We start our story at an engagement party and the house is buzzing with excitement. The type of house that is filled with love and built in 1962 so probably also asbestos. DONNA, the matriarch of the family, and KAYLA, the soon-to-be bride wait (im)patiently for their daughter/sister: TONI, formerly known as Toni Tornado. Toni had a high reading level as a child and a high drug tolerance as an adult. She's in charge of bringing the cake, but what she brings instead is a chaotic grand entrance that’s earned her the tornado name: and a DUI on her way there.

Toni is sentenced to house arrest in her childhood home. It’s a swift reality check as she moves back in with her mother for the first time since her father died years ago. Toni’s arrival quickly becomes a prison for everyone.

It’s not a house that makes a home, it’s the house arrest! ❤️

When she receives a wrong number phone call from an older man, RAY,  looking to make amends with his daughter, Toni does the unthinkable and pretends to be his daughter. Through moments of comedy and hope, Toni’s bleak house arrest suddenly becomes a second chance as she grows fond of Ray and the clean slate she embraces as his “daughter.” Ray is an addict himself, and speaks to Toni’s need for recovery, seeing her in a way no one else could.

We follow as their phone calls bring healing to them both, when we reveal: Ray is terminally ill. Toni’s guilt over her ruse grows, as does Ray’s desperate requests to see her in person before he dies. Is breaking her house arrest and revealing herself  the freedom she needs...or just another link in the never-ending chain of self-sabotage?

Director's Statement:

You're probably wondering how we got here! During the pandemic, I moved into my childhood home with my mother and sister in Staten Island, New York. Like everyone, I felt trapped. I also felt strange joy? I didn’t know how much I missed my mom and sister until there was no more space to miss them. There was a palpable fear about what was going on outside, but there was also a palpable grief inside the house. I lost my father when I was young and grandfathers when I was a teen...and suddenly, they were everywhere. The feelings I had pushed down for so long had nowhere else to go. This feeling became the seed for Homesick. 

Toni is also trapped back home. After years of numbing her pain through drugs and alcohol, she has no choice but to finally face it. Through Ray, she doesn’t know what she’s looking for: a connection, a father, an escape. But what she finds is a second chance to finally grieve not only her father, but the version of herself she thought she’d be. 

The look and feel of Homesick is suffocating, but it’s also warm. Just like family sometimes, and often memory. The use of natural light through windows gradually guides Toni through her calls with Ray – until at the film’s climax, she’s finally able to break free into the outside world and into the light. We all grieved a version of our life: people we’ve lost physically, friends, jobs, opportunities, time we’ll simply never get back. Homesick holds space for that shared grief, and more importantly, holds space for the hope and courage it takes to move forward from it.

If you like messy but feel-good family dramedies with heart like LADYBIRD, THE BEAR, 28 DAYS -- this is a film for you. And if you like MY COUSIN VINNY so do I - isn't it the best?

We’ve got an experienced, passionate female-led team of professionals committed to telling this story including...

..JENNIFER ESPOSITO joins us as a creative producer, and cast in the role of Donna. She brings a wealth of experience, talent, and dedication both behind the scenes as a tour-de-force director and producer, as well as on camera. Not to mention, she is a hometown hero hailing from Staten Island, New York which makes this even more special. ❤️

Jennifer Esposito was most recently honored with an Astra Award for, Filmmaker On The Rise, for her film, Fresh Kills, which she wrote, directed and stars in. Fresh Kills was named by RogerEbert.com, “The best Mafia film since the Godfather.” The film also won The Audience Award at The Hamptons International Film Festival in 2023 where Jennifer also received an Excellence in Directing Award from NYWIF: Jennifer is next attached to direct Ryan Biancos (To Leslie) next film, SHAKE. Jennifer’s acting career spans over 25 years. She’s is a Screen Actors Guild, Critics Choice and Hollywood Foreign Press award recipient. She has appeared in over 60 films and television productions, most notably the Academy Award-Winning film CRASH by Paul Haggis, SUMMER OF SAM by Spike Lee and WELCOME TO COLLINWOOD by The Russo Brothers. Some of her TV work includes SPIN CITY, SAMANTHA WHO, THE AFFAIR, THE BOYS and NORA FROM QUEENS. She was also a NYTimes Best selling Author of her book, Jennifer’s Way, about her journey with Celiac Disease. Jennifer is passionate about helping push female driven stories forward. Which has lead her to help produced a number of short films by female filmmakers. The most recent, We Do Our Best, is currently making the rounds in the film festival circuit. 

(we're gonna shoot the shit out of this, we promise)

Michelle Askew: Writer, Director, "Toni"

Originally from Staten Island, Michelle moved to LA to study at the University of Southern California where she learned how to write a screenplay, and pronounce words correctly (sometimes.) She's written for season three and the upcoming season four of Netflix's GINNY & GEORGIA. Her feature HOT GIRL SUMMER was featured on the 2021 Blacklist, and her last short film which she wrote, directed, and starred in GAY-ISH, won 2023 BEST LGBTQ Film at the Burbank International Film Festival after a successful festival run.  It was also produced by producer-extraordinaire Angela Gulner....

Angela Gulner: Producer

Angela Gulner is an award-winner filmmaker and theater artist who splits time between Dallas, TX and Los Angeles. She has an MFA from the MXAT/ART Institute at Harvard University. She is the co-founder of Dallas-based production company Wicked Myth Films, and has produced two feature films in the TX/OK region over the past three years. Her feature film directorial debut, THE BELDHAM, stars Patricia Heaton, Katie Parker, and Corbin Bernsen, and premiered at Sitges Film Festival in late 2024. 

Delani Wolf: Producer

Delani is a screenwriter and producer who grew up in Southern California, so while she doesn't know the feeling of being homesick, she knows what it's like to be sick of home (just kidding mom and dad!). She graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts with a BFA in Screenwriting, and has worked for powerhouses such as NBCUniversal and Academy President Janet Yang. 

Ksusha Genenfeld: Cinematographer

Ksusha is an award-nominated cinematographer whose work spans narrative films, documentaries, commercials, and music videos. She began her career by earning a BA in Film Production at Loyola Marymount University and has spent over a decade honing her craft behind the camera. In that time, she has lensed numerous feature films, including A Wounded Fawn, which premiered at Tribeca. Her cinematography on the film earned her a Fangoria Chainsaw Award nomination for Best Cinematography, where she was nominated alongside industry titan Hoyte van Hoytema, and recognition by The Playlist as one of the best cinematographers of 2022. 

Annabelle Janssens: Producer

Annabelle is a New Yorker turned Angeleno who traded bagels for beaches but kept her East Coast hustle. A journalism grad from the University of Maryland and a local Emmy winner for her student production Desperate for Diapers, she began her professional career in the Media Rights department at UTA before moving into TV development at Fifth Season. She’s passionate about storytelling and bringing projects to life that blend heart, humor, and humanity.

And at its core, this is a hometown story.

It would mean everything to film this back home in Staten Island, New York with the people who helped shape me into who I am today. We’re in pre-production and aiming to shoot this over a period of four days in Staten Island, New York.

Overall, we hope to raise 25k to get this film to completion -- with the 15k from Seed & Spark providing the initial funds to greenlight the project and get this Toni-tornado moving. Our stretch goals beyond 15k would allow us to bring on additional crew members, film in a car (cool!) and have higher quality post-production.

Our Budget Goals:

Cast & Crew Fair Wages: 20%

Lights, Sound, Set, Camera: 35%

Post-Production: 25%

Festivals & Release PR: 10%

Locations & Crew Travel: 5%

Your support helps us:

• MAKE THE FILM
• Bring on a full cast and female-led crew and pay them fairly
• Secure key camera, light, and sound equipment
• Find proper locations (house + hospital + moving vehicle)
• Production design sets to truly make Toni’s house feel like a home
• Feed everyone as much as my mother would want me to!

• FINISH THE FILM
• Work with editors and sound designers to complete the film in post-production
• Secure music rights to the perfect song (Did I hear Paradise by the Dashboard Light maybe??)

• SHARE THE FILM 
• Submit to Film Festivals and pay for distribution costs and fees
• Make Promotional Materials and cover PR costs so as many people can see our film as possible
• Organize community screenings and local events (premiere at the Atrium anyone?)

Here's looking at you, kid.

If you’re in Staten Island or the tri-state area and want to get involved with:

• Production support
• Location assistance (Feel like you know the perfect place to film? Let us know!)
• Donations (gear, food, printing, transport, etc)
• Social Media 
• Feature or partner with small businesses (We're creating a Staten Island Travel Guide to share with supporters - talk to us about being part of it!)
• Student learning opportunities 
• "I don't know how to help, but I want to"

Reach out! We’d love to hear from you. Our email is [email protected] 

Even if you can't donate, please FOLLOW our project here on Seed&Spark! It's free and the more followers we have the more rewards we get through sponsors on the site! 250 followers is the first goal, which will help us tremendously!

Follow along our journey and spread the word! Every little bit counts. And if you don't have instagram, it's ok my mom doesn't either but tell someone who does!

Instagram: @_homesick_film

Looking to make a contribution above $5k? Email us at [email protected] to chat about custom perks and ways to get involved (such as cameos, brand placements, logo features for your business in our credits/press materials, outreach to our mailing list) in exchange for your support. We may also be able to make your donation tax-deductible, and we gladly welcome in-kind donations too.

THANK YOU SO MUCH! LET'S MAKE A MOVIE TOGETHER!!