Don't Come Home Too Late
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, LGBTQ
A coming-of-age story told through the eyes of Callie, a queer Chinese-American girl, who struggles to amend the complicated relationship with her mother as she’s about to leave home for college.
Don't Come Home Too Late
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, LGBTQ
2 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $7,375 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
11 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
A coming-of-age story told through the eyes of Callie, a queer Chinese-American girl, who struggles to amend the complicated relationship with her mother as she’s about to leave home for college.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
LOGLINE
As Callie is leaving home for college, she hangs out with her best friend and girlfriend one last time—only to find out that they’ve already moved on, forcing her to confront her fears of change and find solace in her mother's complicated love.
Callie skips dinner with her mother to hang out with her childhood best friend, Niya, for the last time in the park where they grew up. Niya shows up in new clothes, wanting to try something new with the help of her new friends. Niya gets a text from her new friends from college, forgetting that she agreed to hang out with them, resulting in Niya leaving Callie alone at the park. After coming home late, Callie’s mother, Mei, is asleep on the couch but has left a portion of dinner on the table for Callie to reheat. While strolling down the waterside, she bumps into her girlfriend, Camryn. As they both reminisce about their relationship, Camryn suggests they break up, throwing Callie into an emotional spiral. As she feels her world collapsing, Callie is forced to grapple with the uncertainty of her future and the beauty between holding on and letting go. Feeling hopeless and lonely, she surprisingly finds comfort from her mother.
Callie is a 17-year-old girl who grew up in NYC her whole life with her childhood best friend and her girlfriend of three years. Deciding to go to college in LA while everyone around her stays in NYC, she begins to prioritize spending time with her best friend and girlfriend over her mother.
Mei is a single mother and her priority has always been Callie. Callie is all Mei has and when Callie decides to move to LA for college, Mei’s fears of loneliness and being forgotten by her daughter start to surface, and is more insistent about spending time together.
Niya and Callie are childhood best friends who have known each other since elementary school. Both Niya and Callie have always been more to themselves, but as they enter college, Niy sees this as an opportunity to reinvent herself into someone more extroverted and daring.
Camryn and Callie have been dating for three years and are each other’s first relationship. Knowing that Callie is going far away for college, she reconsiders their future together.
MOOD BOARD
Growing up in NYC with a Chinese mother, my relationship with my mother has been shaped by cultural differences—being raised in a Western society while she holds traditional values has sometimes created a sense of distance between us. But despite our cultural generational differences, we still manage to find common ground and support each other. In many ways, this is a love letter to my mother. This is my 4-year-old passion project and at its core, it is a queer Chinese American mother-daughter story, but beyond that, it’s a universal story about growing up, letting go, and navigating the fears and emotions that come with change. Through the presence of homemade Chinese food, POC actresses, the use of static shots, and the contrast of warm and cool lighting, we aim to bring this beautiful and poetic story to the big screen.
We are currently in pre-production. We will be shooting in New York City in early May. After we wrap our production, the post-production process will begin immediately after. Our post-production team will spend a couple of months editing, sound designing, and color grading the film with love and care. Around September or October, we hope to wrap up post-production and begin submitting to film festivals. Some of these festivals include, but are not limited to NYFF, NewFest, Tribeca, etc. We will provide updates on our film progress and about screenings when the time comes!
Unfortunately, to make this film happen, we need some $$$. Our total budget is $8,400. With the allotment secured from NYU's Tisch Film and Television Department, that leaves us $7,600 that still needs to be raised. The majority of the budget will go towards locations, equipment rentals, post-production, and feeding my lovely cast and crew.
On Seed & Spark, our campaign must reach 80% to be approved and receive the funds. This film cannot be made without your help, so we greatly appreciate any donations. The more you donate, the more incentives you will receive!
ADDITIONAL WAYS TO HELP
If a donation isn't possible for you right now, there are also free ways to support us!! Encouragement and moral support can go a long way as we make this wonderful film!
- FOLLOW OUR SEED AND SPARK PAGE—Hit the follow button at the top! If we reach 250 Followers, we may be eligible for perks like film festival waivers!
- FOLLOW OUR INSTAGRAM - You may get updates from us on this Seed & Spark page, but follow our Instagram page: @dontcomehometoolate_film for more frequent updates that will allow you to stay updated with the film and get to know the creators a little more! We don't want you to miss out on any moments!
- SPREAD THE WORD - Tell your friends, family, coworkers, strangers even. Share and repost our Instagram and this Seed & Spark Page!! We need YOUR help to spread the word and gain a wide audience!!
- CONTACT US - If you have any questions or resources you'd like to share, feel free to email us!! [email protected]
Remember, this film cannot happen without YOUR help!!!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Locations
Costs $1,700
Our main locations are the apartment, playground, and waterside. Apartment will be the most costly location and the others may need permits.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $1,200
Film equipment is not cheap! We need additional camera and lighting equipment to achieve what we hope this film will be.
Catering & Crafty
Costs $850
Help us feed our lovely hard-working cast and crew!!
Transportation
Costs $800
We will need to rent an equipment van to transport equipment to our filming locations.
Production Design
Costs $600
We would need to create an apartment with Chinese American elements, something that feels like home.
Wardrobe + Hair & Make Up
Costs $600
The story is also told through each character's clothing, and how they present themselves.
Post-Production
Costs $1,300
We need hard drives to save our footage!! And help us pay our amazing post-production team!
Distribution
Costs $600
To submit to festivals, we will need the funds to pay the submission fees. Help us win some awards!!
Crew Pay
Costs $400
Some of our crew are freelancers who are kind enough to work on this with little to no pay. Help us pay them for their amazing craft!!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Share this update!
About This Team
MENGNA ZHANG
Writer, Director, Executive Producer
MengNa Zhang is a senior in film and television at NYU Tisch and is focusing on producing. She is passionate about under-represented stories in the media and aims to bring them to the big screen. Don’t Come Home Too Late is MengNa’s passion project and she can’t wait to share it with you all. Aside from producing, MengNa is also a sound mixer, assistant director, and writer/director centering around queer female POC stories.
PATRICE YIP
Creative Producer
Patrice, named after a missing character in a film, is a budding producer from Hong Kong. Over the last 20 months, she has worked on 90 projects, from commercial to narrative, in departments from art and camera to producing and directing. Using her Economics degree from NYU to blend art with business. As a producer, Patrice has worked with companies such as Scheimpflug, Lost & Found Production, W Labs, and XR Motion.
JILLIAN VERITY
Producer
Jillian is a senior at NYU currently getting her BFA in Film and Television. She has a strong interest in pre-development and hopes to work in the television industry after graduating. She has experience producing/writing her own shorts and others, as well as a mini-series during her time at NYU. She is very excited to work on Don't Come Home Too Late with this wonderful crew!
AYA TROYER
Social Media Manager
Aya Troyer is a senior at NYU Tisch, studying Film & Television with a minor in Spanish. Her filmmaking focus includes editing, documentary filmmaking, and assistant camera work. She is passionate about stories that explore growing up and family bonds and is excited to join the “Don’t Come Home Too Late” team.
ROWAN CASSANDRA LIN
Director of Photography
Rowan Cassandra Lin is a Trans-Taiwanese cinematographer who works in strongly political, intimate narratives. She is especially interested in exploring intersectional identities and loves exploring and tinkering with varied visual techniques. She has shot almost a hundred productions in narrative and experimental film, as well as commercial projects.
SUNNY SANTIAGO
Wardrobe Stylist
Sunny is a freelance fashion and costume stylist currently based in both NYC and London with experience spanning music videos, runways, and high-profile fashion events. Sunny has worked at both New York and London Fashion Week and has also assisted big brands like Chanel, 16Arlington, Jenn Lee, etc. Sunny believes that fashion is a powerful form of self-expression and is passionate about shaping bold, personal styles that resonate both on screen and in person.
GRACE CONLEY
Production Designer
Grace Conley is a 22-year-old filmmaker from Philadelphia specializing in production design. She is currently in her fourth year of studying Film and TV at NYU Tisch. Grace is passionate about bringing personal, unheard, and unique stories to life through set design, world-building, and collaboration. She is so excited and thankful to be a part of this production and to work with such an inspiring crew!
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
LOGLINE
As Callie is leaving home for college, she hangs out with her best friend and girlfriend one last time—only to find out that they’ve already moved on, forcing her to confront her fears of change and find solace in her mother's complicated love.
Callie skips dinner with her mother to hang out with her childhood best friend, Niya, for the last time in the park where they grew up. Niya shows up in new clothes, wanting to try something new with the help of her new friends. Niya gets a text from her new friends from college, forgetting that she agreed to hang out with them, resulting in Niya leaving Callie alone at the park. After coming home late, Callie’s mother, Mei, is asleep on the couch but has left a portion of dinner on the table for Callie to reheat. While strolling down the waterside, she bumps into her girlfriend, Camryn. As they both reminisce about their relationship, Camryn suggests they break up, throwing Callie into an emotional spiral. As she feels her world collapsing, Callie is forced to grapple with the uncertainty of her future and the beauty between holding on and letting go. Feeling hopeless and lonely, she surprisingly finds comfort from her mother.
Callie is a 17-year-old girl who grew up in NYC her whole life with her childhood best friend and her girlfriend of three years. Deciding to go to college in LA while everyone around her stays in NYC, she begins to prioritize spending time with her best friend and girlfriend over her mother.
Mei is a single mother and her priority has always been Callie. Callie is all Mei has and when Callie decides to move to LA for college, Mei’s fears of loneliness and being forgotten by her daughter start to surface, and is more insistent about spending time together.
Niya and Callie are childhood best friends who have known each other since elementary school. Both Niya and Callie have always been more to themselves, but as they enter college, Niy sees this as an opportunity to reinvent herself into someone more extroverted and daring.
Camryn and Callie have been dating for three years and are each other’s first relationship. Knowing that Callie is going far away for college, she reconsiders their future together.
MOOD BOARD
Growing up in NYC with a Chinese mother, my relationship with my mother has been shaped by cultural differences—being raised in a Western society while she holds traditional values has sometimes created a sense of distance between us. But despite our cultural generational differences, we still manage to find common ground and support each other. In many ways, this is a love letter to my mother. This is my 4-year-old passion project and at its core, it is a queer Chinese American mother-daughter story, but beyond that, it’s a universal story about growing up, letting go, and navigating the fears and emotions that come with change. Through the presence of homemade Chinese food, POC actresses, the use of static shots, and the contrast of warm and cool lighting, we aim to bring this beautiful and poetic story to the big screen.
We are currently in pre-production. We will be shooting in New York City in early May. After we wrap our production, the post-production process will begin immediately after. Our post-production team will spend a couple of months editing, sound designing, and color grading the film with love and care. Around September or October, we hope to wrap up post-production and begin submitting to film festivals. Some of these festivals include, but are not limited to NYFF, NewFest, Tribeca, etc. We will provide updates on our film progress and about screenings when the time comes!
Unfortunately, to make this film happen, we need some $$$. Our total budget is $8,400. With the allotment secured from NYU's Tisch Film and Television Department, that leaves us $7,600 that still needs to be raised. The majority of the budget will go towards locations, equipment rentals, post-production, and feeding my lovely cast and crew.
On Seed & Spark, our campaign must reach 80% to be approved and receive the funds. This film cannot be made without your help, so we greatly appreciate any donations. The more you donate, the more incentives you will receive!
ADDITIONAL WAYS TO HELP
If a donation isn't possible for you right now, there are also free ways to support us!! Encouragement and moral support can go a long way as we make this wonderful film!
- FOLLOW OUR SEED AND SPARK PAGE—Hit the follow button at the top! If we reach 250 Followers, we may be eligible for perks like film festival waivers!
- FOLLOW OUR INSTAGRAM - You may get updates from us on this Seed & Spark page, but follow our Instagram page: @dontcomehometoolate_film for more frequent updates that will allow you to stay updated with the film and get to know the creators a little more! We don't want you to miss out on any moments!
- SPREAD THE WORD - Tell your friends, family, coworkers, strangers even. Share and repost our Instagram and this Seed & Spark Page!! We need YOUR help to spread the word and gain a wide audience!!
- CONTACT US - If you have any questions or resources you'd like to share, feel free to email us!! [email protected]
Remember, this film cannot happen without YOUR help!!!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Locations
Costs $1,700
Our main locations are the apartment, playground, and waterside. Apartment will be the most costly location and the others may need permits.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $1,200
Film equipment is not cheap! We need additional camera and lighting equipment to achieve what we hope this film will be.
Catering & Crafty
Costs $850
Help us feed our lovely hard-working cast and crew!!
Transportation
Costs $800
We will need to rent an equipment van to transport equipment to our filming locations.
Production Design
Costs $600
We would need to create an apartment with Chinese American elements, something that feels like home.
Wardrobe + Hair & Make Up
Costs $600
The story is also told through each character's clothing, and how they present themselves.
Post-Production
Costs $1,300
We need hard drives to save our footage!! And help us pay our amazing post-production team!
Distribution
Costs $600
To submit to festivals, we will need the funds to pay the submission fees. Help us win some awards!!
Crew Pay
Costs $400
Some of our crew are freelancers who are kind enough to work on this with little to no pay. Help us pay them for their amazing craft!!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Share this update!
About This Team
MENGNA ZHANG
Writer, Director, Executive Producer
MengNa Zhang is a senior in film and television at NYU Tisch and is focusing on producing. She is passionate about under-represented stories in the media and aims to bring them to the big screen. Don’t Come Home Too Late is MengNa’s passion project and she can’t wait to share it with you all. Aside from producing, MengNa is also a sound mixer, assistant director, and writer/director centering around queer female POC stories.
PATRICE YIP
Creative Producer
Patrice, named after a missing character in a film, is a budding producer from Hong Kong. Over the last 20 months, she has worked on 90 projects, from commercial to narrative, in departments from art and camera to producing and directing. Using her Economics degree from NYU to blend art with business. As a producer, Patrice has worked with companies such as Scheimpflug, Lost & Found Production, W Labs, and XR Motion.
JILLIAN VERITY
Producer
Jillian is a senior at NYU currently getting her BFA in Film and Television. She has a strong interest in pre-development and hopes to work in the television industry after graduating. She has experience producing/writing her own shorts and others, as well as a mini-series during her time at NYU. She is very excited to work on Don't Come Home Too Late with this wonderful crew!
AYA TROYER
Social Media Manager
Aya Troyer is a senior at NYU Tisch, studying Film & Television with a minor in Spanish. Her filmmaking focus includes editing, documentary filmmaking, and assistant camera work. She is passionate about stories that explore growing up and family bonds and is excited to join the “Don’t Come Home Too Late” team.
ROWAN CASSANDRA LIN
Director of Photography
Rowan Cassandra Lin is a Trans-Taiwanese cinematographer who works in strongly political, intimate narratives. She is especially interested in exploring intersectional identities and loves exploring and tinkering with varied visual techniques. She has shot almost a hundred productions in narrative and experimental film, as well as commercial projects.
SUNNY SANTIAGO
Wardrobe Stylist
Sunny is a freelance fashion and costume stylist currently based in both NYC and London with experience spanning music videos, runways, and high-profile fashion events. Sunny has worked at both New York and London Fashion Week and has also assisted big brands like Chanel, 16Arlington, Jenn Lee, etc. Sunny believes that fashion is a powerful form of self-expression and is passionate about shaping bold, personal styles that resonate both on screen and in person.
GRACE CONLEY
Production Designer
Grace Conley is a 22-year-old filmmaker from Philadelphia specializing in production design. She is currently in her fourth year of studying Film and TV at NYU Tisch. Grace is passionate about bringing personal, unheard, and unique stories to life through set design, world-building, and collaboration. She is so excited and thankful to be a part of this production and to work with such an inspiring crew!