Cherry Cola
Washington, District of Columbia | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
A lonely and disillusioned young woman, enraged by her circumstances, finds an unlikely way to get hers.
Cherry Cola
Washington, District of Columbia | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
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A lonely and disillusioned young woman, enraged by her circumstances, finds an unlikely way to get hers.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Synopsis
Sherri is a lonely and restless young woman still grieving her brother's overdose a year ago. When she shoplifts from her own place of employment on her day off, she loses the only form of income she could possibly use to get herself a lawyer to reduce the felony charge. Asking her mom is out of the question- she couldn't do that to her- and besides, she wouldn't have the money. Sherri's horrible day is made worse by running into Tom, who she's been hooking up with for a year, and who she wishes would finally actually notice her. After yet another terrible sexual encounter with him, Sherri's had enough. Humiliated, angry, and stuck, she gets an idea. And Tom won't like it.
Director's Statement
Cherry Cola is a hoodwink story about a woman who uses the man who used her to get what she needs. In a culture that distinctly divides people into winners and losers, she is preoccupied with becoming a winner. Winners will sacrifice anything — their sense of self, their communities, their morality — to get what they want. Losers stay put. Sherri frequently finds herself in an American daydream -- walking around the mall in her town, thinking her life will start when she leaves, when she goes somewhere else, when she becomes rich and powerful and successful, not realizing that this is her life, it has begun, it is right now.
When I wrote this, I thought of myself and my peers at the outset of adulthood. I thought of the loneliness, the selfishness, the disillusionment, pierced with twisted attempts to connect. I thought of my preoccupation with power as a way to overcome gender, how that became all mixed up with my sexuality and my autonomy and my encounters with men. I thought of feeling enraged -- for myself, for my friends, for people who were taken advantage of in ways I couldn't fathom. I wanted so badly to be seen. But how can you be seen when you yourself aren’t really seeing anyone else?
Sherri takes cues from a culture that celebrates those who are smart enough and cunning enough to dupe people into making them a profit. The myth of the American Dream proliferates while opportunities are so often bought, not earned. Maybe people who do bad things for money do so in a system that treats money as the ultimate balm for the soul, smoothing over pain, over mistakes, even over loneliness. When she gets stuck, Sherri behaves recklessly, taking what is not hers. But there is something delicious in the taking.
Production will begin in mid-October. We've assembled an amazing team with a wealth of experience and passion, but we do still need all the help we can get.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera
Costs $700
The lenses and supportive equipment we need to rent to complete our camera kit.
Share this update!
About This Team
Amandine Thomas
(Writer, Director, Producer)
Amandine is a writer, actor, and director who holds a BFA in Drama from NYU.
Tayler Robinson
(Producer)
Tayler was born in Hawaii, raised in Illinois, and holds a BFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She’s best-known for her first short film- GARBAGE- which she produced, directed, co-wrote, and starred in. In 2017, GARBAGE was an official selection at NewFilmmakers LA, Defy Film Festival, and Kansas City LGBT Film Festival. The film was featured as a critic’s pick on Film School Rejects and was awarded a "Spirit of NoBudge Award.” Her second film- YOU ARE GOING TO EXPLODE- premiered at Sidewalk Film Festival in August 2019. When she’s not directing, she spends her time as a freelance producer, assistant director and editor. She lives in both Chicago and LA, depending on the weather.
Marquise Nichols
(Producer)
Marquise is a videographer and producer based in Washington, D.C. Since she was seven years old, she has been passionate and curious about production since seeing Busta Rhymes’ “Gimmie Me Some More” music video. When she’s not doing some random task on a film set, you can find her listening to a true crime podcast or daydreaming about being Beyoncé’s personal assistant.
Marielena Planas
(Producer)
Marielena is an editor at National Geographic in Washington D.C. She most recently produced and edited the new digital series, Nat Geo’s Most Epic Photos, that features top contributing photographers.
Will Engebretson
(Director of Photography)
Will has worked every job on a film set from the Camera Department to Hair & Make-Up. The only constant is his love for moving images. And making stuff with his friends. Based in Los Angeles & DC, Will just quit his day job in television to pursue a full-time career writing and directing.
Drigan Lee
(Actor, Editor)
Drigan is a filmmaker from Lancaster, PA. As a director and editor he's created videos for Vox Media, Conde Nast Entertainment, Universal Music, Discovery Digital, and Vice. Film and television acting credits include Hammerhead (pilot – prod. Tony Gilroy), Ithaca (dir. Meg Ryan), Law and Order: SVU (guest star), Redwood (dir. Molly Lowe, MOMA Screening series), and numerous short films. His stage acting credits include productions at Cherry Lane Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Penguin Repertory Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Colt Coeur, and Steppenwolf Theatre. He studied theatre at Northwestern University.
Negeen Kianersi
(Costume Design)
Negeen works for Planned Parenthood in Washington D.C. She is a passionate advocate for health equity and social justice. When she is not fighting to expand healthcare for all, you can find her shredding the streets in her rollerblades listening to Meg Thee Stallion.
Dominique Muñoz
(Assistant Camera)
Dominique is a passionate artist using photography as a medium for storytelling. He received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Photography and Film from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2015. In 2016, he became Clark Construction’s first Photographer-in-Residence. With his new role, he travelled around the country shedding light on the men and women who worked so diligently on construction sites. This experience landed Muñoz a solo exhibition at the National Building Museum in 2017. Muñoz continues his journey as a photographer in the Washington D.C. He currently works at Framebridge as their In-house photographer & Videographer.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Synopsis
Sherri is a lonely and restless young woman still grieving her brother's overdose a year ago. When she shoplifts from her own place of employment on her day off, she loses the only form of income she could possibly use to get herself a lawyer to reduce the felony charge. Asking her mom is out of the question- she couldn't do that to her- and besides, she wouldn't have the money. Sherri's horrible day is made worse by running into Tom, who she's been hooking up with for a year, and who she wishes would finally actually notice her. After yet another terrible sexual encounter with him, Sherri's had enough. Humiliated, angry, and stuck, she gets an idea. And Tom won't like it.
Director's Statement
Cherry Cola is a hoodwink story about a woman who uses the man who used her to get what she needs. In a culture that distinctly divides people into winners and losers, she is preoccupied with becoming a winner. Winners will sacrifice anything — their sense of self, their communities, their morality — to get what they want. Losers stay put. Sherri frequently finds herself in an American daydream -- walking around the mall in her town, thinking her life will start when she leaves, when she goes somewhere else, when she becomes rich and powerful and successful, not realizing that this is her life, it has begun, it is right now.
When I wrote this, I thought of myself and my peers at the outset of adulthood. I thought of the loneliness, the selfishness, the disillusionment, pierced with twisted attempts to connect. I thought of my preoccupation with power as a way to overcome gender, how that became all mixed up with my sexuality and my autonomy and my encounters with men. I thought of feeling enraged -- for myself, for my friends, for people who were taken advantage of in ways I couldn't fathom. I wanted so badly to be seen. But how can you be seen when you yourself aren’t really seeing anyone else?
Sherri takes cues from a culture that celebrates those who are smart enough and cunning enough to dupe people into making them a profit. The myth of the American Dream proliferates while opportunities are so often bought, not earned. Maybe people who do bad things for money do so in a system that treats money as the ultimate balm for the soul, smoothing over pain, over mistakes, even over loneliness. When she gets stuck, Sherri behaves recklessly, taking what is not hers. But there is something delicious in the taking.
Production will begin in mid-October. We've assembled an amazing team with a wealth of experience and passion, but we do still need all the help we can get.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera
Costs $700
The lenses and supportive equipment we need to rent to complete our camera kit.
Share this update!
About This Team
Amandine Thomas
(Writer, Director, Producer)
Amandine is a writer, actor, and director who holds a BFA in Drama from NYU.
Tayler Robinson
(Producer)
Tayler was born in Hawaii, raised in Illinois, and holds a BFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She’s best-known for her first short film- GARBAGE- which she produced, directed, co-wrote, and starred in. In 2017, GARBAGE was an official selection at NewFilmmakers LA, Defy Film Festival, and Kansas City LGBT Film Festival. The film was featured as a critic’s pick on Film School Rejects and was awarded a "Spirit of NoBudge Award.” Her second film- YOU ARE GOING TO EXPLODE- premiered at Sidewalk Film Festival in August 2019. When she’s not directing, she spends her time as a freelance producer, assistant director and editor. She lives in both Chicago and LA, depending on the weather.
Marquise Nichols
(Producer)
Marquise is a videographer and producer based in Washington, D.C. Since she was seven years old, she has been passionate and curious about production since seeing Busta Rhymes’ “Gimmie Me Some More” music video. When she’s not doing some random task on a film set, you can find her listening to a true crime podcast or daydreaming about being Beyoncé’s personal assistant.
Marielena Planas
(Producer)
Marielena is an editor at National Geographic in Washington D.C. She most recently produced and edited the new digital series, Nat Geo’s Most Epic Photos, that features top contributing photographers.
Will Engebretson
(Director of Photography)
Will has worked every job on a film set from the Camera Department to Hair & Make-Up. The only constant is his love for moving images. And making stuff with his friends. Based in Los Angeles & DC, Will just quit his day job in television to pursue a full-time career writing and directing.
Drigan Lee
(Actor, Editor)
Drigan is a filmmaker from Lancaster, PA. As a director and editor he's created videos for Vox Media, Conde Nast Entertainment, Universal Music, Discovery Digital, and Vice. Film and television acting credits include Hammerhead (pilot – prod. Tony Gilroy), Ithaca (dir. Meg Ryan), Law and Order: SVU (guest star), Redwood (dir. Molly Lowe, MOMA Screening series), and numerous short films. His stage acting credits include productions at Cherry Lane Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Penguin Repertory Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Colt Coeur, and Steppenwolf Theatre. He studied theatre at Northwestern University.
Negeen Kianersi
(Costume Design)
Negeen works for Planned Parenthood in Washington D.C. She is a passionate advocate for health equity and social justice. When she is not fighting to expand healthcare for all, you can find her shredding the streets in her rollerblades listening to Meg Thee Stallion.
Dominique Muñoz
(Assistant Camera)
Dominique is a passionate artist using photography as a medium for storytelling. He received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Photography and Film from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2015. In 2016, he became Clark Construction’s first Photographer-in-Residence. With his new role, he travelled around the country shedding light on the men and women who worked so diligently on construction sites. This experience landed Muñoz a solo exhibition at the National Building Museum in 2017. Muñoz continues his journey as a photographer in the Washington D.C. He currently works at Framebridge as their In-house photographer & Videographer.