Egghead & Twinkie is a feature-length coming of age comedy about coming out of the closet. The film follows a teenage girl named Twinkie as she comes out to her parents and takes off on a cross country road trip to meet her mysterious online crush, BD. She even convinces her nerdy best friend, Egghead, to come along for the ride. The only problem? Egghead is in love with Twinkie, and BD might not be everything she seems to be on the internet.

THEMES: Egghead & Twinkie is a light-hearted road movie that tackles some serious subject matter. It is an exploration of racial identity, teenage sexuality, and self discovery for a generation of youth seeking love and acceptance on the internet. But at the core, it is a story about friendship (even if Egghead wishes it was something more).

STYLE: Influenced by Juno, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Japanese anime, Egghead & Twinkie has developed a style that is all its own. Every aesthetic decision, from the lighting to the production design, puts the audience in Twinkie's shoes so they can be immersed in her world. Since Twinkie is an aspiring animator, elements of 2D animation will be rotoscoped over live action footage to blend her colorful imagination with reality.

SHORT FILM: Egghead & Twinkie is based on the award-winning short film of the same name. In many ways, the success of the short has helped pave the way for the feature. The short film received Best Film at the inaugural Women Making a Scene International Film Competition, Best Student Film at the 32nd All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Festival, and the Grand Jury Award at the 28th Brouhaha Film Showcase, earning a spot at the Oscar-qualifying Florida Film Festival.

Watch the trailer for the short film! Edited by our Assistant Editor, Anna DeFinis.

We have already secured 56% of our funding through grants, private contributions, and awards, but we need YOUR help to cross the finish line and reach our total of $50,000 needed for production! The remaining $22,000 left to raise will help cover the cost of the following:

• Personal Protective Equipment to keep our team safe and healthy on set.
• Props, Costumes, and Set Decoration to bring Twinkie's colorful world to life.
• Location Fees and Permits so we can shoot at a variety of locations. Remember, Egghead & Twinkie is a road movie with plenty of pitstops along the way!
• Crafty and Catering for our hardworking cast and crew. Feeding 20+ people every day for 5 weeks of shooting sure adds up fast.
• Production Insurance so we can shoot certain car scenes on an actual road (we'll film in front of a green screen as much as possible, promise!)
• Seed & Spark Fees to pay our dues. Yes, even crowdfunding costs money.

Some of these costs will have a HUGE effect on the look and feel of the finished film. Don't believe us? Check out these designs for two of our sets. If we don't raise enough money for location fees and set decoration, we might not be able to bring this beautiful concept art to life!

Concept art for Twinkie's Bedroom by our Production Designer, Luke Sanders.

Concept art for the Chinese Restaurant by our Production Designer, Luke Sanders.

DIRECTOR'S NOTE: "I came up with the idea for Egghead & Twinkie when I was fresh out of the closet at 19 years old. Like many LGBTQ+ people, I had been reluctant to come out, partly because pop culture had taught me to fear it. One of the best ways to overcome fear is through laughter, so I wrote Egghead & Twinkie to see if I could find humor in the coming out experience.

That said, Egghead & Twinkie isn't just a story about coming out. Growing up, I rarely saw people on TV who looked like me. While Twinkie and her love interests, BD and Jess, are so much more than "just" queer and Asian American, it is an essential part of who they are. All three of them have different experiences with their sexuality and race, proving that there is plenty of diversity within a shared identity. 

While the film is obviously about friendship, Egghead must also learn how to be an ally to his best friend. I hope that teenagers and parents, gays and straights, alike will watch this film and laugh really hard... but also learn something from it. As Egghead discovers, loving someone isn't about chasing the idea of them: it's about embracing who they truly are.

Twinkie, to her credit, is unwavering in who she is. She owns her identity even when others see something wrong with it. She is proud of her sexuality despite dismissiveness from her family. To be honest, Twinkie is the protagonist that I needed when I was growing up, and I'm so, so excited for you all to meet her."

COVID-19: Ahhh yes, the coronavirus. While making a film in the midst of a pandemic and financial recession might not seem like the obvious choice, we would argue that art is more important now than ever. During weeks of self-isolation, movies were a source of comfort and escapism for millions of people around the world. Now that we are coming out of quarantine, how can we turn around and say that the arts are not an essential service? 

On a more practical level, we have taken drastic measures to protect the health of our team and the financial security of the production. We were originally scheduled to shoot the film in July of 2020, and while we were absolutely ready to go, the world around us was not. We postponed production and spent months researching COVID safety to prepare for every possible scenario. Now we are back and readier than ever to see this project through to the end!

A MICRO-BUDGET ROAD MOVIE? While a micro-budget road movie might sound like a bit of a paradox, we assure you, it is absolutely possible with some creative workarounds. In the story, Egghead and Twinkie travel from the fictional town of Dell City to Dallas, Texas. Our team is based in Orlando, Florida and we can't afford to take this show on the actual road. With that in mind, we've spent the past year scouting around Central Florida to lock down locations that could pass for Mississippi, Louisiana, and yes, even Texas.

Now you might be thinking, what about the car scenes? We plan to mix establishing shots of the car on the road with green screen footage captured on a soundstage. Movie magic! Check out our sweet setup below. We have already conducted two camera tests and will only continue to refine our technique as we move forward!

Congrats! You've reached the bottom of our fundraising page. Seeing as you made it this far, we really hope that you will consider supporting our production. Here are three ways you can help make Egghead & Twinkie a reality:

• Contribute to our campaign and get some sweet perks! Any amount, big or small, is greatly appreciated. Check out the side bar for a list of rewards.
• Follow us on social media and share our campaign! Can't contribute? Maybe one of your internet friends can! Follow our film on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook to help get the word out.
• Give physical assets to the production! Do you have a house or business in Florida that we can use as a shooting location? Or maybe you have meals that you can provide to our hungry cast and crew? Whatever it may be, send an email to [email protected] and let us know!

Thank you so much for your support. With your help, we can bring this story out of the closet and take it on the road trip of a lifetime!