Homesick
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Thriller, Drama
Every night, Sydney is either unable to sleep or has the same nightmare, resorting to jogging at night for "therapy". She always passes her childhood home during her jogs but NEVER approaches it. After an unexpected interaction with the new homeowner, Sydney goes inside the house to face her trauma.
Homesick
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Thriller, Drama
2 Campaigns | Illinois, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $6,845 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
36 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Every night, Sydney is either unable to sleep or has the same nightmare, resorting to jogging at night for "therapy". She always passes her childhood home during her jogs but NEVER approaches it. After an unexpected interaction with the new homeowner, Sydney goes inside the house to face her trauma.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Homesick follows the story of a distressed young woman, Sydney, who keeps experiencing a horrific nightmare involving a long hallway with a door at the end. Just like every night, Sydney’s immediate reaction is to go for a run to clear her mind from the intensity. But during these runs, Sydney’s chosen route always passes her childhood house which she recognizes but always keeps distant when jogging by. There’s something more to this house.
Sydney does this every night, until one day a sad elderly woman, Elaine, who resides in the house meets Sydney and invites her into her old home, but afraid to approach the house, Sydney leaves. After constant agony of the same reoccurring nightmare, Sydney attempts to overcome the overwhelming feeling that drags her down, and she goes to visit Elaine to get back into her old home.
Sydney revisits the memories and moments that hold so much agony and sorrow. Sydney is forced to confront the truth in the house to get to the root of what she feels and to find the resolution she seeks from the overwhelming feelings of grief. Sydney faces the reoccurring nightmare that keeps on haunting her, but this time there's no running away from it.
Homesick tells a story about grieving and the process it takes to come to accept the loss of a loved one. The grand theme of this story is how confrontation ultimately leads to overcoming grief or at the very least starts the process of understanding and confronting the issues at hand to understand how one feels. It is this exploration of the feelings of grief that attracts me to the story the most because it shows raw emotions and feelings and doesn’t downplay the emotional trauma that other movies typically do, grieving is a slow process, and we must understand that.
Having dealt with the loss of many loved ones, I was one to avoid thinking about because I didn’t want to face the reality of my emotions, so I suppressed them and that is not the right way to go about it. This film validates the idea that it is okay to confront your pain and let it have the effect it should as it’s never a great idea to suppress one’s true feelings and emotions.
For us to make Homesick a possible film, our production must raise a minimum of $6,800. With this current budget, our production will be able to allocate necessary funds towards several parts of filming; such as casting expenses, location fees, food & travel, and various other elements listed below:
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If the campaign surpasses our initial budget, our production will be able to allocate more funds into several areas, such as:
$6,800 - $7,500: Production Necessities (Production Design, Wardrobe & MCU, etc.)
$7,500 - $8,000: Post-Production (Music Soundtracks, Licensing, etc.)
+ $8,000: Distribution (Film Festivals/Markets, Public Screening Events, etc.)
DEVELOPMENT PHASE: January 2024 - May 2024
PRE-PRODUCTION PHASE: May 2024 - September 2024
PRODUCTION PHASE: October 2024
POST-PRODUCTION: November 2024 - May 2025
FILM FESTIVALS & DISTRIBUTION: May 2025
Thank you so much for your support!
IMPORTANT - Seed&Spark requires that we meet at least 80% of our budget goal, otherwise, all donations will be returned to you contributors, and our production won't receive any funds. The more funds we receive, the more we can develop this film.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through our crowdfunding page. Aside from donating, you can follow us on Seed&Spark, Instagram, and other social media to get updates and see our journey of making Homesick throughout our last year of college. You can also support our film by sharing our crowdfunding page on social media or with your friends and family. Any aid from supporters like you will help get this story told.
On-Set Crew of Homesick, BTS Photo from Home Sweet Home (Music Video)
[Ironically unrelated projects]
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Casting Fees
Costs $850
Casting Fees will help cover any charges when casting actors for our production.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $400
Rental Fees will help us cover additional equipment to help our production record during the day and nighttime.
Location Fees
Costs $1,600
Location Fees will help our production secure a suburban-style house near the Chicagoland area to record for "Homesick".
Production Design
Costs $750
Production Design will allow our design team to create the environments of our story intricately.
Wardrobe & MCU
Costs $300
Wardrobe & MCU will help our team acquire materials to design our actors with costumes, makeup, and hairstyling.
Food & Craft Services
Costs $1,700
Food & Craft Services will give funds to help feed and energize our hard-working production crew.
Transportation
Costs $600
Transportation will help our crew, actors, and equipment get on set safely.
Post-Production & Distribution
Costs $600
Post-Prod. & Distribution allows resources to our editors to bring the film together and to enter film festivals/markets for people to see.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Sebastian Fernandez - Director
I'm Sebastian Fernandez, born and raised in Chicago, and I am a senior majoring in Film & Television Directing at Columbia College Chicago. I love watching and making films that revolve around the themes of personal issues and identity that relate to a wider audience. As the Director of this short film, "Homesick", this project is personal to me. Having dealt with the loss of a loved one, I struggled to process my grief which led to avoidance of reality rather than confronting the emotions I felt. "Homesick" explores the difficult journey of moving on, the impact of family dynamics in the grieving process, and ultimately, the confrontation of one’s emotions to uncover the path of healing and acceptance.
Angelo Mendez - Producer
Hi, my name is Angelo Mendez, I'm a senior majoring in Film & Television Producing at Columbia College Chicago. As a previous fine arts major, I was always interested in highlighting the sonder nature of human lifestyles and bringing audiences to experience them through the various projects I've made or been a part of. "Homesick" caught my attention since it not only allows our production to capture the emotional struggles of our characters but also brings a resolution of how one could overcome grief in ways some people might not think possible.
Isabella Angelonia - Screen Writer
Hello, I'm Isabella Angeloni. I'm a senior pursuing a BFA in Film & Television with a concentration in Screenwriting at Columbia College Chicago. Growing up in Panama City, Panama, I discovered my passion for cinematic storytelling from a young age. As the writer of "Homesick", what drew me to write the screenplay was the desire to explore complicated emotions and relationships; as well as to connect with the audience through a common human feeling: the inability to move on.
Drew Faflick - Cinematographer
Hello! I'm Drew Faflick, an upcoming senior student in the Cinematography program at Columbia College Chicago. Early on in my time at Columbia, I fell in love with film lighting. I have spent my time studying and practicing it extensively, and I hope to apply that knowledge to this film. I believe lighting has a uniquely incredible power to heighten storytelling in this medium, and as the cinematographer of "Homesick", I'm excited to explore Sydney's journey through grief with light and color.
Robin Manganaro - Production Designer
Hi! I'm Robin Manganaro, a Junior student at Columbia College Chicago studying Production Design and Scriptwriting. I love working on stories with changing characters and finding ways to represent them through their world. With a story representing grief through regression and growth, I hope to ensure these changes are amplified by the film's environments, costumes, and colors.
Eren Serpen - Editor
I’m Eren Serpen, and I am entering my senior year at Columbia College Chicago as an Editing and Post-Production student. I've always found editing to be one of the most fascinating parts of the filmmaking process. It's an expertise that wields not only visual but auditory mastery; from the weaving of pictures to the mixing and layering of sound. One of the most rewarding processes in editing is finding the shot that evokes the most emotional resonance for the audience. It's like being given a thousand puzzle pieces, working to find which piece clicks best into the next. Imagination is the limit, and I can't wait to experiment with my technical and artistic skills to create a nice rhythm, as well as elevate the emotional stakes in this film.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Homesick follows the story of a distressed young woman, Sydney, who keeps experiencing a horrific nightmare involving a long hallway with a door at the end. Just like every night, Sydney’s immediate reaction is to go for a run to clear her mind from the intensity. But during these runs, Sydney’s chosen route always passes her childhood house which she recognizes but always keeps distant when jogging by. There’s something more to this house.
Sydney does this every night, until one day a sad elderly woman, Elaine, who resides in the house meets Sydney and invites her into her old home, but afraid to approach the house, Sydney leaves. After constant agony of the same reoccurring nightmare, Sydney attempts to overcome the overwhelming feeling that drags her down, and she goes to visit Elaine to get back into her old home.
Sydney revisits the memories and moments that hold so much agony and sorrow. Sydney is forced to confront the truth in the house to get to the root of what she feels and to find the resolution she seeks from the overwhelming feelings of grief. Sydney faces the reoccurring nightmare that keeps on haunting her, but this time there's no running away from it.
Homesick tells a story about grieving and the process it takes to come to accept the loss of a loved one. The grand theme of this story is how confrontation ultimately leads to overcoming grief or at the very least starts the process of understanding and confronting the issues at hand to understand how one feels. It is this exploration of the feelings of grief that attracts me to the story the most because it shows raw emotions and feelings and doesn’t downplay the emotional trauma that other movies typically do, grieving is a slow process, and we must understand that.
Having dealt with the loss of many loved ones, I was one to avoid thinking about because I didn’t want to face the reality of my emotions, so I suppressed them and that is not the right way to go about it. This film validates the idea that it is okay to confront your pain and let it have the effect it should as it’s never a great idea to suppress one’s true feelings and emotions.
For us to make Homesick a possible film, our production must raise a minimum of $6,800. With this current budget, our production will be able to allocate necessary funds towards several parts of filming; such as casting expenses, location fees, food & travel, and various other elements listed below:
If the campaign surpasses our initial budget, our production will be able to allocate more funds into several areas, such as:
$6,800 - $7,500: Production Necessities (Production Design, Wardrobe & MCU, etc.)
$7,500 - $8,000: Post-Production (Music Soundtracks, Licensing, etc.)
+ $8,000: Distribution (Film Festivals/Markets, Public Screening Events, etc.)
DEVELOPMENT PHASE: January 2024 - May 2024
PRE-PRODUCTION PHASE: May 2024 - September 2024
PRODUCTION PHASE: October 2024
POST-PRODUCTION: November 2024 - May 2025
FILM FESTIVALS & DISTRIBUTION: May 2025
Thank you so much for your support!
IMPORTANT - Seed&Spark requires that we meet at least 80% of our budget goal, otherwise, all donations will be returned to you contributors, and our production won't receive any funds. The more funds we receive, the more we can develop this film.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through our crowdfunding page. Aside from donating, you can follow us on Seed&Spark, Instagram, and other social media to get updates and see our journey of making Homesick throughout our last year of college. You can also support our film by sharing our crowdfunding page on social media or with your friends and family. Any aid from supporters like you will help get this story told.
On-Set Crew of Homesick, BTS Photo from Home Sweet Home (Music Video)
[Ironically unrelated projects]
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Casting Fees
Costs $850
Casting Fees will help cover any charges when casting actors for our production.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $400
Rental Fees will help us cover additional equipment to help our production record during the day and nighttime.
Location Fees
Costs $1,600
Location Fees will help our production secure a suburban-style house near the Chicagoland area to record for "Homesick".
Production Design
Costs $750
Production Design will allow our design team to create the environments of our story intricately.
Wardrobe & MCU
Costs $300
Wardrobe & MCU will help our team acquire materials to design our actors with costumes, makeup, and hairstyling.
Food & Craft Services
Costs $1,700
Food & Craft Services will give funds to help feed and energize our hard-working production crew.
Transportation
Costs $600
Transportation will help our crew, actors, and equipment get on set safely.
Post-Production & Distribution
Costs $600
Post-Prod. & Distribution allows resources to our editors to bring the film together and to enter film festivals/markets for people to see.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Sebastian Fernandez - Director
I'm Sebastian Fernandez, born and raised in Chicago, and I am a senior majoring in Film & Television Directing at Columbia College Chicago. I love watching and making films that revolve around the themes of personal issues and identity that relate to a wider audience. As the Director of this short film, "Homesick", this project is personal to me. Having dealt with the loss of a loved one, I struggled to process my grief which led to avoidance of reality rather than confronting the emotions I felt. "Homesick" explores the difficult journey of moving on, the impact of family dynamics in the grieving process, and ultimately, the confrontation of one’s emotions to uncover the path of healing and acceptance.
Angelo Mendez - Producer
Hi, my name is Angelo Mendez, I'm a senior majoring in Film & Television Producing at Columbia College Chicago. As a previous fine arts major, I was always interested in highlighting the sonder nature of human lifestyles and bringing audiences to experience them through the various projects I've made or been a part of. "Homesick" caught my attention since it not only allows our production to capture the emotional struggles of our characters but also brings a resolution of how one could overcome grief in ways some people might not think possible.
Isabella Angelonia - Screen Writer
Hello, I'm Isabella Angeloni. I'm a senior pursuing a BFA in Film & Television with a concentration in Screenwriting at Columbia College Chicago. Growing up in Panama City, Panama, I discovered my passion for cinematic storytelling from a young age. As the writer of "Homesick", what drew me to write the screenplay was the desire to explore complicated emotions and relationships; as well as to connect with the audience through a common human feeling: the inability to move on.
Drew Faflick - Cinematographer
Hello! I'm Drew Faflick, an upcoming senior student in the Cinematography program at Columbia College Chicago. Early on in my time at Columbia, I fell in love with film lighting. I have spent my time studying and practicing it extensively, and I hope to apply that knowledge to this film. I believe lighting has a uniquely incredible power to heighten storytelling in this medium, and as the cinematographer of "Homesick", I'm excited to explore Sydney's journey through grief with light and color.
Robin Manganaro - Production Designer
Hi! I'm Robin Manganaro, a Junior student at Columbia College Chicago studying Production Design and Scriptwriting. I love working on stories with changing characters and finding ways to represent them through their world. With a story representing grief through regression and growth, I hope to ensure these changes are amplified by the film's environments, costumes, and colors.
Eren Serpen - Editor
I’m Eren Serpen, and I am entering my senior year at Columbia College Chicago as an Editing and Post-Production student. I've always found editing to be one of the most fascinating parts of the filmmaking process. It's an expertise that wields not only visual but auditory mastery; from the weaving of pictures to the mixing and layering of sound. One of the most rewarding processes in editing is finding the shot that evokes the most emotional resonance for the audience. It's like being given a thousand puzzle pieces, working to find which piece clicks best into the next. Imagination is the limit, and I can't wait to experiment with my technical and artistic skills to create a nice rhythm, as well as elevate the emotional stakes in this film.