still carry stigma. We believe film has the power to soften that stigma, and to make someone feel seen when they need it most.

If this story didn’t exist, that quiet space for recognition might not either.

Why we need your help

Independent films are powered by community.

When you support this project, you become part of the storytelling process. You help create something that might reach someone on a day when they feel completely alone.

Your contribution will directly support:

• Securing filming locations, including a residential home and cemetery
• Camera and professional sound equipment rentals
• Meals for our cast and crew
• Production design and art direction
• Post-production editing and sound mixing
• Film festival submission fees

Our goal is to complete principal photography shortly after this campaign concludes, move directly into post-production, and submit to local and national film festivals within the year. Backers at eligible levels will receive early access to the completed short film before its public release. We are committed to keeping our supporters updated throughout the entire process with behind-the-scenes content, progress updates, and a clear timeline toward completion. Every contribution matters. Every share matters.

Thank you for helping us bring this story to life.