CHOCK FULL UNTIL EMPTY
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, Comedy
Executive Produced by Erika Alexander, the film is a heartfelt, darkly comedic coming-of-age surreal drama that explores coping with challenging emotions through substance abuse. It delves into body image, mental health, complex family dynamics, and the transformative power of facing our shadows.
CHOCK FULL UNTIL EMPTY
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, Comedy
Green Light
This campaign raised $18,880 for production phase 2. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
186 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Executive Produced by Erika Alexander, the film is a heartfelt, darkly comedic coming-of-age surreal drama that explores coping with challenging emotions through substance abuse. It delves into body image, mental health, complex family dynamics, and the transformative power of facing our shadows.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
*Please FOLLOW the campaign by clicking the HEART button! Seed&Spark rewards creators with perks like free film festival submissions and other helpful tools based on how many people are following the project. Thank you!!*
At its core, the film is about the destructive ways we cope and self-soothe when we don't have adequate emotional support and the resources to deal in healthier ways.
The film follows thirteen-year-old BEA, a creative and strong-willed Nigerian-American girl who struggles with body image and self-worth as she deals with the sudden shift of the status quo after her estranged aunt PHUMIE comes to live with her family. An eccentric, failed musician who hails from the Midwest, Phumie becomes a caregiver for Bea and her younger sister while their parents are mostly absent, working many hours. First off, Bea feels bitter that Phumie is staying in her bedroom, which is ripe fuel for Bea’s grievance against Phumie. In fact, Bea sees Phumie as a formidable foe who has other strikes against her, including monitoring Bea’s weight and bossing her around.
On a late summer day, Phumie accompanies Bea and her sister, Opal, on a back-to-school shopping trip. During the outing, tensions rise between Bea and Phumie as Bea resists Phumie’s authority and Phumie makes several chaotic missteps as a new caregiver. Bea strategizes how to drive Phumie away with the help of her malevolent Doppelgänger, an imagined manifestation of the thoughts and emotions Bea suppresses and a surreal flourish throughout the film.
Underscoring the core conflict are moments that show Bea struggling with her body image and self-worth, oftentimes turning to food to cope and, ultimately, numb. In parallel, we also learn that Phumie has her own parallel struggle, which has serious consequences for how she shows up as a caretaker.
*Speaking of emotional and mental health resources, we've partnered with MyWellbeing as a sponsor of the film to advocate for the importance of therapy. MyWellbeing matches therapy-seekers with the best fit therapist for their unique needs--for free! Share your preferences through their easy, brief online questionnaire to receive the best three matches for you and book complimentary consultations to confirm your fit before ever spending a dime. Finding a therapist can be hard on your own, but with MyWellbeing, it's the least stressful thing about mental health. Take care of you today.*
BEA: Bea is thirteen, though she’s an old soul at heart. She’s imaginative, creative, smart, and strong-willed. She expresses herself through fashion and even designs her own clothes. She finds comfort in emotional eating which impacts her body image. As the eldest with busy parents, she takes on adult responsibilities, including caring for her younger sister, Opal. Bea resists authority and feels particularly challenged when her eccentric aunt, Phumie, arrives, disrupting her life. Bea seeks a sense of agency and control at this delicate time of adolescence when many things don’t seem to be working out in her favor, especially the size of her body.
PHUMIE: Phumie wants a fresh start. She’s desperate to prove to herself, her estranged sister Grace, and those around her that she’s responsible and can keep it together. She’s creative, freewheeling, quirky, and, at the moment, also directionless. She’s a failed musician who hails from the Midwest, moving there from Nigeria in her early 20s. At her core, she is caring and well-meaning, but her secret dependency on alcohol has serious consequences for how she shows up as a new caregiver for Bea and her sister.
BEA’S DOPPELGÄNGER: Physically identical to Bea, though she’s always cloaked in darkness, opting for an emo or “E-girl” aesthetic. The Doppelgänger defies the logic of time and space, often showing up in the media Bea sees or in unexpected places. The Doppelgänger is an imagined manifestation of Bea’s “shadow”, the thoughts, emotions, and parts of herself that she suppresses. The Doppelgänger pushes Bea to do things she wouldn’t normally let herself do.
KEISHA: She’s fun, confident, and caring. Bea’s best friend who lives on the same street. Always up for an adventure and experiencing new things. She always has Bea's back when things get tough.
MEET THE TEAM
Efe Kabba - Writer, Director, Producer
Efe Kabba is a a multi-hyphenate visual storyteller, facilitator, meditation and Reiki practitioner, and community builder. She was born in Abuja, Nigeria and immigrated to New York City at the age of five to escape the threat of a hostile military regime. Growing up, she honed her storytelling skills through writing short stories, poetry, and screenplays and acting in school theater productions.
She received her BA in Media Studies from Pomona College. After that, she travelled the world as a Watson Fellow pursuing a passion project about the merging of physical and virtual spaces. She then went on to develop and write video content at Conde Nast Entertainment and co-produced “Snakeeater”, an indie feature directed by Tore Knos. As a writer-director, her work has screened at MoMA, NoBudge, Bushwick Film Festival, and Cucalorus Film Festival. A PSA she directed won Silver at the 2024 Anthem Awards (the social good off-shoot of The Webbys). She is a recent alum of NYU Tisch Graduate Film where she received an MFA in Writing and Directing for Film and Television and was a recipient of the distinguished Dean’s Fellowship. My past work: https://www.efekabba.com/
Erika Alexander - Executive Producer
SAG and Independent Spirit award nominated Erika Alexander is beloved for her iconic acting roles as Maxine Shaw (“Living Single”), Detective Latoya (GET OUT), Cousin Pam (“The Cosby Show”), Perenna (“Black Lightning”), and Linda Diggs (“Wutang: An American Saga”). Erika wears many hats as not only an actress, but also a trailblazing activist, entrepreneur, creator, producer, and director — an all-around boss. Erika represents one of the most bold, daring, and powerful voices in our country today. Erika can currently be seen in Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut AMERICAN FICTION starring alongside Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, and Tracee Ellis Ross.
As a creator, Erika recognizes that stories, when socially conscious and carefully constructed, have the capacity to create impact and meaningful change. As co-founder of Color Farm Media and Board Member of VoteRunLead, Alexander is on a mission to bring greater equity, inclusion, and diverse representation to both media and electoral politics.
Ben Arnon - Executive Producer
Ben Arnon is co-founder of Color Farm Media. Ben’s co-founder is award-winning actress/writer/ producer/activist, Erika Alexander. Color Farm, self-described as the “Motown of film, TV, and tech,” develops and produces scripted and unscripted content for film, television, streaming, and podcast platforms. Color Farm's mission is to bring greater equity, inclusion, and diverse representation to media.
Ben Arnon’s professional background uniquely positions him to lead a 21st century, forward-thinking company that spans across content and technology. Ben was integral in scaling the Facebook-incubated tech startup, Wildfire, from 6 to over 400 employees and an acquisition by Google. In media, Ben has led business development for Yahoo! Music and worked in numerous business and creative roles at Universal Pictures, Universal Music Group, Jersey Films and Scott Rudin Productions.
Nate Freyman - Executive Producer
Nate Freyman comes to the production team with over ten years of production experience in both the filmmaking and marketing spaces. His first feature film, ART AND PEP, won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Chicago International Film Festival and is currently streaming on Peacock. Nate holds a Master's degree in International Film Business from the London Film School and the University of Exeter and currently works as a marketing producer for Apple TV+.
Louise Zhang - Cinematographer
Louise Zhang is a Chinese born, and New York based filmmaker. Born and raised in Shanghai, Louise came to the States at the age of 15. Her films cross many genres, combining an eastern sensibility with western storytelling, evoking universal emotions through specific narratives. Louise is a recent graduate of the Grad Film program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
This film is deeply personal, and writing it has been a vehicle for self-healing, a way for me to revisit and make sense of old memories that have shaped my life experience on this planet. It's also universal. I wanted to explore the various ways we fill ourselves with external things to numb and avoid our feelings, and I did this through the strained relationship between two characters who are struggling in their own ways. This story is important because it conveys a powerful message and advances the representation of historically ridiculed and marginalized bodies.
Bea and Phumie feel deeply, and many of those feelings are painful, so life becomes constantly strategizing how to suppress and escape. Escape from prisons—bodies— that are sources of pain and discomfort. I'm fascinated by the dynamic and tension that arise with these two characters, who are similar in several ways—sensitive, creative, independent, and with parallel struggles. They are essentially mirrors of each other. They unconsciously see themselves reflected in each other, and they don't like what they see.
My intention is to add to the longstanding coming-of-age genre but portray a nuanced story that I personally haven't seen before. I wanted to write a story about a fat person where the main narrative thrust isn't just about them being fat, which is a perspective I don't see much of in narrative films and television.
Help shift the culture by supporting this film!
- Support a story about mental health, about Black bodies, and about queerness.
- Female directors of color still make up less than 2% of directors. Support the new generation of storytellers (box office numbers show this is the future!).
- Black actors make up 12.9% of leading roles in cable-scripted shows, but only 6% of writers, directors, and producers of U.S. produced films are Black.
WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP
This is an ambitious short film with complex elements like driving scenes, hard to procure (and expensive) locations, sensitive material, and lots of VFX. The first round of production was mostly self funded with the additional help of a few generous individual supporters. We shot about ⅔ of the film in September 2023 but due to insurmountable circumstances out of our control (rain! losing locations!) and limited resources we weren’t able to shoot the remainder of the film. We still have several more integral scenes to film in a second round of production.
Your contribution will go directly towards:
- Securing locations including a mall and thrift store
- Feeding the cast and crew
- Additional set dressing & props
- Additional costumes
- Camera and grip equipment
- Transportation for camera equipment and set dressing/props
- Picture Vehicles (the cool purple one)
- Production Insurance
OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT
If you want to see the film get made but aren’t in a financial position to give at the moment, there are more ways to support!
- Follow us on social media
- Instagram: @chockfullfilm
- Share the campaign with your friends and family
- Follow the campaign on Seed & Spark (this platform rewards creators for attracting followers, just click the HEART button at the top of the page)
THANK YOU FOR HELPING MAKE THIS FILM COME TO LIFE! <3
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Feed the Cast and Crew
Costs $3,500
Making a film is hard work! Help nourish our cast and crew to have the energy to sustain each shoot day.
Locations
Costs $6,000
We need to secure a mall and a thrift store, two locations that are tricky to lock in and tend to cost more. We lost both last time :(
Camera Equipment
Costs $3,300
Vital for capturing every moment and emotion with cinematic quality, ensuring a visually stunning story.
Transportation
Costs $2,500
Needed for efficiently moving equipment and crew between locations, ensuring we stay on schedule and within budget.
Set Dressing
Costs $800
Helps create authentic and visually engaging environments that bring the world of our characters to life.
Picture Vehicles
Costs $500
A big chunk of the story takes place in a car. Yes, that cool purple one on the main page!
Makeup and Hairdressing
Costs $900
Phumie's iconic blue hair! Bea's braids! Authentic looks that reflect the characters' personalities and emotions.
Costumes
Costs $300
Fashion plays a big role in the film. Although most of the costumes in the film are complete, there are still a few more to create.
Production Insurance
Costs $600
Necessary to protect against unforeseen issues and ensure a smooth and secure filming process from start to finish.
Outstanding Expenses (1st production round)
Costs $1,600
Covering some remaining costs from the first production round to ensure a seamless transition into the second phase of filming.
Contingency (10%)
Costs $2,000
Provides a safety net for unexpected costs, ensuring we can handle surprises and keep the production on track.
Share this update!
About This Team
MEET THE TEAM
Efe Kabba, Writer, Director, Producer
Efe Kabba is a a multi-hyphenate visual storyteller, facilitator, meditation and Reiki practitioner, and community builder. She was born in Abuja, Nigeria and immigrated to New York City at the age of five to escape the threat of a hostile military regime. Growing up, she honed her storytelling skills through writing short stories, poetry, and screenplays and acting in school theater productions.
She received her BA in Media Studies from Pomona College. After that, she travelled the world as a Watson Fellow pursuing a passion project about the merging of physical and virtual spaces. She then went on to develop and write video content at Conde Nast Entertainment and co-produced “Snakeeater”, an indie feature directed by Tore Knos. As a writer-director, her work has screened at MoMA, NoBudge, Bushwick Film Festival, and Cucalorus Film Festival. A PSA she directed won Silver at the 2024 Anthem Awards (the social good off-shoot of The Webbys). She is a recent alum of NYU Tisch Graduate Film where she received an MFA in Writing and Directing for Film and Television and was a recipient of the distinguished Dean’s Fellowship.
Erika Alexander, Executive Producer
SAG and Independent Spirit award nominated Erika Alexander is beloved for her iconic acting roles as Maxine Shaw (“Living Single”), Detective Latoya (GET OUT), Cousin Pam (“The Cosby Show”), Perenna (“Black Lightning”), and Linda Diggs (“Wutang: An American Saga”). Erika wears many hats as not only an actress, but also a trailblazing activist, entrepreneur, creator, producer, and director — an all-around boss. Erika represents one of the most bold, daring, and powerful voices in our country today. Erika can currently be seen in Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut AMERICAN FICTION starring alongside Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, and Tracee Ellis Ross.
As a creator, Erika recognizes that stories, when socially conscious and carefully constructed, have the capacity to create impact and meaningful change. As co-founder of Color Farm Media and Board Member of VoteRunLead, Alexander is on a mission to bring greater equity, inclusion, and diverse representation to both media and electoral politics.
Ben Arnon, Executive Producer
Ben Arnon is co-founder of Color Farm Media. Ben’s co-founder is award-winning actress/writer/ producer/activist, Erika Alexander. Color Farm, self-described as the “Motown of film, TV, and tech,” develops and produces scripted and unscripted content for film, television, streaming, and podcast platforms. Color Farm's mission is to bring greater equity, inclusion, and diverse representation to media.
Ben Arnon’s professional background uniquely positions him to lead a 21st century, forward-thinking company that spans across content and technology. Ben was integral in scaling the Facebook-incubated tech startup, Wildfire, from 6 to over 400 employees and an acquisition by Google. In media, Ben has led business development for Yahoo! Music and worked in numerous business and creative roles at Universal Pictures, Universal Music Group, Jersey Films and Scott Rudin Productions.
Nate Freyman, Executive Producer
Nate Freyman comes to the production team with over ten years of production experience in both the filmmaking and marketing spaces. His first feature film, ART AND PEP, won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Chicago International Film Festival and is currently streaming on Peacock. Nate holds a Master's degree in International Film Business from the London Film School and the University of Exeter and currently works as a marketing producer for Apple TV+.
Louise Zhang, Cinematographer
Louise Zhang is a Chinese born, and New York based filmmaker. Born and raised in Shanghai, Louise came to the States at the age of 15. Her films cross many genres, combining an eastern sensibility with western storytelling, evoking universal emotions through specific narratives. Louise is a recent graduate of the Grad Film program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
*Please FOLLOW the campaign by clicking the HEART button! Seed&Spark rewards creators with perks like free film festival submissions and other helpful tools based on how many people are following the project. Thank you!!*
At its core, the film is about the destructive ways we cope and self-soothe when we don't have adequate emotional support and the resources to deal in healthier ways.
The film follows thirteen-year-old BEA, a creative and strong-willed Nigerian-American girl who struggles with body image and self-worth as she deals with the sudden shift of the status quo after her estranged aunt PHUMIE comes to live with her family. An eccentric, failed musician who hails from the Midwest, Phumie becomes a caregiver for Bea and her younger sister while their parents are mostly absent, working many hours. First off, Bea feels bitter that Phumie is staying in her bedroom, which is ripe fuel for Bea’s grievance against Phumie. In fact, Bea sees Phumie as a formidable foe who has other strikes against her, including monitoring Bea’s weight and bossing her around.
On a late summer day, Phumie accompanies Bea and her sister, Opal, on a back-to-school shopping trip. During the outing, tensions rise between Bea and Phumie as Bea resists Phumie’s authority and Phumie makes several chaotic missteps as a new caregiver. Bea strategizes how to drive Phumie away with the help of her malevolent Doppelgänger, an imagined manifestation of the thoughts and emotions Bea suppresses and a surreal flourish throughout the film.
Underscoring the core conflict are moments that show Bea struggling with her body image and self-worth, oftentimes turning to food to cope and, ultimately, numb. In parallel, we also learn that Phumie has her own parallel struggle, which has serious consequences for how she shows up as a caretaker.
*Speaking of emotional and mental health resources, we've partnered with MyWellbeing as a sponsor of the film to advocate for the importance of therapy. MyWellbeing matches therapy-seekers with the best fit therapist for their unique needs--for free! Share your preferences through their easy, brief online questionnaire to receive the best three matches for you and book complimentary consultations to confirm your fit before ever spending a dime. Finding a therapist can be hard on your own, but with MyWellbeing, it's the least stressful thing about mental health. Take care of you today.*
BEA: Bea is thirteen, though she’s an old soul at heart. She’s imaginative, creative, smart, and strong-willed. She expresses herself through fashion and even designs her own clothes. She finds comfort in emotional eating which impacts her body image. As the eldest with busy parents, she takes on adult responsibilities, including caring for her younger sister, Opal. Bea resists authority and feels particularly challenged when her eccentric aunt, Phumie, arrives, disrupting her life. Bea seeks a sense of agency and control at this delicate time of adolescence when many things don’t seem to be working out in her favor, especially the size of her body.
PHUMIE: Phumie wants a fresh start. She’s desperate to prove to herself, her estranged sister Grace, and those around her that she’s responsible and can keep it together. She’s creative, freewheeling, quirky, and, at the moment, also directionless. She’s a failed musician who hails from the Midwest, moving there from Nigeria in her early 20s. At her core, she is caring and well-meaning, but her secret dependency on alcohol has serious consequences for how she shows up as a new caregiver for Bea and her sister.
BEA’S DOPPELGÄNGER: Physically identical to Bea, though she’s always cloaked in darkness, opting for an emo or “E-girl” aesthetic. The Doppelgänger defies the logic of time and space, often showing up in the media Bea sees or in unexpected places. The Doppelgänger is an imagined manifestation of Bea’s “shadow”, the thoughts, emotions, and parts of herself that she suppresses. The Doppelgänger pushes Bea to do things she wouldn’t normally let herself do.
KEISHA: She’s fun, confident, and caring. Bea’s best friend who lives on the same street. Always up for an adventure and experiencing new things. She always has Bea's back when things get tough.
MEET THE TEAM
Efe Kabba - Writer, Director, Producer
Efe Kabba is a a multi-hyphenate visual storyteller, facilitator, meditation and Reiki practitioner, and community builder. She was born in Abuja, Nigeria and immigrated to New York City at the age of five to escape the threat of a hostile military regime. Growing up, she honed her storytelling skills through writing short stories, poetry, and screenplays and acting in school theater productions.
She received her BA in Media Studies from Pomona College. After that, she travelled the world as a Watson Fellow pursuing a passion project about the merging of physical and virtual spaces. She then went on to develop and write video content at Conde Nast Entertainment and co-produced “Snakeeater”, an indie feature directed by Tore Knos. As a writer-director, her work has screened at MoMA, NoBudge, Bushwick Film Festival, and Cucalorus Film Festival. A PSA she directed won Silver at the 2024 Anthem Awards (the social good off-shoot of The Webbys). She is a recent alum of NYU Tisch Graduate Film where she received an MFA in Writing and Directing for Film and Television and was a recipient of the distinguished Dean’s Fellowship. My past work: https://www.efekabba.com/
Erika Alexander - Executive Producer
SAG and Independent Spirit award nominated Erika Alexander is beloved for her iconic acting roles as Maxine Shaw (“Living Single”), Detective Latoya (GET OUT), Cousin Pam (“The Cosby Show”), Perenna (“Black Lightning”), and Linda Diggs (“Wutang: An American Saga”). Erika wears many hats as not only an actress, but also a trailblazing activist, entrepreneur, creator, producer, and director — an all-around boss. Erika represents one of the most bold, daring, and powerful voices in our country today. Erika can currently be seen in Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut AMERICAN FICTION starring alongside Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, and Tracee Ellis Ross.
As a creator, Erika recognizes that stories, when socially conscious and carefully constructed, have the capacity to create impact and meaningful change. As co-founder of Color Farm Media and Board Member of VoteRunLead, Alexander is on a mission to bring greater equity, inclusion, and diverse representation to both media and electoral politics.
Ben Arnon - Executive Producer
Ben Arnon is co-founder of Color Farm Media. Ben’s co-founder is award-winning actress/writer/ producer/activist, Erika Alexander. Color Farm, self-described as the “Motown of film, TV, and tech,” develops and produces scripted and unscripted content for film, television, streaming, and podcast platforms. Color Farm's mission is to bring greater equity, inclusion, and diverse representation to media.
Ben Arnon’s professional background uniquely positions him to lead a 21st century, forward-thinking company that spans across content and technology. Ben was integral in scaling the Facebook-incubated tech startup, Wildfire, from 6 to over 400 employees and an acquisition by Google. In media, Ben has led business development for Yahoo! Music and worked in numerous business and creative roles at Universal Pictures, Universal Music Group, Jersey Films and Scott Rudin Productions.
Nate Freyman - Executive Producer
Nate Freyman comes to the production team with over ten years of production experience in both the filmmaking and marketing spaces. His first feature film, ART AND PEP, won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Chicago International Film Festival and is currently streaming on Peacock. Nate holds a Master's degree in International Film Business from the London Film School and the University of Exeter and currently works as a marketing producer for Apple TV+.
Louise Zhang - Cinematographer
Louise Zhang is a Chinese born, and New York based filmmaker. Born and raised in Shanghai, Louise came to the States at the age of 15. Her films cross many genres, combining an eastern sensibility with western storytelling, evoking universal emotions through specific narratives. Louise is a recent graduate of the Grad Film program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
This film is deeply personal, and writing it has been a vehicle for self-healing, a way for me to revisit and make sense of old memories that have shaped my life experience on this planet. It's also universal. I wanted to explore the various ways we fill ourselves with external things to numb and avoid our feelings, and I did this through the strained relationship between two characters who are struggling in their own ways. This story is important because it conveys a powerful message and advances the representation of historically ridiculed and marginalized bodies.
Bea and Phumie feel deeply, and many of those feelings are painful, so life becomes constantly strategizing how to suppress and escape. Escape from prisons—bodies— that are sources of pain and discomfort. I'm fascinated by the dynamic and tension that arise with these two characters, who are similar in several ways—sensitive, creative, independent, and with parallel struggles. They are essentially mirrors of each other. They unconsciously see themselves reflected in each other, and they don't like what they see.
My intention is to add to the longstanding coming-of-age genre but portray a nuanced story that I personally haven't seen before. I wanted to write a story about a fat person where the main narrative thrust isn't just about them being fat, which is a perspective I don't see much of in narrative films and television.
Help shift the culture by supporting this film!
- Support a story about mental health, about Black bodies, and about queerness.
- Female directors of color still make up less than 2% of directors. Support the new generation of storytellers (box office numbers show this is the future!).
- Black actors make up 12.9% of leading roles in cable-scripted shows, but only 6% of writers, directors, and producers of U.S. produced films are Black.
WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP
This is an ambitious short film with complex elements like driving scenes, hard to procure (and expensive) locations, sensitive material, and lots of VFX. The first round of production was mostly self funded with the additional help of a few generous individual supporters. We shot about ⅔ of the film in September 2023 but due to insurmountable circumstances out of our control (rain! losing locations!) and limited resources we weren’t able to shoot the remainder of the film. We still have several more integral scenes to film in a second round of production.
Your contribution will go directly towards:
- Securing locations including a mall and thrift store
- Feeding the cast and crew
- Additional set dressing & props
- Additional costumes
- Camera and grip equipment
- Transportation for camera equipment and set dressing/props
- Picture Vehicles (the cool purple one)
- Production Insurance
OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT
If you want to see the film get made but aren’t in a financial position to give at the moment, there are more ways to support!
- Follow us on social media
- Instagram: @chockfullfilm
- Share the campaign with your friends and family
- Follow the campaign on Seed & Spark (this platform rewards creators for attracting followers, just click the HEART button at the top of the page)
THANK YOU FOR HELPING MAKE THIS FILM COME TO LIFE! <3
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Feed the Cast and Crew
Costs $3,500
Making a film is hard work! Help nourish our cast and crew to have the energy to sustain each shoot day.
Locations
Costs $6,000
We need to secure a mall and a thrift store, two locations that are tricky to lock in and tend to cost more. We lost both last time :(
Camera Equipment
Costs $3,300
Vital for capturing every moment and emotion with cinematic quality, ensuring a visually stunning story.
Transportation
Costs $2,500
Needed for efficiently moving equipment and crew between locations, ensuring we stay on schedule and within budget.
Set Dressing
Costs $800
Helps create authentic and visually engaging environments that bring the world of our characters to life.
Picture Vehicles
Costs $500
A big chunk of the story takes place in a car. Yes, that cool purple one on the main page!
Makeup and Hairdressing
Costs $900
Phumie's iconic blue hair! Bea's braids! Authentic looks that reflect the characters' personalities and emotions.
Costumes
Costs $300
Fashion plays a big role in the film. Although most of the costumes in the film are complete, there are still a few more to create.
Production Insurance
Costs $600
Necessary to protect against unforeseen issues and ensure a smooth and secure filming process from start to finish.
Outstanding Expenses (1st production round)
Costs $1,600
Covering some remaining costs from the first production round to ensure a seamless transition into the second phase of filming.
Contingency (10%)
Costs $2,000
Provides a safety net for unexpected costs, ensuring we can handle surprises and keep the production on track.
Share this update!
About This Team
MEET THE TEAM
Efe Kabba, Writer, Director, Producer
Efe Kabba is a a multi-hyphenate visual storyteller, facilitator, meditation and Reiki practitioner, and community builder. She was born in Abuja, Nigeria and immigrated to New York City at the age of five to escape the threat of a hostile military regime. Growing up, she honed her storytelling skills through writing short stories, poetry, and screenplays and acting in school theater productions.
She received her BA in Media Studies from Pomona College. After that, she travelled the world as a Watson Fellow pursuing a passion project about the merging of physical and virtual spaces. She then went on to develop and write video content at Conde Nast Entertainment and co-produced “Snakeeater”, an indie feature directed by Tore Knos. As a writer-director, her work has screened at MoMA, NoBudge, Bushwick Film Festival, and Cucalorus Film Festival. A PSA she directed won Silver at the 2024 Anthem Awards (the social good off-shoot of The Webbys). She is a recent alum of NYU Tisch Graduate Film where she received an MFA in Writing and Directing for Film and Television and was a recipient of the distinguished Dean’s Fellowship.
Erika Alexander, Executive Producer
SAG and Independent Spirit award nominated Erika Alexander is beloved for her iconic acting roles as Maxine Shaw (“Living Single”), Detective Latoya (GET OUT), Cousin Pam (“The Cosby Show”), Perenna (“Black Lightning”), and Linda Diggs (“Wutang: An American Saga”). Erika wears many hats as not only an actress, but also a trailblazing activist, entrepreneur, creator, producer, and director — an all-around boss. Erika represents one of the most bold, daring, and powerful voices in our country today. Erika can currently be seen in Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut AMERICAN FICTION starring alongside Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, and Tracee Ellis Ross.
As a creator, Erika recognizes that stories, when socially conscious and carefully constructed, have the capacity to create impact and meaningful change. As co-founder of Color Farm Media and Board Member of VoteRunLead, Alexander is on a mission to bring greater equity, inclusion, and diverse representation to both media and electoral politics.
Ben Arnon, Executive Producer
Ben Arnon is co-founder of Color Farm Media. Ben’s co-founder is award-winning actress/writer/ producer/activist, Erika Alexander. Color Farm, self-described as the “Motown of film, TV, and tech,” develops and produces scripted and unscripted content for film, television, streaming, and podcast platforms. Color Farm's mission is to bring greater equity, inclusion, and diverse representation to media.
Ben Arnon’s professional background uniquely positions him to lead a 21st century, forward-thinking company that spans across content and technology. Ben was integral in scaling the Facebook-incubated tech startup, Wildfire, from 6 to over 400 employees and an acquisition by Google. In media, Ben has led business development for Yahoo! Music and worked in numerous business and creative roles at Universal Pictures, Universal Music Group, Jersey Films and Scott Rudin Productions.
Nate Freyman, Executive Producer
Nate Freyman comes to the production team with over ten years of production experience in both the filmmaking and marketing spaces. His first feature film, ART AND PEP, won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Chicago International Film Festival and is currently streaming on Peacock. Nate holds a Master's degree in International Film Business from the London Film School and the University of Exeter and currently works as a marketing producer for Apple TV+.
Louise Zhang, Cinematographer
Louise Zhang is a Chinese born, and New York based filmmaker. Born and raised in Shanghai, Louise came to the States at the age of 15. Her films cross many genres, combining an eastern sensibility with western storytelling, evoking universal emotions through specific narratives. Louise is a recent graduate of the Grad Film program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.