Family Trip
New York City, New York | Film Feature
Drama, Family
A struggling bar musician sets out to California to deliver his blind half-sister the birthday surprise their mother couldn't. A tough, witty drifter races West on a time sensitive mission. As the 3 worlds collide on this wild trip, they discover the true meaning of family, forgiveness, and freedom.
Family Trip
New York City, New York | Film Feature
Drama, Family
Green Light
This campaign raised $9,380 for development. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
22 supporters | followers
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A struggling bar musician sets out to California to deliver his blind half-sister the birthday surprise their mother couldn't. A tough, witty drifter races West on a time sensitive mission. As the 3 worlds collide on this wild trip, they discover the true meaning of family, forgiveness, and freedom.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Our Story:
After their mother’s sudden death, Paul López, a struggling bar musician, returns home to care for his blind 11-year-old half-sister Abby Morris. Paul discovers their late mother had planned a birthday trip to Disneyland to celebrate Abby’s birthday and courage to audition for a local dance talent show, despite her visual disability.
Abby’s father, Gary Morris, seeking redemption from a shaky past, sets out to pick Abby up to take custody. Paul promises Gary he will not allow him to “destroy her life” any longer and impulsively takes Abby on the journey to Disneyland, running away from Gary. Paul manages to keep calm despite his erratic decision.
On the road, they cross paths with Sommer Caroli, a sharp-witted drifter with her own burdens, who becomes their unlikely companion. Together, the trio face hostile strangers, dangerous pursuers, and past traumas—all while attempting to keep a tight traveling schedule. As tensions mount, Paul and Sommer must confront their past wounds and self-destructive habits while shielding Abby’s innocence and determination.
The trip transforms from a reckless escape into a healing pilgrimage: a chance for Paul to prove he can break cycles of pain, for Sommer to reconcile with her own family scars, and for Abby to discover resilience in the face of loss.
Alcohol Dependence and Grief:
Paul has always struggled with his bi-cultural identity, feeling as though he doesn't belong to one or another, which is a feeling very common amongst first and even second generation American citizens. In addition, Paul's best friend, his father, died tragically after a concert. Since then, Paul hasn't discovered a better way to deal with his grief and his identity issues than alcohol.
"Sometimes it's too much. It hurts too much. So I get angry. I drink so I don't get angry."
Paul Lopez, Family Trip.
Our film explores substance abuse with nuance. It is a grey subject, and society tends to approach it as a black and white issue.
Forgiveness:
How cliche, yet how true it is to say that it is hard to forgive someone who has wronged us? Especially when that someone is a person who was supposed to protect you and be there for you. Sommer, our tough, witty, and tender drifter, battles with a past that includes her dad letting her down when she needed him the most. She witnesses his infidelity towards her mom in a time when her family was falling apart-- this was the nail in the coffin.
"I am never, fucking ever, asking for his help. I can take care of myself. I have, and I'll continue to. I don't need anybody's help."
Sommer Caroli, Family Trip.
We move throughout life carrying such heavy load on our shoulders when we actively choose not to forgive. Our film explores the thought: "what would happen if I just let go and forgive? Myself and those who have caused harm?" Spoiler-- the answer? Freedom.
Yeah, but... Why us? Why now?? WHY?!
In a time when diversity is misunderstood and under appreciated; in a time when human connection and community have declined significantly; in a time when minorities and misfits have had little chance to stand out, Family Trip is the type of film that's needed to give voice to those who haven't had the chance to be heard.
We explore themes of abandonment, substance abuse, familial trauma, through the eyes of our main trio-- a loner navigating his cultural duality and grief, a little girl with big dreams and a visual disability, and a hitchhiking misfit afraid to trust anyone for fear of being abandoned. They will give representation to many who haven't felt seen in a very long time.
So... where's my money going?
Yeah, that's the elephant in the room. And perhaps the most important question. Our campaign is for development funds, meaning all contributions will be going to 3 main things:
Packaging: This gives our incredible producer, Lisa Donmall-Reeve, all the resources to put together our product (Family Trip) and come up with the best "package" for investors. This will highlight our film's vision and artistic approach. It'll allow us to create a cohesive, attractive final budget for big investors and production companies. It also goes hand in hand with Casting, as this will allow us to reach out to our top choices for talent for the roles in the film while having some capital in our film's bank account. Finally, it will allow us to create a solid, specific plan for distribution and marketing strategies. This is the most important part of our process for developing our project.
Film Company Formation / Legal: We all know legal matters aren't usually cheap. So, your contributions will allow us to form our own LLC to become a formal, legal entity to which investors can then invest in. It will allow us to put together our legal team to create contracts, especially when we start attaching talent, and to look at tax incentives in different states across the country.
Casting / Locations: Again, kind of hand in hand with Packaging, your contributions will allow us to reach out to our top choices of actors to play the lead and supporting roles. It's always a good thing when reaching out to agents to have some money already secured for the project. It takes time to gather information and talent, so your contributions will help us immensely. And, as we attach talent and move forward with our packaging, we want to start securing locations to show case the beauty of the country as well as the very specific and charming indoor locations throughout the film. This will also help us show our visual ideas to investors and companies.
Your support is as appreciated as a good roadtrip playlist!
We truly look forward to having you ride with us in our chaotic roadtrip. It's going to be a blast. We can't make this happen without you, and we thank you in advance for your incredible contributions and for your support.
Follow us on our journey as we prep everything for what's going to be the best roadtrip EVER! INSTRAGRAM
Welcome to our family.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Packaging
Costs $4,000
This will allow us to package our movie and send it to investors to reach our production budget. Your contribution will be our foundation!
Film Company Formation & Legal
Costs $1,500
Help us get our legal team set up so we can create our LLC and officially create our film!
Casting
Costs $1,500
Casting has begun working based on their love for our project alone. This compensates them and allows them to reach our top talent choices!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Sharon Lewis (director) :
Sharon is a Caribbean/Canadian/American filmmaker. She loves storytelling and is beyond grateful that she's able to do it as a career. She has been recognized internationally for her work, with nine Canadian Screen Awards nominations, winning for Best Director. She has been involved in two Emmy nominated productions, and has received development funds for six of her feature film projects. She has spent the last twenty years honing her skills as a director and has been able to share that skill on TV productions for HBO, CBS, NBC, Netflix, Prime, Hulu, and many more. She continues to center stories about black women and women of color through her production company urbansoul inc.
Lisa Donmall-Reeve (producer) :
Lisa migrated from a successful and extensive career in theater, which armed her with all the essential cross-transferable skills for producing. She is a true collaborator with a passion for storytelling and has over two decades of production experience. Her company, LDRCreative, plays to its strength to make an impact.
Lisa has been awarded over 18 major film festival awards since the company was founded. Among its celebrated productions are the award winning short films Drama Early Mourning, Free and Double Exposure, and the documentaries Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance (available on MAX and Prime in USA, UK, Australia, and New Zealand,) and Susan Feniger. Forked. (available on Prime UK and set to release in the US in Fall 2025.)
She has several feature length projects in development (both scripted and unscripted) and looks forward to creating, collaborating, and producing the current and future generation's vision in film.
Mynor Luken (Lead / Co-Writer) :
Mynor is an actor/writer originally from Chicago, IL. He has appeared in Chicago Med and, most recently, in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as Beto Ortegas. A significant role in the incredibly popular Star Trek universe, as he's the first documented love interest of fan-favorite, communications officer Nyota Uhura.
Bringing both edge, heart, and humanity to each role, Mynor takes pride and joy in exploring depth in characters, hyper fixating in small, detailed nuances that make human beings unique. A graduate from The Neighborhood Playhouse, Mynor prioritizes specificity when approaching/creating a character.
As a writer, Mynor has written 3 feature films and one play. Because of his background in improvisational work, Mynor's signature is his approach to naturalistic dialogue, making an audience feel as though they've simply been invited to listen to human beings have seemingly mundane conversations which move the story forward exponentially.
Elizabeth Vitale (Casting Director) :
Elizabeth is a seasoned Casting Director with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry. After beginning her career in commercial casting, she quickly transitioned to working with some of the most renowned theatrical Casting Directors in the business. She received her BA in Visual & Media Arts from Emerson College, and her Master's Degree in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University.
Elizabeth has contributed her casting expertise to high-profile projects such as HBO's limited series Love and Death, Disney's smash hit Hocus Pocus 2, and the independent feature Audrey's Children, among many others. Her exceptional work in casting earned her a 2025 CSA Artios Award for the Netflix animated series Blue Eye Samurai.
In 2019, Elizabeth launched Vitale Casting, where she has made meaningful impact by casting undergraduate and graduate student thesis films, giving back to her education by helping the next generation of filmmakers. Since opening, she has expanded Vitale's Casting portfolio to include a diverse range of short films and independent features, establishing herself as a respected force in both emerging and established filmmaking circles.
Beth Holmes (Casting Director) :
After graduating with an MFA in Theater from the California Institute of the Arts, Beth began her career casting television at Aaron Spelling Productions. She also built the commercial casting department for Bengston/Cohn Casting, pioneering the trend of casting both professional actors and real people in numerous award winning campaigns. She opened her own business, Beth Holmes Casting, Inc., in 1988 and has enjoyed success as a leader in the Los Angeles casting community. Her casting career came full circle with director Ted Melfi, and producer Fred Ross, who brought her back to film casting, hiring her as the Los Angeles Casting Director for the film St. Vincent in 2014. Films include El Camino Christmas for Netflix, India's Sweets and Spices for Bleeker Street Media, Hail Mary for Sparkhouse Media, and Camera for Jay Silverman Productions. In early 2025, she cast Yale, another Jay Silverman production and a documentary entitled Amerigo, to be shown on PBS celebrating America's 250th birthday and airing in conjunction with Ken Burns' American Revolution. She is prepping The Boy in Burton Shadow for executive producers Penny Edmiston, Chelsey Neders, and Alan Cumming.
Beth continues casting for commercials as well, working with film directors Grant Heslov (Nespresso) and Damien Chazelle (Apple, Squarespace) when they venture into directing commercial campaigns.
Matt Simpkins (Director of Photography) :
Matt Simpkins is an award-winning cinematographer whose work has been distributed globally on major platforms including Netflix, HBO MAX, and Amazon Prime— including the critically acclaimed Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance and Golden Opulence: 500 Years of Luxury in Anatolia. Known for his striking visual style and intuitive storytelling, Matt has garnered multiple Best Cinematography awards for his work on narrative and documentary projects and has had his work featured at over 50 international film festivals.
In addition to film, he runs a Brooklyn-based photo studio specializing in headshots, portraiture, and high-end interior photography, continuing to bring his refined eye for composition and light to a wide range of visual storytelling.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Our Story:
After their mother’s sudden death, Paul López, a struggling bar musician, returns home to care for his blind 11-year-old half-sister Abby Morris. Paul discovers their late mother had planned a birthday trip to Disneyland to celebrate Abby’s birthday and courage to audition for a local dance talent show, despite her visual disability.
Abby’s father, Gary Morris, seeking redemption from a shaky past, sets out to pick Abby up to take custody. Paul promises Gary he will not allow him to “destroy her life” any longer and impulsively takes Abby on the journey to Disneyland, running away from Gary. Paul manages to keep calm despite his erratic decision.
On the road, they cross paths with Sommer Caroli, a sharp-witted drifter with her own burdens, who becomes their unlikely companion. Together, the trio face hostile strangers, dangerous pursuers, and past traumas—all while attempting to keep a tight traveling schedule. As tensions mount, Paul and Sommer must confront their past wounds and self-destructive habits while shielding Abby’s innocence and determination.
The trip transforms from a reckless escape into a healing pilgrimage: a chance for Paul to prove he can break cycles of pain, for Sommer to reconcile with her own family scars, and for Abby to discover resilience in the face of loss.
Alcohol Dependence and Grief:
Paul has always struggled with his bi-cultural identity, feeling as though he doesn't belong to one or another, which is a feeling very common amongst first and even second generation American citizens. In addition, Paul's best friend, his father, died tragically after a concert. Since then, Paul hasn't discovered a better way to deal with his grief and his identity issues than alcohol.
"Sometimes it's too much. It hurts too much. So I get angry. I drink so I don't get angry."
Paul Lopez, Family Trip.
Our film explores substance abuse with nuance. It is a grey subject, and society tends to approach it as a black and white issue.
Forgiveness:
How cliche, yet how true it is to say that it is hard to forgive someone who has wronged us? Especially when that someone is a person who was supposed to protect you and be there for you. Sommer, our tough, witty, and tender drifter, battles with a past that includes her dad letting her down when she needed him the most. She witnesses his infidelity towards her mom in a time when her family was falling apart-- this was the nail in the coffin.
"I am never, fucking ever, asking for his help. I can take care of myself. I have, and I'll continue to. I don't need anybody's help."
Sommer Caroli, Family Trip.
We move throughout life carrying such heavy load on our shoulders when we actively choose not to forgive. Our film explores the thought: "what would happen if I just let go and forgive? Myself and those who have caused harm?" Spoiler-- the answer? Freedom.
Yeah, but... Why us? Why now?? WHY?!
In a time when diversity is misunderstood and under appreciated; in a time when human connection and community have declined significantly; in a time when minorities and misfits have had little chance to stand out, Family Trip is the type of film that's needed to give voice to those who haven't had the chance to be heard.
We explore themes of abandonment, substance abuse, familial trauma, through the eyes of our main trio-- a loner navigating his cultural duality and grief, a little girl with big dreams and a visual disability, and a hitchhiking misfit afraid to trust anyone for fear of being abandoned. They will give representation to many who haven't felt seen in a very long time.
So... where's my money going?
Yeah, that's the elephant in the room. And perhaps the most important question. Our campaign is for development funds, meaning all contributions will be going to 3 main things:
Packaging: This gives our incredible producer, Lisa Donmall-Reeve, all the resources to put together our product (Family Trip) and come up with the best "package" for investors. This will highlight our film's vision and artistic approach. It'll allow us to create a cohesive, attractive final budget for big investors and production companies. It also goes hand in hand with Casting, as this will allow us to reach out to our top choices for talent for the roles in the film while having some capital in our film's bank account. Finally, it will allow us to create a solid, specific plan for distribution and marketing strategies. This is the most important part of our process for developing our project.
Film Company Formation / Legal: We all know legal matters aren't usually cheap. So, your contributions will allow us to form our own LLC to become a formal, legal entity to which investors can then invest in. It will allow us to put together our legal team to create contracts, especially when we start attaching talent, and to look at tax incentives in different states across the country.
Casting / Locations: Again, kind of hand in hand with Packaging, your contributions will allow us to reach out to our top choices of actors to play the lead and supporting roles. It's always a good thing when reaching out to agents to have some money already secured for the project. It takes time to gather information and talent, so your contributions will help us immensely. And, as we attach talent and move forward with our packaging, we want to start securing locations to show case the beauty of the country as well as the very specific and charming indoor locations throughout the film. This will also help us show our visual ideas to investors and companies.
Your support is as appreciated as a good roadtrip playlist!
We truly look forward to having you ride with us in our chaotic roadtrip. It's going to be a blast. We can't make this happen without you, and we thank you in advance for your incredible contributions and for your support.
Follow us on our journey as we prep everything for what's going to be the best roadtrip EVER! INSTRAGRAM
Welcome to our family.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Packaging
Costs $4,000
This will allow us to package our movie and send it to investors to reach our production budget. Your contribution will be our foundation!
Film Company Formation & Legal
Costs $1,500
Help us get our legal team set up so we can create our LLC and officially create our film!
Casting
Costs $1,500
Casting has begun working based on their love for our project alone. This compensates them and allows them to reach our top talent choices!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Sharon Lewis (director) :
Sharon is a Caribbean/Canadian/American filmmaker. She loves storytelling and is beyond grateful that she's able to do it as a career. She has been recognized internationally for her work, with nine Canadian Screen Awards nominations, winning for Best Director. She has been involved in two Emmy nominated productions, and has received development funds for six of her feature film projects. She has spent the last twenty years honing her skills as a director and has been able to share that skill on TV productions for HBO, CBS, NBC, Netflix, Prime, Hulu, and many more. She continues to center stories about black women and women of color through her production company urbansoul inc.
Lisa Donmall-Reeve (producer) :
Lisa migrated from a successful and extensive career in theater, which armed her with all the essential cross-transferable skills for producing. She is a true collaborator with a passion for storytelling and has over two decades of production experience. Her company, LDRCreative, plays to its strength to make an impact.
Lisa has been awarded over 18 major film festival awards since the company was founded. Among its celebrated productions are the award winning short films Drama Early Mourning, Free and Double Exposure, and the documentaries Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance (available on MAX and Prime in USA, UK, Australia, and New Zealand,) and Susan Feniger. Forked. (available on Prime UK and set to release in the US in Fall 2025.)
She has several feature length projects in development (both scripted and unscripted) and looks forward to creating, collaborating, and producing the current and future generation's vision in film.
Mynor Luken (Lead / Co-Writer) :
Mynor is an actor/writer originally from Chicago, IL. He has appeared in Chicago Med and, most recently, in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as Beto Ortegas. A significant role in the incredibly popular Star Trek universe, as he's the first documented love interest of fan-favorite, communications officer Nyota Uhura.
Bringing both edge, heart, and humanity to each role, Mynor takes pride and joy in exploring depth in characters, hyper fixating in small, detailed nuances that make human beings unique. A graduate from The Neighborhood Playhouse, Mynor prioritizes specificity when approaching/creating a character.
As a writer, Mynor has written 3 feature films and one play. Because of his background in improvisational work, Mynor's signature is his approach to naturalistic dialogue, making an audience feel as though they've simply been invited to listen to human beings have seemingly mundane conversations which move the story forward exponentially.
Elizabeth Vitale (Casting Director) :
Elizabeth is a seasoned Casting Director with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry. After beginning her career in commercial casting, she quickly transitioned to working with some of the most renowned theatrical Casting Directors in the business. She received her BA in Visual & Media Arts from Emerson College, and her Master's Degree in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University.
Elizabeth has contributed her casting expertise to high-profile projects such as HBO's limited series Love and Death, Disney's smash hit Hocus Pocus 2, and the independent feature Audrey's Children, among many others. Her exceptional work in casting earned her a 2025 CSA Artios Award for the Netflix animated series Blue Eye Samurai.
In 2019, Elizabeth launched Vitale Casting, where she has made meaningful impact by casting undergraduate and graduate student thesis films, giving back to her education by helping the next generation of filmmakers. Since opening, she has expanded Vitale's Casting portfolio to include a diverse range of short films and independent features, establishing herself as a respected force in both emerging and established filmmaking circles.
Beth Holmes (Casting Director) :
After graduating with an MFA in Theater from the California Institute of the Arts, Beth began her career casting television at Aaron Spelling Productions. She also built the commercial casting department for Bengston/Cohn Casting, pioneering the trend of casting both professional actors and real people in numerous award winning campaigns. She opened her own business, Beth Holmes Casting, Inc., in 1988 and has enjoyed success as a leader in the Los Angeles casting community. Her casting career came full circle with director Ted Melfi, and producer Fred Ross, who brought her back to film casting, hiring her as the Los Angeles Casting Director for the film St. Vincent in 2014. Films include El Camino Christmas for Netflix, India's Sweets and Spices for Bleeker Street Media, Hail Mary for Sparkhouse Media, and Camera for Jay Silverman Productions. In early 2025, she cast Yale, another Jay Silverman production and a documentary entitled Amerigo, to be shown on PBS celebrating America's 250th birthday and airing in conjunction with Ken Burns' American Revolution. She is prepping The Boy in Burton Shadow for executive producers Penny Edmiston, Chelsey Neders, and Alan Cumming.
Beth continues casting for commercials as well, working with film directors Grant Heslov (Nespresso) and Damien Chazelle (Apple, Squarespace) when they venture into directing commercial campaigns.
Matt Simpkins (Director of Photography) :
Matt Simpkins is an award-winning cinematographer whose work has been distributed globally on major platforms including Netflix, HBO MAX, and Amazon Prime— including the critically acclaimed Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance and Golden Opulence: 500 Years of Luxury in Anatolia. Known for his striking visual style and intuitive storytelling, Matt has garnered multiple Best Cinematography awards for his work on narrative and documentary projects and has had his work featured at over 50 international film festivals.
In addition to film, he runs a Brooklyn-based photo studio specializing in headshots, portraiture, and high-end interior photography, continuing to bring his refined eye for composition and light to a wide range of visual storytelling.