Harbor tells the story of Dave, a man struggling to make sense of how his difficult past could shape his future. While drinking alone at a bar in coastal Maine, he inserts himself into the conversation of a group of groomsmen visiting town for a wedding. One of the groomsman, Ben, senses a near familial connection to Dave.

When their jocular conversation takes an abrupt turn, Dave breaks down and shares a devastating secret with Ben. Instead of leaving with his friends before the bar closes, Ben chooses to stay with Dave and be an ear for the stories he’s never told another soul.

Their ranging vulnerable dialogue continues outside of the bar, until they are met by an unexpected visitor, forcing Dave to choose between confronting the present or continuing to run from his past.

Harbor began as a letter I would never send. While walking the footbridge back to my hotel following my evening with Dave, I typed out my thoughts, feelings, and all that I could best remember of what he shared with me. Alone with the sounds of the harbor surrounded in the rolling fog of a cool late May evening, the feeling was numbingly surreal.

This script was developed with those memories in mind to explore the still-present stigma against male vulnerability. Dave, a man stunted by a verbally abusive upbringing and the traumas of those around him, begins overcoming his many internal obstacles for seemingly the first time through the confidence of a complete stranger. Yet when facing reality again with the visitor’s arrival, the vulnerability he’s shown on the night overwhelms him, leaving Ben to cautiously pick up the pieces to not betray Dave’s trust.

In making this film hope to communicate that being vulnerable with family, friends, mental health professionals, or even a complete stranger in the right moment, is okay. While the story is specific to a moment in my life, its message connects to the humanity of wanting to be understood that is inherent in us all.

Our dates for principal photography are set for a 2-3 day period in early November. And while pre-production is ongoing, we already have an experienced production team and several department heads on board. We engaged in seeking further crew and cast local to Maine and the surrounding New England area to round out our team.

We’ve also been lucky enough to secure our dream location at the bar where Dan’s experiences took place: Mine Oyster in Boothbay Harbor, ME.

Our production schedule includes post and distribution plans that outline a robust impact campaign that includes collaborations with organizations that are focused on spreading awareness around men's mental health.

Making a film of any length is no small undertaking. Your donations will be put towards things such as:

• Crew and cast salaries
• Travel expenses and housing
• Meals
• Equipment Rentals
• Post Production (i.e. editing, coloring, sound mixing, etc.) 
• …and many more

Reaching our goal allows us to be able to fairly compensate everyone for their time, and ensure we have everything we need to run a safe and fun set. Exceeding our goal budget allows us to offer better salaries for our cast, crew and production team.

But financial support isn’t everything. Following this Seed & Spark page is 100% free and helps us secure added benefits from Seed & Spark. Our Harbor Instagram account (@harbor_shortfilm) will also house content during the crowdfunding campaign and through the production in November. That’s where you’ll see social media shout outs, cast and crew announcements, and much more. We hope that you share this page, and our social media account/posts with your own networks of family, friends, colleagues, and even pets (you can share your pets with us, too!).