Festival Child
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, Family
A festivalist in a neon dress with a pocket full of K, soberly stumbles across transcendence before she can even step out her front door.
Festival Child
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, Family
2 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $9,045 for festivals. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
99 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
A festivalist in a neon dress with a pocket full of K, soberly stumbles across transcendence before she can even step out her front door.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Luna is content seeking transcendence through music, meditation, and the occasional psychedelic.
On her way to an iconic EDM festival, she is stopped in her tracks by a baby, alone in a stroller at her door.
Luna must confront this alien being in front of her,
Only to find unexpected connection and a glimpse of a new kind of transcendence.
While many films these days are often deep and dark in tone, I wanted to introduce a kind of high key neon, real word of Luna. This style is very much a part of my own visual language, matched with the daytime brightness that a festival invites.
This film centers on the processing going on in Luna’s mind, that happens to get interrupted by this baby showing up on her doorstep. I sought to create space, that lets us sit in those moments with her, contrasted by the chaos that occurs, creating the ebb and flow of this emotional journey.
I never thought this movie would be headed towards a festival premiere but reflecting on the making of Festival Child is making me even more exciting to get it out into the world! We made this movie for fun, for our inner child and that's the essence of where the story started too.
The concept was birthed on a walk to get boba. Sofia and I had just started to come out of total pandemic lockdown mode and feeling the urge to connect with our friends and also had the itch to create something. We had always wanted to work together so we started with writing what we knew.
It’s easy to feel like we are never quite mature enough to be a full adult, as if being a grown-up is some destination we magically reach. We’re protective of that inner child, yet, we feel it; that urge to let ourselves change...because maybe letting ourselves change can somehow be that magic.
And Luna was born. It was invaluable to have Sofia's insight into her own experience around her identity as a mother that she could infuse into the creation of Luna. Then add in her real life daughter, Emilia, as the baby, and the chemistry is instant.
As someone who has gone through an identity rebirth, I had a unique appreciation for the moment when someone realizes, everything they thought they knew about themselves could change. Whether it's through pregnancy, identity or ability, our priorities change, our lifestyles shift, and we decide who we are.
I've never experienced Luna's specific dilemma around motherhood, but I think a lot of us can see ourselves in parts of her. I see myself in her free spirit, in her instincts to take care of others, and especially that part of me who doesn't know if I'll ever be a grown up. I wanted to make a film that could let us all explore that space, including the panic, uncertainty, and ultimate confidence we find along the way, no matter which identity we choose.
This is the final stretch! We have officially finished the film but have a few outstanding bills to pay and we are gearing up for what we hope is a successful festival run for this Festival Child - see what we did there?
Your contributions will go directly to paying for the last few post costs like:
- Color
- Sound
- Music
- Festival Submissions
Plus, the best way for a filmmaker to introduce their work to the world is to be there to show it and talk about it! So, the most important piece of the puzzle here is that Kat will be able to attend the festivals that Festival Child is accepted into. I hope you'll help us make this the debut that Kat and the entire team of Festival Child deserves!
--Please hit the "follow" button on our campaign. Those follows actually go a long way when they're added up - like unlocking up to $9000 worth of filmmaker resources that Seed & Spark gifts to successful campaigns!
You do have to have a Seed&Spark account to follow us - so if you don't have one yet, the good new is - its FREE to sign up!
--Share the campaign on instagram and tag our core team members at @KatHennessey @Sofialand @rachygr8 @pallavisastry
STAY TUNED FOR FILM FESTIVAL PREMIERE NEWS AND CAMPAIGN UPDATES!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your love and support.
--Kat, Sofia, and the entire Festival Child team
10,000 - Marketing and PR
Although we would feel so lucky to reach our $8500 campaign goal(!!!)...It is the minimum we need to premiere this film. What would be amazing is to have some extra funds to help us market the film and keep going with the festival journey. A short film for a first time filmmaker is a major calling card, so the extra funds would help Kat and our team use some targeted marketing and PR to make the reach of the film even bigger! These efforts could even lead to distribution for the film.
$12,500 - Fair pay for our creative team
And if we keep going, then we can actually pay our core creative team a little something for their invaluable sweat equity and passion that they have poured into this film! Art has value and so do the Artists that make the art we all get to enjoy!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Post Production Sound
Costs $750
We've finished post sound with the awesome Aidan Reynolds. YAY! We'd love to be able to pay back our investor for this line item.
Color Grading/Correction
Costs $500
We've finished Color with the awesome Rutuj Acharya. NEAT! We'd love to be able to pay back our investor for this line item.
Festival Submissions
Costs $750
You know the drill - it costs moneys to submit to great festivals. We hope to announce a premiere soon! Help us out, won't ya?
Filmmaker Travel Expenses
Costs $3,000
Going to the festivals changes the game for filmmakers - help Kat get to the festivals. YAY!
Deliverables
Costs $1,000
Sometimes, theatres/festivals/distributors want fancy files that you can't make with a regular computer - c'est la vie!
Contingency
Costs $1,000
For the true (rare) surprises coz the movie making costs surprise dollars sometimes
Music Licensing
Costs $1,000
Studio Fees and Publishing fees for the brilliant original music heard in the film written by the one and only Heidi Webster!
Hard Drive Purchase
Costs $500
The final product of the film's gotta live somewhere physically in case the aliens come for us!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Kat Hennessey (Writer/Director)
Kat is a genderqueer Director, Cinematographer and Photographer born and based in Van Nuys, CA. A multitude of influences inform their work today, from early life in foster care, uncovering their own gender identity, the challenge of working through and finding peace with disabilities, and traveling to over 60 countries as a singer/actor starring in show including WICKED, BILLY ELLIOT, CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, and finally as a photographer and filmmaker.
Kat is currently the Director of Photography and Consulting Creative Director for the EMMY Award Winning documentary series {THE AND}, a Photographer for NIKE Global Imaging, and is thrilled to be introducing their first short film "Festival Child."
Kat's 2nd short film, a dark comedy is currently in post production, and she is developing/writing a feature film based on the life of their queer grandparents and their escape as whistle blowers from the notorious cult SYNANON.
Through Kat’s work, she aims to create a window into often unseen life experiences, showing beauty in unexpected places, and making sure we laugh along the way.
Sofia Gonzalez (Actor - Luna)
Sofia Gonzalez is proud to be a part of the Disney+ limited series, THE CLAUSES, as Tim Allen’s daughter-in-law Marie Calvin. She recurs in the HBOMAX/Starz series MINX- a 1970s period, workplace comedy executive produced by Paul Feig and written by Ellen Rapoport. Sofia voices “Wolfette” in the COMEDY CENTRAL animated series, LIGHTNING WOLVES. Her other television work includes MIRACLE WORKERS, GRACE & FRANKIE, Judd Apatow’s LOVE, MODERN FAMILY, LIFE IN PIECES, COMMUNITY, and she recurred on CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND.
Rachel Grate (Actor - Tonya)
Rachel Grate grew up in the sprawling LA suburbs and enjoys yoga, acting and spreadsheets. Check her out on Crazy Ex Girlfriend as Audra Levine and on various other tv shows and commercials playing on your local television. Thanks to Kat Sofy]ia and Pallavi (and of course, Emelia) for such a fun and great film!
Pallavi Sastry (Executive Producer):
Pallavi is an award winning producer, actor, and podcaster. Most recently, she produced and starred in Nardeep Khurmi’s, Land of Gold, which premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Festival and is now streaming on Max. She also serves as a lead producer on the feature documentary, Invisible (Amazon Prime) and the top 100 Relationship podcast, What Are Friends For, where she also co-hosts with her best friend Gabrielle Ruiz (CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend). With her sister and producing partner, Keertana Sastry, she co-founded Adda G Productions where they champion stories from all across the diaspora.
Pallavi is also a classically trained stage and screen actor currently recurring as “Nina” in the hit AMC series, The Walking Dead: Dead City. Other notable appearances include 3 seasons on CBS’ Blue Bloods, Netflix’s Master of None, Quantico, Last Week Tonight w/ John Oliver, and several national commercials. Prior to her TV/Film career, Pallavi performed in countless original and revivals of musicals and plays all over the country. www.pallavisastry.com
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Luna is content seeking transcendence through music, meditation, and the occasional psychedelic.
On her way to an iconic EDM festival, she is stopped in her tracks by a baby, alone in a stroller at her door.
Luna must confront this alien being in front of her,
Only to find unexpected connection and a glimpse of a new kind of transcendence.
While many films these days are often deep and dark in tone, I wanted to introduce a kind of high key neon, real word of Luna. This style is very much a part of my own visual language, matched with the daytime brightness that a festival invites.
This film centers on the processing going on in Luna’s mind, that happens to get interrupted by this baby showing up on her doorstep. I sought to create space, that lets us sit in those moments with her, contrasted by the chaos that occurs, creating the ebb and flow of this emotional journey.
I never thought this movie would be headed towards a festival premiere but reflecting on the making of Festival Child is making me even more exciting to get it out into the world! We made this movie for fun, for our inner child and that's the essence of where the story started too.
The concept was birthed on a walk to get boba. Sofia and I had just started to come out of total pandemic lockdown mode and feeling the urge to connect with our friends and also had the itch to create something. We had always wanted to work together so we started with writing what we knew.
It’s easy to feel like we are never quite mature enough to be a full adult, as if being a grown-up is some destination we magically reach. We’re protective of that inner child, yet, we feel it; that urge to let ourselves change...because maybe letting ourselves change can somehow be that magic.
And Luna was born. It was invaluable to have Sofia's insight into her own experience around her identity as a mother that she could infuse into the creation of Luna. Then add in her real life daughter, Emilia, as the baby, and the chemistry is instant.
As someone who has gone through an identity rebirth, I had a unique appreciation for the moment when someone realizes, everything they thought they knew about themselves could change. Whether it's through pregnancy, identity or ability, our priorities change, our lifestyles shift, and we decide who we are.
I've never experienced Luna's specific dilemma around motherhood, but I think a lot of us can see ourselves in parts of her. I see myself in her free spirit, in her instincts to take care of others, and especially that part of me who doesn't know if I'll ever be a grown up. I wanted to make a film that could let us all explore that space, including the panic, uncertainty, and ultimate confidence we find along the way, no matter which identity we choose.
This is the final stretch! We have officially finished the film but have a few outstanding bills to pay and we are gearing up for what we hope is a successful festival run for this Festival Child - see what we did there?
Your contributions will go directly to paying for the last few post costs like:
- Color
- Sound
- Music
- Festival Submissions
Plus, the best way for a filmmaker to introduce their work to the world is to be there to show it and talk about it! So, the most important piece of the puzzle here is that Kat will be able to attend the festivals that Festival Child is accepted into. I hope you'll help us make this the debut that Kat and the entire team of Festival Child deserves!
--Please hit the "follow" button on our campaign. Those follows actually go a long way when they're added up - like unlocking up to $9000 worth of filmmaker resources that Seed & Spark gifts to successful campaigns!
You do have to have a Seed&Spark account to follow us - so if you don't have one yet, the good new is - its FREE to sign up!
--Share the campaign on instagram and tag our core team members at @KatHennessey @Sofialand @rachygr8 @pallavisastry
STAY TUNED FOR FILM FESTIVAL PREMIERE NEWS AND CAMPAIGN UPDATES!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your love and support.
--Kat, Sofia, and the entire Festival Child team
10,000 - Marketing and PR
Although we would feel so lucky to reach our $8500 campaign goal(!!!)...It is the minimum we need to premiere this film. What would be amazing is to have some extra funds to help us market the film and keep going with the festival journey. A short film for a first time filmmaker is a major calling card, so the extra funds would help Kat and our team use some targeted marketing and PR to make the reach of the film even bigger! These efforts could even lead to distribution for the film.
$12,500 - Fair pay for our creative team
And if we keep going, then we can actually pay our core creative team a little something for their invaluable sweat equity and passion that they have poured into this film! Art has value and so do the Artists that make the art we all get to enjoy!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Post Production Sound
Costs $750
We've finished post sound with the awesome Aidan Reynolds. YAY! We'd love to be able to pay back our investor for this line item.
Color Grading/Correction
Costs $500
We've finished Color with the awesome Rutuj Acharya. NEAT! We'd love to be able to pay back our investor for this line item.
Festival Submissions
Costs $750
You know the drill - it costs moneys to submit to great festivals. We hope to announce a premiere soon! Help us out, won't ya?
Filmmaker Travel Expenses
Costs $3,000
Going to the festivals changes the game for filmmakers - help Kat get to the festivals. YAY!
Deliverables
Costs $1,000
Sometimes, theatres/festivals/distributors want fancy files that you can't make with a regular computer - c'est la vie!
Contingency
Costs $1,000
For the true (rare) surprises coz the movie making costs surprise dollars sometimes
Music Licensing
Costs $1,000
Studio Fees and Publishing fees for the brilliant original music heard in the film written by the one and only Heidi Webster!
Hard Drive Purchase
Costs $500
The final product of the film's gotta live somewhere physically in case the aliens come for us!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Kat Hennessey (Writer/Director)
Kat is a genderqueer Director, Cinematographer and Photographer born and based in Van Nuys, CA. A multitude of influences inform their work today, from early life in foster care, uncovering their own gender identity, the challenge of working through and finding peace with disabilities, and traveling to over 60 countries as a singer/actor starring in show including WICKED, BILLY ELLIOT, CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, and finally as a photographer and filmmaker.
Kat is currently the Director of Photography and Consulting Creative Director for the EMMY Award Winning documentary series {THE AND}, a Photographer for NIKE Global Imaging, and is thrilled to be introducing their first short film "Festival Child."
Kat's 2nd short film, a dark comedy is currently in post production, and she is developing/writing a feature film based on the life of their queer grandparents and their escape as whistle blowers from the notorious cult SYNANON.
Through Kat’s work, she aims to create a window into often unseen life experiences, showing beauty in unexpected places, and making sure we laugh along the way.
Sofia Gonzalez (Actor - Luna)
Sofia Gonzalez is proud to be a part of the Disney+ limited series, THE CLAUSES, as Tim Allen’s daughter-in-law Marie Calvin. She recurs in the HBOMAX/Starz series MINX- a 1970s period, workplace comedy executive produced by Paul Feig and written by Ellen Rapoport. Sofia voices “Wolfette” in the COMEDY CENTRAL animated series, LIGHTNING WOLVES. Her other television work includes MIRACLE WORKERS, GRACE & FRANKIE, Judd Apatow’s LOVE, MODERN FAMILY, LIFE IN PIECES, COMMUNITY, and she recurred on CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND.
Rachel Grate (Actor - Tonya)
Rachel Grate grew up in the sprawling LA suburbs and enjoys yoga, acting and spreadsheets. Check her out on Crazy Ex Girlfriend as Audra Levine and on various other tv shows and commercials playing on your local television. Thanks to Kat Sofy]ia and Pallavi (and of course, Emelia) for such a fun and great film!
Pallavi Sastry (Executive Producer):
Pallavi is an award winning producer, actor, and podcaster. Most recently, she produced and starred in Nardeep Khurmi’s, Land of Gold, which premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Festival and is now streaming on Max. She also serves as a lead producer on the feature documentary, Invisible (Amazon Prime) and the top 100 Relationship podcast, What Are Friends For, where she also co-hosts with her best friend Gabrielle Ruiz (CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend). With her sister and producing partner, Keertana Sastry, she co-founded Adda G Productions where they champion stories from all across the diaspora.
Pallavi is also a classically trained stage and screen actor currently recurring as “Nina” in the hit AMC series, The Walking Dead: Dead City. Other notable appearances include 3 seasons on CBS’ Blue Bloods, Netflix’s Master of None, Quantico, Last Week Tonight w/ John Oliver, and several national commercials. Prior to her TV/Film career, Pallavi performed in countless original and revivals of musicals and plays all over the country. www.pallavisastry.com