Down By The Water
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, LGBTQ
DOWN BY THE WATER is a grotesque & magical coming-of-age short about what it means to explore sexuality as a teenage girl before it is vacuumed up into a patriarchal gaze.
Down By The Water
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, LGBTQ
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $10,300 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
151 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
DOWN BY THE WATER is a grotesque & magical coming-of-age short about what it means to explore sexuality as a teenage girl before it is vacuumed up into a patriarchal gaze.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
- a coming of age short about girlhood, queerness, and those weird games you played with your friends.
ABOUT ME
Hello, my name is Gabrielle Carrubba and I am the director of Down By The Water.
A bit about me, I come from a theatrical background, specifically and currently making my Broadway debut as Zoe Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen. While most of my directorial experience has been in theater, I have had a passion for film, creating and directing music videos for other friends in the Broadway community. Pairing up with the genius writer that is Chloe Xtina, we shared similar feelings about our girlhoods, intimately discussing those weird and unspoken games we would play with our friends that definitely alluded to our sexual awakenings. While those stories are often glamorized or underplayed, we shared a common desire to portray girlhood as it really is. Raw, grotesque, magical, and special. Thus, Down By The Water was born.
DALLAS, a lanky fifteen-year-old late bloomer, lives on a farm in a town populated mainly by members of an extremist Baptist Church. She has a close and intimate friendship with fifteen-year-old SUSANNAH, a member of the church. Because Susannah’s world is heavily dominated by her religion, her relationships to others are highly chaperoned. The rebel that she is, Susannah channels her energies and desires towards Dallas, twisting Dallas’ naivety to fit within the realm of Susannah’s rules. Yet, their intimate relationship to one another feels less like playing pretend and more emotionally involved for Dallas, blurring the line of game versus reality.
Dallas observes the world of the church from the outside. Although she does not hold the same beliefs, she is very sheltered to the outside world. She witnesses the hypersexualization of the girls in the church -- all of them look extremely similar (white, blonde, inbred). Looking extremely different from the rest of the girls, Dallas explores the nature of her feelings throughout the film under Susannah’s world and rules, constantly questioning the norms of her own impulses.
The film exists primarily in a world of women. Any and all intimacy is sacred and devoid of any male gaze. The only gazes we feel are that of each other, and that of Susannah's looming God.
Discovering, well, accepting my queerness was an incredulous feat. I knew early on that this was in fact something prevalent, yet something a conversation with myself just wouldn’t suffice. I needed to feel every feeling. As an adolescent, those prickly sensations towards women were comprised of envy, lust, and a primal desire. It was weird and specific and often unexplainable.
I miss that representation in queer cinema. It’s often depicted through an inevitable male gaze, feeling fetishy and generalized. There’s almost a fear of telling those stories in the exact way they were for us, though obviously no one’s experience is the same, there is a lack of safety for us to discuss those intricate details of our youth. The way it was. The not glamorized version of it.
As a storyteller, I feel the proud responsibility of creating safe spaces for arists to be seen. Genuinely seen. That’s what I aim to portray in Down by the Water. A lush yet brutal, soft yet rigid, fearless and safe examination of queer adolescence.
- Gabrielle Carrubba, Director
We are seeking an approximate budget of 10,000$. And I believe we can do it! With your help.
With your generous contribution, we will be able to pay for:
- Our cast and crew
- Our amazing camera rental
- Our sound equipment
- Housing for our team
- Design
- Costumes
- Transportation
- Catering and Craft Services
- Post production costs
Don't forget to check out our incentives and see what fabulous perks you will recieve for your contribution!
After (hopefully!) raising all we need, we will begin rehearsals with the cast both virtually and in person. Along with our intimacy director, we plan to be thoughtful and intentional with our takes, encouraging safety and communication the entirety of production. In addition to rehearsing, we will begin all the other pre-production needs: costumes, design, and composing our score.
We begin shooting our film August 30th, 2021 at a beautiful barn in PA. We have an exciting team of folks who are passionate about this story and truly believe in each other. (Everyone involved is fully vaccinated and crew will be masked the entire time.)
- the barn we will be shooting in!
CONTRIBUTE - All financial donations will 100% be used towards production and post-production costs.
FOLLOW - On Seed&Spark and also our instagram page @downbythewaterfilm!
SHARE - Getting the word out on our film is equally as helpful as any contribution! It's the best way for us to achieve our financial goals. Every share, comment, and repost helps us immensely.
SPREAD THE WORD!
We can reach our fundraising goal by getting the word out about our film to multiple networks. By sharing on your socials, sending emails to your friends, and telling those friends about this incredible team, YOU can help us achieve great success!
Need help figuring out what to say? Try these:
Help actor and filmmaker @gabrielle.carrubba by supporting her and other queer artists have their stories told! Follow @downbythewaterfilm on IG and Seed & Spark!
Tired of queer cinema feeling fetishy? Consider supporting filmmakers @gabrielle.carrubba & chl0extina by checking out their film Down By The Water on instagram & Seed and Spark! @downbythewaterfilm
I sure do love a coming age story that's culty and queer! Don't you? If so, then you'd love the film DOWN BY THE WATER by @gabrielle.carrubba and @chl0extina. Their film looks incredible! Support them on IG @downbythewaterflm and Seed and Spark!
Thank you so much, and we'll see you Down By The Water <3
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Pay our cast and crew!
Costs $3,000
We want to make sure our cast and crew are paid for their excellent work.
Transportation & Location
Costs $500
Have you seen Lake Carey? It's GORGEOUS!
Camera Equipment
Costs $4,000
We want our film to look as gorgeous as humanly possible.
Housing
Costs $2,000
We found an ideal spot to house our cast & crew and would love to make sure they're comfortable.
Transportation
Costs $500
We want to be able to comfortably bring our actors & crew to and from set like true professionals!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Gabrielle Carrubba (she/her) (Director/Producer) is an actor and filmmaker, currently making her Broadway debut in Dear Evan Hansen playing Zoe Murphy opposite Jordan Fisher. Her favorite theaters she's performed at are American Repertory Theater, The Kenedy Center, and WP Theater. She has recently directed RITUAL for MTC and various music videos for members of the Broadway community. @gabrielle.carrubba
Chloe Xtina (she/her) (Writer/Producer) is a filmmaker and playwright based in NYC. Her work explores girlhood, fem desire, and the body through the lens of magical realism. Her first film, The First Taste, was an official selection of the 2020 FemFilm Fest in NYC and NoBudge -- where it made NoBudge’s 2020 Films of the Year list. Her plays have been produced in New York, London, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area. This year, she was a Playwright-in-Residence at Project Nongenue. In addition to Down by the Water she is currently in production for her second short film, Ghost of you. She recently graduated from UCLA where she studied playwriting and film. chloextina.com
Thomas Laub (he/him) (Executive Producer) is a producer currently represented on Broadway with David Byrne's American Utopia (Special Tony Award). Past work includes Slave Play (Tony Nomination), Seven Deadly Sins, and the site-specific Myths & Hymns. Upcoming: Douglas Carter Beane's Fairycakes, Selina Fillinger's POTUS, and Plaza Suite starring Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker. Founder of Runyonland Productions and entertainment revenue management firm Standing Room Theatrical Solutions.
Valentine Salomone (she/her) (Producer)
Bianca Thompson (she/her) (Intimacy Coordinator) is an actor, theatre educator, and intimacy and violence designer based in Boston, Massachusetts. She graduated from Skidmore College with a B.S. in Theatre and has trained with Theatrical Intimacy Education and Heartland Intimacy Design & Training. biancalegardathompson.com
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
- a coming of age short about girlhood, queerness, and those weird games you played with your friends.
ABOUT ME
Hello, my name is Gabrielle Carrubba and I am the director of Down By The Water.
A bit about me, I come from a theatrical background, specifically and currently making my Broadway debut as Zoe Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen. While most of my directorial experience has been in theater, I have had a passion for film, creating and directing music videos for other friends in the Broadway community. Pairing up with the genius writer that is Chloe Xtina, we shared similar feelings about our girlhoods, intimately discussing those weird and unspoken games we would play with our friends that definitely alluded to our sexual awakenings. While those stories are often glamorized or underplayed, we shared a common desire to portray girlhood as it really is. Raw, grotesque, magical, and special. Thus, Down By The Water was born.
DALLAS, a lanky fifteen-year-old late bloomer, lives on a farm in a town populated mainly by members of an extremist Baptist Church. She has a close and intimate friendship with fifteen-year-old SUSANNAH, a member of the church. Because Susannah’s world is heavily dominated by her religion, her relationships to others are highly chaperoned. The rebel that she is, Susannah channels her energies and desires towards Dallas, twisting Dallas’ naivety to fit within the realm of Susannah’s rules. Yet, their intimate relationship to one another feels less like playing pretend and more emotionally involved for Dallas, blurring the line of game versus reality.
Dallas observes the world of the church from the outside. Although she does not hold the same beliefs, she is very sheltered to the outside world. She witnesses the hypersexualization of the girls in the church -- all of them look extremely similar (white, blonde, inbred). Looking extremely different from the rest of the girls, Dallas explores the nature of her feelings throughout the film under Susannah’s world and rules, constantly questioning the norms of her own impulses.
The film exists primarily in a world of women. Any and all intimacy is sacred and devoid of any male gaze. The only gazes we feel are that of each other, and that of Susannah's looming God.
Discovering, well, accepting my queerness was an incredulous feat. I knew early on that this was in fact something prevalent, yet something a conversation with myself just wouldn’t suffice. I needed to feel every feeling. As an adolescent, those prickly sensations towards women were comprised of envy, lust, and a primal desire. It was weird and specific and often unexplainable.
I miss that representation in queer cinema. It’s often depicted through an inevitable male gaze, feeling fetishy and generalized. There’s almost a fear of telling those stories in the exact way they were for us, though obviously no one’s experience is the same, there is a lack of safety for us to discuss those intricate details of our youth. The way it was. The not glamorized version of it.
As a storyteller, I feel the proud responsibility of creating safe spaces for arists to be seen. Genuinely seen. That’s what I aim to portray in Down by the Water. A lush yet brutal, soft yet rigid, fearless and safe examination of queer adolescence.
- Gabrielle Carrubba, Director
We are seeking an approximate budget of 10,000$. And I believe we can do it! With your help.
With your generous contribution, we will be able to pay for:
- Our cast and crew
- Our amazing camera rental
- Our sound equipment
- Housing for our team
- Design
- Costumes
- Transportation
- Catering and Craft Services
- Post production costs
Don't forget to check out our incentives and see what fabulous perks you will recieve for your contribution!
After (hopefully!) raising all we need, we will begin rehearsals with the cast both virtually and in person. Along with our intimacy director, we plan to be thoughtful and intentional with our takes, encouraging safety and communication the entirety of production. In addition to rehearsing, we will begin all the other pre-production needs: costumes, design, and composing our score.
We begin shooting our film August 30th, 2021 at a beautiful barn in PA. We have an exciting team of folks who are passionate about this story and truly believe in each other. (Everyone involved is fully vaccinated and crew will be masked the entire time.)
- the barn we will be shooting in!
CONTRIBUTE - All financial donations will 100% be used towards production and post-production costs.
FOLLOW - On Seed&Spark and also our instagram page @downbythewaterfilm!
SHARE - Getting the word out on our film is equally as helpful as any contribution! It's the best way for us to achieve our financial goals. Every share, comment, and repost helps us immensely.
SPREAD THE WORD!
We can reach our fundraising goal by getting the word out about our film to multiple networks. By sharing on your socials, sending emails to your friends, and telling those friends about this incredible team, YOU can help us achieve great success!
Need help figuring out what to say? Try these:
Help actor and filmmaker @gabrielle.carrubba by supporting her and other queer artists have their stories told! Follow @downbythewaterfilm on IG and Seed & Spark!
Tired of queer cinema feeling fetishy? Consider supporting filmmakers @gabrielle.carrubba & chl0extina by checking out their film Down By The Water on instagram & Seed and Spark! @downbythewaterfilm
I sure do love a coming age story that's culty and queer! Don't you? If so, then you'd love the film DOWN BY THE WATER by @gabrielle.carrubba and @chl0extina. Their film looks incredible! Support them on IG @downbythewaterflm and Seed and Spark!
Thank you so much, and we'll see you Down By The Water <3
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Pay our cast and crew!
Costs $3,000
We want to make sure our cast and crew are paid for their excellent work.
Transportation & Location
Costs $500
Have you seen Lake Carey? It's GORGEOUS!
Camera Equipment
Costs $4,000
We want our film to look as gorgeous as humanly possible.
Housing
Costs $2,000
We found an ideal spot to house our cast & crew and would love to make sure they're comfortable.
Transportation
Costs $500
We want to be able to comfortably bring our actors & crew to and from set like true professionals!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Gabrielle Carrubba (she/her) (Director/Producer) is an actor and filmmaker, currently making her Broadway debut in Dear Evan Hansen playing Zoe Murphy opposite Jordan Fisher. Her favorite theaters she's performed at are American Repertory Theater, The Kenedy Center, and WP Theater. She has recently directed RITUAL for MTC and various music videos for members of the Broadway community. @gabrielle.carrubba
Chloe Xtina (she/her) (Writer/Producer) is a filmmaker and playwright based in NYC. Her work explores girlhood, fem desire, and the body through the lens of magical realism. Her first film, The First Taste, was an official selection of the 2020 FemFilm Fest in NYC and NoBudge -- where it made NoBudge’s 2020 Films of the Year list. Her plays have been produced in New York, London, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area. This year, she was a Playwright-in-Residence at Project Nongenue. In addition to Down by the Water she is currently in production for her second short film, Ghost of you. She recently graduated from UCLA where she studied playwriting and film. chloextina.com
Thomas Laub (he/him) (Executive Producer) is a producer currently represented on Broadway with David Byrne's American Utopia (Special Tony Award). Past work includes Slave Play (Tony Nomination), Seven Deadly Sins, and the site-specific Myths & Hymns. Upcoming: Douglas Carter Beane's Fairycakes, Selina Fillinger's POTUS, and Plaza Suite starring Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker. Founder of Runyonland Productions and entertainment revenue management firm Standing Room Theatrical Solutions.
Valentine Salomone (she/her) (Producer)
Bianca Thompson (she/her) (Intimacy Coordinator) is an actor, theatre educator, and intimacy and violence designer based in Boston, Massachusetts. She graduated from Skidmore College with a B.S. in Theatre and has trained with Theatrical Intimacy Education and Heartland Intimacy Design & Training. biancalegardathompson.com