Chrysalis
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama
Grief is universal. So why does it feel so isolating? Maia asks herself the same question after returning home for her childhood friend's funeral. As memories begin to consume her, she's forced into a transformation she never asked for.
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$1,735
Goal: $7,520 for production
Grief is universal. So why does it feel so isolating? Maia asks herself the same question after returning home for her childhood friend's funeral. As memories begin to consume her, she's forced into a transformation she never asked for.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
CHRYSALIS is an intimate coming-of-age drama that explores grief, anxiety, and the quiet resilience found in female friendship. Mirrored through the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly, the film asks what it truly means to grow through loss rather than simply move beyond it.
After the sudden death of her childhood friend, Maia returns home for the funeral in the town where they grew up. Surrounded by familiar faces and memories at every turn, she struggles to keep her emotions buried as the weight of the loss becomes impossible to ignore.
Overwhelmed by grief and a debilitating anxiety attack, Maia retreats into the woods behind the home. There, fragments of the past begin to surface, forcing her to confront not only the friend she's lost, but the parts of herself she's been trying to silence.
Just when isolation threatens to consume her, Maia finds comfort in her lifelong friend, Luna. Together, they navigate the messy, often unspoken reality of grief, discovering that healing isn't about having the right words or finding closure—it's about allowing yourself to be seen.
In the end, Chrysalis is a story about the people who stay. The friendships that hold us together when everything else falls apart. And the quiet transformation that begins when we stop running from our emotions and allow ourselves to simply feel them.
There is something strange about grief.
It's one of the few experiences every single one of us will face, yet somehow it can make us feel completely alone. Life keeps moving. People go back to work. The world doesn't stop. But for you, everything feels different.
Last year, I unexpectedly lost one of my oldest friends. I remember feeling confused by my own grief. I didn't know what I was supposed to feel, or how long I was allowed to feel it. The moments that helped me most weren't the ones where someone tried to fix it—they were the moments where friends simply sat with me, listened, and reminded me I wasn't carrying it alone.
That's where Chrysalis was born.
Storytelling has been at the center of my life since middle school, when I first fell in love with acting. Over the past six years, I've built my career producing films, commercials, music videos, and digital content, helping bring other people's stories to life, but this is the first one I've felt I had to tell myself.
I wrote Chrysalis because I couldn't stop thinking about that feeling of isolation after loss, and how profoundly the people around us shape our ability to heal. It's a story inspired by my own experience, but one I hope belongs to anyone who has ever loved someone deeply.
Returning to the place where I lost my friend to make this film feels incredibly meaningful. It's a chance to honor his memory, reconnect with the people who lived through that chapter with me, and create something that transforms a painful experience into a shared one.
As a filmmaker, I believe stories have the power to make us feel seen. If Chrysalis can help even one person feel less alone in their grief—or encourage them to reach out to someone they love—then this film will have accomplished exactly what I set out to do.
The title Chrysalis comes from one of nature's most remarkable transformations. Inside a chrysalis, a caterpillar doesn't simply grow wings, it completely breaks down before becoming something new. The process is long, painful, and hidden from the outside world.
Grief often feels the same way.
Through the butterfly's transformation, the film reflects the reality that healing isn't linear. It's uncomfortable, isolating, and deeply uncertain. But with time, we begin to carry our loss differently, allowing ourselves to look back not only at what we lost, but at the beauty of the life that was lived.
THE TONE
I've always been drawn to films that find beauty in life's quiet moments. If you know me, you know I haven't stopped talking about Hamnet since I saw it. Ironically, I wrote Chrysalis before it was released, but watching it only reaffirmed the kind of film I wanted to make: one that approaches grief with tenderness, patience, and an appreciation for the small moments that often say the most.
Visually, Chrysalis blends a few different influences. Chloé Zhao's naturalistic filmmaking inspires the way we'll capture authentic performances, natural light, and the feeling that we're simply observing real life unfold. During moments of anxiety and emotional overwhelm, we'll shift into intimate macro photography of the caterpillar in chrysalis, inspired by Josh Safdie, bringing the audience uncomfortably close to Maia's physical experience of grief—the details we often overlook, but deeply feel.
Emotionally, films like Lady Bird and The Perks of Being a Wallflower have shaped my love for stories that celebrate girlhood, friendship, and the quiet ways people save one another.
My hope is for Chrysalis to feel intimate, honest, and just real.
Where are Your Contributions Going?
There are so many moving parts to making a movie, and each of those parts can be pretty expensive. We are looking to raise a little over $7,000 to make this film a reality. Your generosity will be going towards:
- Paying our hardworking cast & crew.
- Travel for cast & crew
- Lighting equipment.
- Camera / camera related gear.
- Postproduction (score, color grading, CGI).
During this time, we are in the preproduction phase. With your help, we will be able to assure that we have the resources we need to make sure this project not only gets made, but gets made well.
BUDGET
Production Goal ($7.5K): All of the funds we receive for our initial goal will be allocated to production costs (trying to stretch it through production and post)
Mid-Tier Goal ($12K): Making it past our initial goal helps us fully fund production AND move into post right away, getting this story out to into the world that much quicker!
Stretch Goal ($15K): Hitting our stretch goal helps us fund applications, and travel, for film festivals, getting this story out to a wider audience.
TIMELINE
Chrysalis has been in development for the past year. Since writing the first draft, I've gone through multiple rounds of revisions to create a script that feels emotionally honest and ready for production. Currently we are in the pre-production phase - securing crew, starting casting and building out logistics to make the set run smoothly. In addition I've scouted and locked locations throughout my hometown in New Jersey (many of them generously opened up by friends and family).
Production is planned for later this summer, after which we'll move into editing, color, sound design, and an original score. Post-production is where the emotional world of Chrysalis will truly come together, making it just as important as the days we spend on set.
Our goal is to begin submitting to film festivals throughout 2027, with a public release planned for the end of the year.
It Takes a Village
One of the things I'm most excited about is the incredible community helping bring Chrysalis to life.
My longtime collaborator and close friend, Grace Stromatt, who has directed numerous music videos we've made together (including an award-nominated project at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, and a music video with 1.5 million views), is co-directing the film with me. Having someone who knows me so well creatively has been invaluable in shaping this vision and when I decided to direct my first short, there was never a question of who I wanted beside me.
I also have some amazing producers helping out, including a NY based producer, Lida Everhart. As a producer, her work spans short films, documentaries, and music videos. Her slate includes her most recent short film Benchwarmer starring Rupaul's Drag Race alum Alexis Michelle, as well as work for musical artists like Prod with Flavor and Mei Semones. Her other producing works have screened at Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival, Boston Short Film Festival, Junk Dump Magazine Film Festival at the Museum of the Moving Image, and more.
In addition, my close friend and talented producer, Isabella Scattaglia, is on board to help as well. Her work focuses on production management, creative strategy, and post-production editing.
In addition, Sam Shapiro will be Executive Producing through his production company Pizza Bagel Studios. Sam’s production company provides films with insurance, payroll, and other services. They have worked with brands like UCLA, Barker Wellness, Sprouts, and many more and work with artists, filmmakers, and brands to create films that connect with audiences around the world.
My sister—who has built an audience of over 40,000 people across social media (IG & Tiktok) through @ariels_eats—is joining us on set to capture behind-the-scenes moments and, because she's amazing, is going to help secure catering for the shoot.
Friends and family have opened their homes as filming locations, volunteered their time, and offered unwavering support throughout this process. Because this story takes place where I grew up and is inspired by a deeply personal experience, it feels incredibly meaningful that the people who know me best are helping me tell it.
Chrysalis has always been about the power of community. It feels fitting that it's being made by one.
Ways to Help
If you aren't able to pledge, you can follow this campaign and help spread the word! Tell your friends, family, strangers, anyone who is interested in supporting indie film. You can keep up with the project by following my instagram or following our tiktok channel!!
This film has been living within me for a long time. While it's my first time writing and co-directing a narrative short, it's built on years of acting, producing, collaborating, and learning from incredible storytellers who have shaped me into the filmmaker I am today.
To everyone who has supported me, whether you've followed my work for years, worked beside me on set, believed in me when I doubted myself, or are just discovering Chrysalis today, thank you. Your support means more than you know.
My hope is that Chrysalis becomes more than just a film - I hope it becomes a conversation. A reminder that grief is something we all carry, but something none of us should have to carry alone.
Thank you for helping transform this story from something I carried alone into something we can all share.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crew Behind Chrysalis
Costs $4,220
Your support helps us cover the people working behind the scenes who make every frame possible.
Capturing Every Moment
Costs $1,600
To capture the intimate, cinematic look that mirrors Maia's emotional journey.
The Final Transformation: Post Production
Costs $1,400
The finishing touches that bring the visual and emotional world to life. (Score, Sound, Color & Edit)
Formation of LLC
Costs $300
Establishes the film as a legal production company, covering filings, compliance, insurance, payroll, and production finances.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Alexis Sabo: Writer / Co-Director / Producer / Actor - Maia
Alexis is an Argentinian-Jewish American filmmaker and actor creating story-driven, emotionally grounded work for modern audiences. She has produced branded content that’s generated over 20 million organic views across social platforms, blending cinematic storytelling with a strong understanding of audience engagement. She produces content in the form of Films, Music Videos, Commercials, and Digital Media.
Alexis has studied theater for over 10 years, and currently trains with Chris Holder at Ivana Chubbuck Studios to hone her craft and give honest, raw performances. Most recently, she booked a supporting role in the feature film, Forge, acting alongside Kelly Marie Tran, premiering at SXSW in 2025. She’s also currently leading an episode of an independent anthology series, Fugues, that is being released on social media, already garnering tens of thousands of views.
With experience developing pitches, directing talent, collaborating with filmmakers and leading productions from concept to delivery, Alexis brings a clean, elevated visual style and a strategic, audience-focused approach to every project. She’s passionate about uplifting women centered stories told from diverse perspectives.
Grace Stromatt: Co-Director
Grace Stromatt is an award-winning queer female director known for her bold, boundary-pushing storytelling. Her unique voice in the film industry has already earned her a prestigious NSPA Emmy and her work has been shown at numerous prestigious festivals including, NFFTY, Edinburgh International Film Fest, Frontier Fest, and more.
Grace thrives in making films that are strange, twisted, and meaningful. With a speciality in dark comedies, music videos and short form brand content Grace brings a creative spunk to every project.
Grace and Alexis have been longtime collaborators, producing the short film Sola together, as well as working on numerous Music Videos together.
Lida Everhart: Producer
Lida is a producer, director and photographer working in Brooklyn, NY. As a producer, her work spans short films, documentaries, and music videos. Her slate includes her most recent short film Benchwarmer starring Rupaul's Drag Race alum Alexis Michelle, as well as work for musical artists like Prod with Flavor and Mei Semones. Her other producing works have screened at Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival, Boston Short Film Festival, Junk Dump Magazine Film Festival at the Museum of the Moving Image, and more.
Her most notable directorial work, Something's Wrong With Kit, is releasing on No Budge in August of 2026. Her other notable directorial work, Graysen's Room, was awarded the Singular Vision Award presented by BlackMagic at the Emerson Film Festival.
Her experiences with grief in the past year are what drew her to helping tell this story. She is excited to support Alexis and Grace visually represent the surreal experience of mourning a loved one who passes away during their youth or young adult years. She’s also eager and prepared to foster a comfortable on-set environment to support this story.
Isabella Scattaglia: Producer
Izzy is a producer and content manager with experience overseeing both individual creator pages and branded content. Her work focuses on production management, creative strategy, and post-production editing. She got her bachelor's degree from Loyola Marymount University, where she studied marketing and journalism. In addition to her production work, she is a screenwriter, bringing her background in storytelling and writing to all of her creative projects.
Sam Shapiro: Pizza Bagel Studios: Production Company / Executive Producer
Sam’s background is in Film, TV, and Commercial development and production. He has coordinated, production managed, and produced national commercial & corporate video, independent features, festival award winning short films, and music videos. Before that, he spent years as a line producer’s assistant in studio television on acclaimed series For All Mankind & Hacks.
Sam’s production company, Pizza Bagel Studios, provides films with insurance, payroll, and other services. They have worked with brands like UCLA, Barker Wellness, Sprouts, and many more and work with artists, filmmakers, and brands to create films that connect with audiences around the world.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
CHRYSALIS is an intimate coming-of-age drama that explores grief, anxiety, and the quiet resilience found in female friendship. Mirrored through the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly, the film asks what it truly means to grow through loss rather than simply move beyond it.
After the sudden death of her childhood friend, Maia returns home for the funeral in the town where they grew up. Surrounded by familiar faces and memories at every turn, she struggles to keep her emotions buried as the weight of the loss becomes impossible to ignore.
Overwhelmed by grief and a debilitating anxiety attack, Maia retreats into the woods behind the home. There, fragments of the past begin to surface, forcing her to confront not only the friend she's lost, but the parts of herself she's been trying to silence.
Just when isolation threatens to consume her, Maia finds comfort in her lifelong friend, Luna. Together, they navigate the messy, often unspoken reality of grief, discovering that healing isn't about having the right words or finding closure—it's about allowing yourself to be seen.
In the end, Chrysalis is a story about the people who stay. The friendships that hold us together when everything else falls apart. And the quiet transformation that begins when we stop running from our emotions and allow ourselves to simply feel them.
There is something strange about grief.
It's one of the few experiences every single one of us will face, yet somehow it can make us feel completely alone. Life keeps moving. People go back to work. The world doesn't stop. But for you, everything feels different.
Last year, I unexpectedly lost one of my oldest friends. I remember feeling confused by my own grief. I didn't know what I was supposed to feel, or how long I was allowed to feel it. The moments that helped me most weren't the ones where someone tried to fix it—they were the moments where friends simply sat with me, listened, and reminded me I wasn't carrying it alone.
That's where Chrysalis was born.
Storytelling has been at the center of my life since middle school, when I first fell in love with acting. Over the past six years, I've built my career producing films, commercials, music videos, and digital content, helping bring other people's stories to life, but this is the first one I've felt I had to tell myself.
I wrote Chrysalis because I couldn't stop thinking about that feeling of isolation after loss, and how profoundly the people around us shape our ability to heal. It's a story inspired by my own experience, but one I hope belongs to anyone who has ever loved someone deeply.
Returning to the place where I lost my friend to make this film feels incredibly meaningful. It's a chance to honor his memory, reconnect with the people who lived through that chapter with me, and create something that transforms a painful experience into a shared one.
As a filmmaker, I believe stories have the power to make us feel seen. If Chrysalis can help even one person feel less alone in their grief—or encourage them to reach out to someone they love—then this film will have accomplished exactly what I set out to do.
The title Chrysalis comes from one of nature's most remarkable transformations. Inside a chrysalis, a caterpillar doesn't simply grow wings, it completely breaks down before becoming something new. The process is long, painful, and hidden from the outside world.
Grief often feels the same way.
Through the butterfly's transformation, the film reflects the reality that healing isn't linear. It's uncomfortable, isolating, and deeply uncertain. But with time, we begin to carry our loss differently, allowing ourselves to look back not only at what we lost, but at the beauty of the life that was lived.
THE TONE
I've always been drawn to films that find beauty in life's quiet moments. If you know me, you know I haven't stopped talking about Hamnet since I saw it. Ironically, I wrote Chrysalis before it was released, but watching it only reaffirmed the kind of film I wanted to make: one that approaches grief with tenderness, patience, and an appreciation for the small moments that often say the most.
Visually, Chrysalis blends a few different influences. Chloé Zhao's naturalistic filmmaking inspires the way we'll capture authentic performances, natural light, and the feeling that we're simply observing real life unfold. During moments of anxiety and emotional overwhelm, we'll shift into intimate macro photography of the caterpillar in chrysalis, inspired by Josh Safdie, bringing the audience uncomfortably close to Maia's physical experience of grief—the details we often overlook, but deeply feel.
Emotionally, films like Lady Bird and The Perks of Being a Wallflower have shaped my love for stories that celebrate girlhood, friendship, and the quiet ways people save one another.
My hope is for Chrysalis to feel intimate, honest, and just real.
Where are Your Contributions Going?
There are so many moving parts to making a movie, and each of those parts can be pretty expensive. We are looking to raise a little over $7,000 to make this film a reality. Your generosity will be going towards:
- Paying our hardworking cast & crew.
- Travel for cast & crew
- Lighting equipment.
- Camera / camera related gear.
- Postproduction (score, color grading, CGI).
During this time, we are in the preproduction phase. With your help, we will be able to assure that we have the resources we need to make sure this project not only gets made, but gets made well.
BUDGET
Production Goal ($7.5K): All of the funds we receive for our initial goal will be allocated to production costs (trying to stretch it through production and post)
Mid-Tier Goal ($12K): Making it past our initial goal helps us fully fund production AND move into post right away, getting this story out to into the world that much quicker!
Stretch Goal ($15K): Hitting our stretch goal helps us fund applications, and travel, for film festivals, getting this story out to a wider audience.
TIMELINE
Chrysalis has been in development for the past year. Since writing the first draft, I've gone through multiple rounds of revisions to create a script that feels emotionally honest and ready for production. Currently we are in the pre-production phase - securing crew, starting casting and building out logistics to make the set run smoothly. In addition I've scouted and locked locations throughout my hometown in New Jersey (many of them generously opened up by friends and family).
Production is planned for later this summer, after which we'll move into editing, color, sound design, and an original score. Post-production is where the emotional world of Chrysalis will truly come together, making it just as important as the days we spend on set.
Our goal is to begin submitting to film festivals throughout 2027, with a public release planned for the end of the year.
It Takes a Village
One of the things I'm most excited about is the incredible community helping bring Chrysalis to life.
My longtime collaborator and close friend, Grace Stromatt, who has directed numerous music videos we've made together (including an award-nominated project at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, and a music video with 1.5 million views), is co-directing the film with me. Having someone who knows me so well creatively has been invaluable in shaping this vision and when I decided to direct my first short, there was never a question of who I wanted beside me.
I also have some amazing producers helping out, including a NY based producer, Lida Everhart. As a producer, her work spans short films, documentaries, and music videos. Her slate includes her most recent short film Benchwarmer starring Rupaul's Drag Race alum Alexis Michelle, as well as work for musical artists like Prod with Flavor and Mei Semones. Her other producing works have screened at Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival, Boston Short Film Festival, Junk Dump Magazine Film Festival at the Museum of the Moving Image, and more.
In addition, my close friend and talented producer, Isabella Scattaglia, is on board to help as well. Her work focuses on production management, creative strategy, and post-production editing.
In addition, Sam Shapiro will be Executive Producing through his production company Pizza Bagel Studios. Sam’s production company provides films with insurance, payroll, and other services. They have worked with brands like UCLA, Barker Wellness, Sprouts, and many more and work with artists, filmmakers, and brands to create films that connect with audiences around the world.
My sister—who has built an audience of over 40,000 people across social media (IG & Tiktok) through @ariels_eats—is joining us on set to capture behind-the-scenes moments and, because she's amazing, is going to help secure catering for the shoot.
Friends and family have opened their homes as filming locations, volunteered their time, and offered unwavering support throughout this process. Because this story takes place where I grew up and is inspired by a deeply personal experience, it feels incredibly meaningful that the people who know me best are helping me tell it.
Chrysalis has always been about the power of community. It feels fitting that it's being made by one.
Ways to Help
If you aren't able to pledge, you can follow this campaign and help spread the word! Tell your friends, family, strangers, anyone who is interested in supporting indie film. You can keep up with the project by following my instagram or following our tiktok channel!!
This film has been living within me for a long time. While it's my first time writing and co-directing a narrative short, it's built on years of acting, producing, collaborating, and learning from incredible storytellers who have shaped me into the filmmaker I am today.
To everyone who has supported me, whether you've followed my work for years, worked beside me on set, believed in me when I doubted myself, or are just discovering Chrysalis today, thank you. Your support means more than you know.
My hope is that Chrysalis becomes more than just a film - I hope it becomes a conversation. A reminder that grief is something we all carry, but something none of us should have to carry alone.
Thank you for helping transform this story from something I carried alone into something we can all share.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crew Behind Chrysalis
Costs $4,220
Your support helps us cover the people working behind the scenes who make every frame possible.
Capturing Every Moment
Costs $1,600
To capture the intimate, cinematic look that mirrors Maia's emotional journey.
The Final Transformation: Post Production
Costs $1,400
The finishing touches that bring the visual and emotional world to life. (Score, Sound, Color & Edit)
Formation of LLC
Costs $300
Establishes the film as a legal production company, covering filings, compliance, insurance, payroll, and production finances.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Alexis Sabo: Writer / Co-Director / Producer / Actor - Maia
Alexis is an Argentinian-Jewish American filmmaker and actor creating story-driven, emotionally grounded work for modern audiences. She has produced branded content that’s generated over 20 million organic views across social platforms, blending cinematic storytelling with a strong understanding of audience engagement. She produces content in the form of Films, Music Videos, Commercials, and Digital Media.
Alexis has studied theater for over 10 years, and currently trains with Chris Holder at Ivana Chubbuck Studios to hone her craft and give honest, raw performances. Most recently, she booked a supporting role in the feature film, Forge, acting alongside Kelly Marie Tran, premiering at SXSW in 2025. She’s also currently leading an episode of an independent anthology series, Fugues, that is being released on social media, already garnering tens of thousands of views.
With experience developing pitches, directing talent, collaborating with filmmakers and leading productions from concept to delivery, Alexis brings a clean, elevated visual style and a strategic, audience-focused approach to every project. She’s passionate about uplifting women centered stories told from diverse perspectives.
Grace Stromatt: Co-Director
Grace Stromatt is an award-winning queer female director known for her bold, boundary-pushing storytelling. Her unique voice in the film industry has already earned her a prestigious NSPA Emmy and her work has been shown at numerous prestigious festivals including, NFFTY, Edinburgh International Film Fest, Frontier Fest, and more.
Grace thrives in making films that are strange, twisted, and meaningful. With a speciality in dark comedies, music videos and short form brand content Grace brings a creative spunk to every project.
Grace and Alexis have been longtime collaborators, producing the short film Sola together, as well as working on numerous Music Videos together.
Lida Everhart: Producer
Lida is a producer, director and photographer working in Brooklyn, NY. As a producer, her work spans short films, documentaries, and music videos. Her slate includes her most recent short film Benchwarmer starring Rupaul's Drag Race alum Alexis Michelle, as well as work for musical artists like Prod with Flavor and Mei Semones. Her other producing works have screened at Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival, Boston Short Film Festival, Junk Dump Magazine Film Festival at the Museum of the Moving Image, and more.
Her most notable directorial work, Something's Wrong With Kit, is releasing on No Budge in August of 2026. Her other notable directorial work, Graysen's Room, was awarded the Singular Vision Award presented by BlackMagic at the Emerson Film Festival.
Her experiences with grief in the past year are what drew her to helping tell this story. She is excited to support Alexis and Grace visually represent the surreal experience of mourning a loved one who passes away during their youth or young adult years. She’s also eager and prepared to foster a comfortable on-set environment to support this story.
Isabella Scattaglia: Producer
Izzy is a producer and content manager with experience overseeing both individual creator pages and branded content. Her work focuses on production management, creative strategy, and post-production editing. She got her bachelor's degree from Loyola Marymount University, where she studied marketing and journalism. In addition to her production work, she is a screenwriter, bringing her background in storytelling and writing to all of her creative projects.
Sam Shapiro: Pizza Bagel Studios: Production Company / Executive Producer
Sam’s background is in Film, TV, and Commercial development and production. He has coordinated, production managed, and produced national commercial & corporate video, independent features, festival award winning short films, and music videos. Before that, he spent years as a line producer’s assistant in studio television on acclaimed series For All Mankind & Hacks.
Sam’s production company, Pizza Bagel Studios, provides films with insurance, payroll, and other services. They have worked with brands like UCLA, Barker Wellness, Sprouts, and many more and work with artists, filmmakers, and brands to create films that connect with audiences around the world.