Girl | Dad Film
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Shorts Program
A Chinese adoptee. A single father. Forty years of love. Twelve minutes of film. "Girl | Dad" explores what remains when dementia steals shared memories but can't erase the language of love. Your support brings this universal story of chosen family to screens.
Girl | Dad Film
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Shorts Program
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $26,784 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
145 supporters | followers
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A Chinese adoptee. A single father. Forty years of love. Twelve minutes of film. "Girl | Dad" explores what remains when dementia steals shared memories but can't erase the language of love. Your support brings this universal story of chosen family to screens.
Participating In
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Story
Girl | Dad is an intimate father-daughter journey that unfolds across four decades in twelve minutes. Starring Sherry Cola (Joy Ride, Nobody Wants This, Good Trouble) and Chris Tallman (Reno 911, The Thundermans), this tender story follows a Chinese adoptee and her single father as they navigate cultural identity, belonging, and an unbreakable bond that is tested when dementia begins to erase their shared history. From childhood moments of both disconnect and deep understanding, to a bittersweet role reversal in their later years, the film explores how love can transcend memory itself.
Meet the Director
Inspiration
Straddling two worlds defined my childhood — one where I was the only Asian face in a white suburban landscape, and another within the warm embrace of a father who traveled halfway around the world to make me his daughter. When neighborhood kids would taunt me for being different, my father's fierce defense, though well-intentioned, only heightened my sense of otherness.
Yet now, crafting this narrative has revealed how those very moments of discomfort illuminated an unbreakable bond between parent and child. Girl | Dad explores how love transcends cultural divides, even as memory begins to slip away. It's a testament to the truth that family isn't defined by blood or race, but by connections that defy all boundaries.
The film also delves into the hidden heartache of aging — that profound role reversal when children become caretakers, and the quiet grief of losing someone who still remains. It's a story about finding home in those we've loved and lost, and discovering the courage to embrace our true selves. And it's dedicated to my own girl-dad, Jim, who loves Westerns and speaks terrible Mandarin.
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Affiliations & Track Record
Liz, together with the film's producers, have worked with most major streamers and networks including HBO, Netflix, Paramount, Hulu, PBS, Vice Media, Disney/ABC, PBS, Discovery, Nat Geo, CNN, Nickelodeon, and more. The team also has affiliations with major organizations and festivals, having worked with or participated in fellowships with the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE), The Sundance Institute, The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), The Points North Institute, The Orchard Project, and Gotham (IFP) / HBO New True Stories.
With an impressive combined portfolio of award-winning shows, films, and documentaries, this team has the goods to make a stunning short with wide-ranging festival and distribution potential.
About the Production Company
Based in Los Angeles and New York, we are a collective that creates award-winning films, branded content, interactive experiences, engagement campaigns, and media strategy.
Together we’ve worked in over fifty countries, made fifteen feature films, produced hundreds of hours of television, and launched international campaigns with the world’s most influential brands. We’ve shot with celebrities and been shot at by rebels and boast a global network that enables us to mobilize a team virtually anytime, anywhere.
A Note from Our Star, Sherry Cola
When I first read Liz’s script for Girl | Dad, I was deeply touched to see her tell such a personal and powerful story. We don’t see it very often on the screen, through this lens. I look forward to audiences feeling the impact, because we all have a complicated relationship with our fathers. Filming this was such a beautiful and even healing experience. As an actress, I’ve been wanting to step more into the dramatic space, and Girl | Dad gave me that chance. Working with Liz brought so much joy and insight, and I can’t wait to collaborate with her again!
Why Your Support Matters
In November 2024, our dedicated team captured 47 setups in just two days—showcasing the efficiency and passion driving this production. Now we need your help to cross the finish line. By backing GIRL | DAD, you're championing authentic representation at a crucial cultural moment.
Your generosity directly funds:
- Our three-day shoot and pickups (summer, 2025) capturing the emotional core of this father-daughter journey
- Compensation for our diverse Los Angeles cast and crew
- Crucial equipment and post-production services
- A festival-ready film by the end of 2025
This isn't just a film — it's a testament to how love transforms us, told by the voices that need to be heard.
Help us illuminate how chosen families weather life's most profound challenges, creating ripples of empathy that extend far beyond the screen.
Our Impact Commitment
This film emerges from lived experience; both our protagonist and director are transracial adoptees bringing genuine insight to this narrative. Beyond creating authentic representation, we're committed to tangible change: the filmmakers will personally donate a portion of funds raised as a direct donation to Adoption Mosaic, an organization that is near and dear to the heart of this story.
Adoption Mosaic is a BIPOC woman and adoptee-led mission-driven nonprofit. With 30+ years of experience, they have created a robust, diverse community who want to see a future of more adoptee-centered and ethical adoption practices and critical thinking around adoption.
Your contribution simultaneously funds a powerful cinematic experience and strengthens real-world support systems for the communities these stories represent.
Stretch Goals
Your investment in GIRL | DAD will not only drive this film to completion, but impacts how powerfully it resonates with audiences worldwide:
$24,855 — PRODUCTION GOAL
Essential funding to complete our FINAL SHOOT in summer, 2025 with professional standards while fairly compensating our dedicated team. Covers fundamental equipment, and basic production costs.
IF WE REACH $35,063 — POST & COMPLETION GOAL
Allows us to cover post-production costs: professional editing, original score, color grading, and immersive sound design that elevates every emotional beat.
IF WE REACH $40,000 — AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT
Allows us to get the film in front of audiences through strategic festival submissions, promotion and distribution, and targeted community screenings at adoption networks and cultural centers.
IF WE REACH $50,000 — SUSTAINABILITY TIER
Allows us to partially repay the filmmakers who self-funded GIRL | DAD out of pocket for the initial phase of the project. We'll also be able to offer our crew more respectable day rates and maximize our impact donation.
.jpg)
Short Film & Feature Pathway
This short is just the beginning. While Girl | Dad stands as a powerful, festival-ready short film in its own right, it also serves as the cinematic calling card for Liz's award-winning feature script, BELONGING, which is poised for production.
"Belonging": A rebellious young adoptee schemes to track down her Chinese birth family to document an emotional reunion and win a scholarship to the college of her dreams. Connecting to her heritage is optional, but NYU is non-negotiable.
Validated by the Industry and Major Film Festivals
BELONGING has already established remarkable industry credibility:
- 2024 Atlanta Film Festival Narrative Screenplay Award Winner
- Cinestory Foundation Feature Prize (Third Place)
- Currently ranked #19 on Coverfly's Red List among 57,000+ drama scripts
- Festival Recognition including Slamdance, PAGE, and Big Break competitions
By supporting GIRL | DAD, you join at the ground floor of what major festivals and the industry have already identified as both artistically compelling and viable. With this industry momentum behind us, our film's significance extends far beyond accolades and recognition to address profound human questions that resonate universally.
A Cultural Bridge When We Need It Most
In our increasingly divided world, this film bears witness to love's power to transcend cultural and generational boundaries. When memory fades and identity blurs, what anchors us? These questions resonate beyond adoption or dementia — they speak to our shared human experience.
The world needs these stories. The artists are ready. The vision is clear.
Join us today. Help transform silence into visibility, isolation into connection and bring GIRL | DAD to audiences worldwide.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera Gear and Equipment
Costs $2,650
This includes camera gear rental, grip, lighting, and transport for all things not being provided in kind, and at significantly reduced cost
Compensate our Cast
Costs $3,333
This is a SAG-AFTRA production helping to support actors in our local economy.
Compensate our Crew
Costs $7,950
Support our incredible crew of LA-based film professionals who are all working for a modest rate across the 3 day shoot.
Location Fees
Costs $4,400
This will help pay for the all encompassing locations for the shoot, the necessary permits and the technical scout.
Meals to Feed Cast and Crew ($700/day)
Costs $2,100
Our cast and crew are giving it everything they've got and need some home cookin' to give them the strength to deliver the goods!
Compensate our Background Actors (Non-SAG)
Costs $1,997
This compensates all actors featured in the film without speaking lines as well as the studio teacher required for child actors on set.
Production Design and Wardrobe
Costs $1,700
Costs for the art, design, set decoration, props and wardrobe to bring the loving home of GIRL DAD to life.
Transportation
Costs $725
Cost of shlepping all the gear, art, props, wardrobe and lovely people around.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Special Order Inc.
Based in Los Angeles and New York, we are a collective that creates award-winning films, branded content, interactive experiences, engagement campaigns, and media strategy.
Together we’ve worked in over fifty countries, made fifteen feature films, produced hundreds of hours of television, and launched international campaigns with the world’s most influential brands. We’ve shot with celebrities and been shot at by rebels and boast a global network that enables us to mobilize a team virtually anytime, anywhere.
DIRECTOR: Liz Fields
Lianzi (Liz) Fields is an Asian-Australian-American writer and filmmaker who has lived in and traveled to 40 different countries across six continents. A Chinese adoptee raised by Australians in South East Asia, Liz has spent her life chasing stories that highlight the complex emotions surrounding cultural displacement and characters seeking their identity, no matter the cost.
Her work across film and TV has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a Gracie Award, a GLAAD Nomination, two James Beard Media Awards, and Television Academy Honors, which recognizes exceptional programs and their producers who have leveraged the power of television to fuel social change.
A former journalist, Liz first developed her reporting chops in the newsrooms of ABC and VICE, where she interviewed everyone from spies and drug dealers to preachers and insurgent groups. In 2016, Liz documented the insanity of the modern American condition as a presidential campaign embed, and went on to write, direct, and produce stories for HBO, Netflix, Hulu, PBS, Audible, and more.
Liz is a graduate of the New Writers Fellowship with CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) and was featured on Austin Film Festival’s 15 Screenwriters to Watch list in 2022. Her episodic scripts have received finalist laurels from multiple major script competitions, including the Austin Film Festival, Slamdance, PAGE and more. Liz’s first feature, Belonging, won Atlanta Film Festival’s 2024 feature screenplay award and third prize at the CineStory Foundation Feature Fellowship awards.
Liz lives in Los Angeles and is represented by Zero Gravity Management.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Dominic Musacchio
Dominic Musacchio is a Showrunner and Executive Producer who has brought to life such series as the critically acclaimed Song Exploder on Netflix (based on the popular podcast) and Hulu’s The Next Thing You Eat, with David Chang. As a story-focussed filmmaker, Dominic has shepherded countless series from ideation to airtime on topics and formats ranging from music, biopics, and culture docs to true crime, social justice-oriented, and hybrid scripted-docuseries. His shows have appeared on Netflix, Hulu, CNN, Discovery, Viceland, and more. He comes from a family of performers and hard nosed Italian immigrants.
PRODUCER: Rachel Eck
Rachel Eck is a producer, director, and showrunner in Los Angeles. Her passion for visual media and storytelling has led to a teasingly diverse range of creative opportunities. She has created series for both streaming and linear platforms and has amassed over 500 million views and counting on digital series. Eck has worked for companies such as Nickelodeon, Playboy, Paramount, Hearst Media, and DreamWorks. Her portfolio spans a wide spectrum including scripted, animation, mystery, comedy news, docu-follow, commercials, and cause-driven adventure media to name a few.
PRODUCER: Caitlin Bruner
Caitlin Bruner is an independent creative producer and strategist. She attended New York University and worked for VICE Media before moving to Los Angeles. She grew her career through various positions at Sundance and Tribeca Film Festival, before joining the ranks at WME and Fifth Season (FKA Endeavor Content).
Caitlin was a Senior Creative Executive for Noah Hawley’s 26 Keys for over three years, managing his robust film and television slate and setting up projects at Apple, Searchlight, and Fox as his Head of Development. As an independent producer, she focuses on projects from established and emerging filmmakers with a unique and entertaining point of view.
EDITOR: Max Goldblatt
Max Goldblatt is a second generation editor, son of Oscar-nominated film editor Mark Goldblatt. He has cut Tribeca and Slamdance-premiering features, many shorts (including a Sundance- winner), and a cavalcade of content for and starring the likes of Billie Eilish, MGMT, Olivia Rodrigo, Ringo Starr, Brie Larson, St. Vincent, Danny Pudi, Dakota Johnson, Dirty Projectors, Emma Roberts, and Nicholas Braun. Most recently Max edited the Tribeca-premiering comedy feature Sacramento starring Micheal Cera, Michael Angarano, Maya Erskine, and Kristen Stewart, which hits theaters worldwide in 2025.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Pat Shahabian
Pat Shahabian is an Armenian-American Director of Photography who specializes in narrative, commercial and documentary productions. Pat served as the Director of Photography for episodes of Netflix's "What's Next? The Future With Bill Gates" from Morgan Neville's Tremolo productions, Amazon's "Top Class S4" starring Bronny James, and the feature documentary “Blue Scuti” from Legendary Pictures and helmed by director Chris Moukarbel, which premiered at Tribeca in 2025. Pat's work was also featured in Larry Wilmore's late- night series "Wilmore" on Peacock. He performed 2nd Unit Photography on HBO's "Rap Sh!t S2,” and additional Cinematography on Hulu's documentary series "Sasquatch" and Netflix’s documentary feature "Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed."
LINE PRODUCER: Leila Abu-saada
Leila Abu-saada is a Libyan-American documentary filmmaker and journalist who produces and develops nonfiction series and films for independent production houses and streamers. She is also currently CAAM's program manager for the Building Bridges Documentary Fund. After graduating with an MA in International Journalism from City University London, Leila spent several years as a news producer at Al Jazeera English in Doha, Qatar. Leila has since directed, produced, developed, and scripted for Emmy Award-winning series on Netflix, HBO, CNN, HULU, and Showtime. She has traveled to six continents producing sensitive-access stories that explore social justice, human rights, and conflict with an intentional human-first approach to storytelling. Her goal is to create socially impactful films that champion diversity in perspective and amplify risk-taking in creative craft. Leila was previously awarded a Gotham (IFP) / HBO New True Stories grant and was a Camden Film Festival North Star Fellow. She is a member of Brown Girls Doc Mafia and Women in Film. Leila has lived and worked in London, Qatar, Tunisia, and Lebanon and is currently based in Los Angeles.
Starring:
Sherry Cola as Adult Xiaohua
Chris Tallman as Younger Jack
Siyu Liang as Child Xiaohua
Stephen Macdonald Howard as Older Jack
Trang Vo as Teen Xiaohua
Shaw Purnell as Sheryl
Jodi Hou as Tween Xiaohua
Ashley Platz as Nurse
Amy Bury as Park Woman 1
Jennifer Murray Park Woman 2
Bo Deutschman as Mean Boy 1
Wyatt Deutschman as Mean Boy 2
Writer / Director: Lianzi Fields
Executive Producer: Dominic Musacchio
Producers: Caitlin Bruner, Rachel Eck
Casting Director: Christian Bustamante
Line Producer: Leila Abu-saada
Cinematographer: Pat Shahabian
Editor: Max Goldblatt
Assistant Directors: Alex Mallonee, Simone Warrick
Production Designer: Joseph Cavanaugh
Set Decorator / Prop Master: Jordan Lightner
Associate Producer / Art Assistant: Brigid Kelly
1st AC: Michelle Alanis
2nd AC: Andre Sanchez
Key Grip: Henry Martinez
Gaffer: Ryan Oppedisano
GE/SWing: Chris Waldorf
Sound Mixer: Justin Garcia
Makeup: Apple Love
Costume Designer: Cocoa Rigal
Food stylist: Jill Devlin
PAs: Shan Hafez, Omar Gutierrez, Spencer Worthley
Set Teachers: Thomas Wagner, Carol Bandy
Stills Photographer: Dennis Kwan
Art Designer / Graphics: Amy Bury
Artwork provided by: Patricia Goff
Additional artwork provided by: Elizabeth Cumming and Edward Cumming
For Special Order:
Aaron Ohlmann, Executive Producer
David Clair, Executive Producer
Derek Griesbach, Line Producer
Casey Jones, Assistant Editor
Emi Eck, Assistant Editor, Graphics Design
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Story
Girl | Dad is an intimate father-daughter journey that unfolds across four decades in twelve minutes. Starring Sherry Cola (Joy Ride, Nobody Wants This, Good Trouble) and Chris Tallman (Reno 911, The Thundermans), this tender story follows a Chinese adoptee and her single father as they navigate cultural identity, belonging, and an unbreakable bond that is tested when dementia begins to erase their shared history. From childhood moments of both disconnect and deep understanding, to a bittersweet role reversal in their later years, the film explores how love can transcend memory itself.
Meet the Director
Inspiration
Straddling two worlds defined my childhood — one where I was the only Asian face in a white suburban landscape, and another within the warm embrace of a father who traveled halfway around the world to make me his daughter. When neighborhood kids would taunt me for being different, my father's fierce defense, though well-intentioned, only heightened my sense of otherness.
Yet now, crafting this narrative has revealed how those very moments of discomfort illuminated an unbreakable bond between parent and child. Girl | Dad explores how love transcends cultural divides, even as memory begins to slip away. It's a testament to the truth that family isn't defined by blood or race, but by connections that defy all boundaries.
The film also delves into the hidden heartache of aging — that profound role reversal when children become caretakers, and the quiet grief of losing someone who still remains. It's a story about finding home in those we've loved and lost, and discovering the courage to embrace our true selves. And it's dedicated to my own girl-dad, Jim, who loves Westerns and speaks terrible Mandarin.
Affiliations & Track Record
Liz, together with the film's producers, have worked with most major streamers and networks including HBO, Netflix, Paramount, Hulu, PBS, Vice Media, Disney/ABC, PBS, Discovery, Nat Geo, CNN, Nickelodeon, and more. The team also has affiliations with major organizations and festivals, having worked with or participated in fellowships with the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE), The Sundance Institute, The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), The Points North Institute, The Orchard Project, and Gotham (IFP) / HBO New True Stories.
With an impressive combined portfolio of award-winning shows, films, and documentaries, this team has the goods to make a stunning short with wide-ranging festival and distribution potential.
About the Production Company
Based in Los Angeles and New York, we are a collective that creates award-winning films, branded content, interactive experiences, engagement campaigns, and media strategy.
Together we’ve worked in over fifty countries, made fifteen feature films, produced hundreds of hours of television, and launched international campaigns with the world’s most influential brands. We’ve shot with celebrities and been shot at by rebels and boast a global network that enables us to mobilize a team virtually anytime, anywhere.
A Note from Our Star, Sherry Cola
When I first read Liz’s script for Girl | Dad, I was deeply touched to see her tell such a personal and powerful story. We don’t see it very often on the screen, through this lens. I look forward to audiences feeling the impact, because we all have a complicated relationship with our fathers. Filming this was such a beautiful and even healing experience. As an actress, I’ve been wanting to step more into the dramatic space, and Girl | Dad gave me that chance. Working with Liz brought so much joy and insight, and I can’t wait to collaborate with her again!
Why Your Support Matters
In November 2024, our dedicated team captured 47 setups in just two days—showcasing the efficiency and passion driving this production. Now we need your help to cross the finish line. By backing GIRL | DAD, you're championing authentic representation at a crucial cultural moment.
Your generosity directly funds:
- Our three-day shoot and pickups (summer, 2025) capturing the emotional core of this father-daughter journey
- Compensation for our diverse Los Angeles cast and crew
- Crucial equipment and post-production services
- A festival-ready film by the end of 2025
This isn't just a film — it's a testament to how love transforms us, told by the voices that need to be heard.
Help us illuminate how chosen families weather life's most profound challenges, creating ripples of empathy that extend far beyond the screen.
Our Impact Commitment
This film emerges from lived experience; both our protagonist and director are transracial adoptees bringing genuine insight to this narrative. Beyond creating authentic representation, we're committed to tangible change: the filmmakers will personally donate a portion of funds raised as a direct donation to Adoption Mosaic, an organization that is near and dear to the heart of this story.
Adoption Mosaic is a BIPOC woman and adoptee-led mission-driven nonprofit. With 30+ years of experience, they have created a robust, diverse community who want to see a future of more adoptee-centered and ethical adoption practices and critical thinking around adoption.
Your contribution simultaneously funds a powerful cinematic experience and strengthens real-world support systems for the communities these stories represent.
Stretch Goals
Your investment in GIRL | DAD will not only drive this film to completion, but impacts how powerfully it resonates with audiences worldwide:
$24,855 — PRODUCTION GOAL
Essential funding to complete our FINAL SHOOT in summer, 2025 with professional standards while fairly compensating our dedicated team. Covers fundamental equipment, and basic production costs.
IF WE REACH $35,063 — POST & COMPLETION GOAL
Allows us to cover post-production costs: professional editing, original score, color grading, and immersive sound design that elevates every emotional beat.
IF WE REACH $40,000 — AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT
Allows us to get the film in front of audiences through strategic festival submissions, promotion and distribution, and targeted community screenings at adoption networks and cultural centers.
IF WE REACH $50,000 — SUSTAINABILITY TIER
Allows us to partially repay the filmmakers who self-funded GIRL | DAD out of pocket for the initial phase of the project. We'll also be able to offer our crew more respectable day rates and maximize our impact donation.
Short Film & Feature Pathway
This short is just the beginning. While Girl | Dad stands as a powerful, festival-ready short film in its own right, it also serves as the cinematic calling card for Liz's award-winning feature script, BELONGING, which is poised for production.
"Belonging": A rebellious young adoptee schemes to track down her Chinese birth family to document an emotional reunion and win a scholarship to the college of her dreams. Connecting to her heritage is optional, but NYU is non-negotiable.
Validated by the Industry and Major Film Festivals
BELONGING has already established remarkable industry credibility:
- 2024 Atlanta Film Festival Narrative Screenplay Award Winner
- Cinestory Foundation Feature Prize (Third Place)
- Currently ranked #19 on Coverfly's Red List among 57,000+ drama scripts
- Festival Recognition including Slamdance, PAGE, and Big Break competitions
By supporting GIRL | DAD, you join at the ground floor of what major festivals and the industry have already identified as both artistically compelling and viable. With this industry momentum behind us, our film's significance extends far beyond accolades and recognition to address profound human questions that resonate universally.
A Cultural Bridge When We Need It Most
In our increasingly divided world, this film bears witness to love's power to transcend cultural and generational boundaries. When memory fades and identity blurs, what anchors us? These questions resonate beyond adoption or dementia — they speak to our shared human experience.
The world needs these stories. The artists are ready. The vision is clear.
Join us today. Help transform silence into visibility, isolation into connection and bring GIRL | DAD to audiences worldwide.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera Gear and Equipment
Costs $2,650
This includes camera gear rental, grip, lighting, and transport for all things not being provided in kind, and at significantly reduced cost
Compensate our Cast
Costs $3,333
This is a SAG-AFTRA production helping to support actors in our local economy.
Compensate our Crew
Costs $7,950
Support our incredible crew of LA-based film professionals who are all working for a modest rate across the 3 day shoot.
Location Fees
Costs $4,400
This will help pay for the all encompassing locations for the shoot, the necessary permits and the technical scout.
Meals to Feed Cast and Crew ($700/day)
Costs $2,100
Our cast and crew are giving it everything they've got and need some home cookin' to give them the strength to deliver the goods!
Compensate our Background Actors (Non-SAG)
Costs $1,997
This compensates all actors featured in the film without speaking lines as well as the studio teacher required for child actors on set.
Production Design and Wardrobe
Costs $1,700
Costs for the art, design, set decoration, props and wardrobe to bring the loving home of GIRL DAD to life.
Transportation
Costs $725
Cost of shlepping all the gear, art, props, wardrobe and lovely people around.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Special Order Inc.
Based in Los Angeles and New York, we are a collective that creates award-winning films, branded content, interactive experiences, engagement campaigns, and media strategy.
Together we’ve worked in over fifty countries, made fifteen feature films, produced hundreds of hours of television, and launched international campaigns with the world’s most influential brands. We’ve shot with celebrities and been shot at by rebels and boast a global network that enables us to mobilize a team virtually anytime, anywhere.
DIRECTOR: Liz Fields
Lianzi (Liz) Fields is an Asian-Australian-American writer and filmmaker who has lived in and traveled to 40 different countries across six continents. A Chinese adoptee raised by Australians in South East Asia, Liz has spent her life chasing stories that highlight the complex emotions surrounding cultural displacement and characters seeking their identity, no matter the cost.
Her work across film and TV has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a Gracie Award, a GLAAD Nomination, two James Beard Media Awards, and Television Academy Honors, which recognizes exceptional programs and their producers who have leveraged the power of television to fuel social change.
A former journalist, Liz first developed her reporting chops in the newsrooms of ABC and VICE, where she interviewed everyone from spies and drug dealers to preachers and insurgent groups. In 2016, Liz documented the insanity of the modern American condition as a presidential campaign embed, and went on to write, direct, and produce stories for HBO, Netflix, Hulu, PBS, Audible, and more.
Liz is a graduate of the New Writers Fellowship with CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) and was featured on Austin Film Festival’s 15 Screenwriters to Watch list in 2022. Her episodic scripts have received finalist laurels from multiple major script competitions, including the Austin Film Festival, Slamdance, PAGE and more. Liz’s first feature, Belonging, won Atlanta Film Festival’s 2024 feature screenplay award and third prize at the CineStory Foundation Feature Fellowship awards.
Liz lives in Los Angeles and is represented by Zero Gravity Management.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Dominic Musacchio
Dominic Musacchio is a Showrunner and Executive Producer who has brought to life such series as the critically acclaimed Song Exploder on Netflix (based on the popular podcast) and Hulu’s The Next Thing You Eat, with David Chang. As a story-focussed filmmaker, Dominic has shepherded countless series from ideation to airtime on topics and formats ranging from music, biopics, and culture docs to true crime, social justice-oriented, and hybrid scripted-docuseries. His shows have appeared on Netflix, Hulu, CNN, Discovery, Viceland, and more. He comes from a family of performers and hard nosed Italian immigrants.
PRODUCER: Rachel Eck
Rachel Eck is a producer, director, and showrunner in Los Angeles. Her passion for visual media and storytelling has led to a teasingly diverse range of creative opportunities. She has created series for both streaming and linear platforms and has amassed over 500 million views and counting on digital series. Eck has worked for companies such as Nickelodeon, Playboy, Paramount, Hearst Media, and DreamWorks. Her portfolio spans a wide spectrum including scripted, animation, mystery, comedy news, docu-follow, commercials, and cause-driven adventure media to name a few.
PRODUCER: Caitlin Bruner
Caitlin Bruner is an independent creative producer and strategist. She attended New York University and worked for VICE Media before moving to Los Angeles. She grew her career through various positions at Sundance and Tribeca Film Festival, before joining the ranks at WME and Fifth Season (FKA Endeavor Content).
Caitlin was a Senior Creative Executive for Noah Hawley’s 26 Keys for over three years, managing his robust film and television slate and setting up projects at Apple, Searchlight, and Fox as his Head of Development. As an independent producer, she focuses on projects from established and emerging filmmakers with a unique and entertaining point of view.
EDITOR: Max Goldblatt
Max Goldblatt is a second generation editor, son of Oscar-nominated film editor Mark Goldblatt. He has cut Tribeca and Slamdance-premiering features, many shorts (including a Sundance- winner), and a cavalcade of content for and starring the likes of Billie Eilish, MGMT, Olivia Rodrigo, Ringo Starr, Brie Larson, St. Vincent, Danny Pudi, Dakota Johnson, Dirty Projectors, Emma Roberts, and Nicholas Braun. Most recently Max edited the Tribeca-premiering comedy feature Sacramento starring Micheal Cera, Michael Angarano, Maya Erskine, and Kristen Stewart, which hits theaters worldwide in 2025.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Pat Shahabian
Pat Shahabian is an Armenian-American Director of Photography who specializes in narrative, commercial and documentary productions. Pat served as the Director of Photography for episodes of Netflix's "What's Next? The Future With Bill Gates" from Morgan Neville's Tremolo productions, Amazon's "Top Class S4" starring Bronny James, and the feature documentary “Blue Scuti” from Legendary Pictures and helmed by director Chris Moukarbel, which premiered at Tribeca in 2025. Pat's work was also featured in Larry Wilmore's late- night series "Wilmore" on Peacock. He performed 2nd Unit Photography on HBO's "Rap Sh!t S2,” and additional Cinematography on Hulu's documentary series "Sasquatch" and Netflix’s documentary feature "Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed."
LINE PRODUCER: Leila Abu-saada
Leila Abu-saada is a Libyan-American documentary filmmaker and journalist who produces and develops nonfiction series and films for independent production houses and streamers. She is also currently CAAM's program manager for the Building Bridges Documentary Fund. After graduating with an MA in International Journalism from City University London, Leila spent several years as a news producer at Al Jazeera English in Doha, Qatar. Leila has since directed, produced, developed, and scripted for Emmy Award-winning series on Netflix, HBO, CNN, HULU, and Showtime. She has traveled to six continents producing sensitive-access stories that explore social justice, human rights, and conflict with an intentional human-first approach to storytelling. Her goal is to create socially impactful films that champion diversity in perspective and amplify risk-taking in creative craft. Leila was previously awarded a Gotham (IFP) / HBO New True Stories grant and was a Camden Film Festival North Star Fellow. She is a member of Brown Girls Doc Mafia and Women in Film. Leila has lived and worked in London, Qatar, Tunisia, and Lebanon and is currently based in Los Angeles.
Starring:
Sherry Cola as Adult Xiaohua
Chris Tallman as Younger Jack
Siyu Liang as Child Xiaohua
Stephen Macdonald Howard as Older Jack
Trang Vo as Teen Xiaohua
Shaw Purnell as Sheryl
Jodi Hou as Tween Xiaohua
Ashley Platz as Nurse
Amy Bury as Park Woman 1
Jennifer Murray Park Woman 2
Bo Deutschman as Mean Boy 1
Wyatt Deutschman as Mean Boy 2
Writer / Director: Lianzi Fields
Executive Producer: Dominic Musacchio
Producers: Caitlin Bruner, Rachel Eck
Casting Director: Christian Bustamante
Line Producer: Leila Abu-saada
Cinematographer: Pat Shahabian
Editor: Max Goldblatt
Assistant Directors: Alex Mallonee, Simone Warrick
Production Designer: Joseph Cavanaugh
Set Decorator / Prop Master: Jordan Lightner
Associate Producer / Art Assistant: Brigid Kelly
1st AC: Michelle Alanis
2nd AC: Andre Sanchez
Key Grip: Henry Martinez
Gaffer: Ryan Oppedisano
GE/SWing: Chris Waldorf
Sound Mixer: Justin Garcia
Makeup: Apple Love
Costume Designer: Cocoa Rigal
Food stylist: Jill Devlin
PAs: Shan Hafez, Omar Gutierrez, Spencer Worthley
Set Teachers: Thomas Wagner, Carol Bandy
Stills Photographer: Dennis Kwan
Art Designer / Graphics: Amy Bury
Artwork provided by: Patricia Goff
Additional artwork provided by: Elizabeth Cumming and Edward Cumming
For Special Order:
Aaron Ohlmann, Executive Producer
David Clair, Executive Producer
Derek Griesbach, Line Producer
Casey Jones, Assistant Editor
Emi Eck, Assistant Editor, Graphics Design