When you have a codependent relationship with your apartment.

home sounds is a darkly comedic short film about a 22-year-old Turkish immigrant in Portland, Oregon, working through her depression. Balancing anxious realism with quiet melancholy, the story explores loneliness, connection, and the difficult work of choosing to live, grounding more imaginative elements in an honest, human search for meaning.

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Synopsis:  

Laurie has difficulty leaving her apartment. The sounds of the old building -- its GURGLES, POPS, and CREAKS -- become both comforting and suffocating. Even when she manages to do some much-needed grocery shopping, she feels these sounds calling her back home.

Forced to deal with a seemingly small household chore, it overwhelms Laurie, escalating into a crisis. She retreats into her imagination, striking up another conversation with her stern yet observant radiator, as she tends to do…

This story is inspired by my early 20s in Istanbul, the first time I ever lived alone. Suffering from depression, I had to use my imagination to find a way to keep going. This often manifested as the idiosyncratic sounds of my apartment. They would keep me company.

Looking back, in some ways I am surprised who that person was. In other ways, I am deeply empathetic with that past self. home sounds is an attempt to reconcile with who I was back then and an exploration of how I managed to persevere. Sharing this story, I believe, is part of my own process of healing.

-Selin Sevinç, Writer + Director of home sounds

Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness (2025)

Depression is more than just unhappiness. Complex, contradictory, it can be as hard to express as it is to understand. Looking for answers and solutions, it can be easier to oversimplify, which leads to misrepresentation, even invisibility.

And sadly, already at levels never seen before, the number of people experiencing depression is likely only to increase.

The disorder deserves more attention through accurate representations, ones that destigmatize while encouraging communication among all perspectives.

Moreover, discussion about depression is often underrepresented in Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. While our strategy is to show diversity by deemphasizing it, our main character, an immigrant from Turkey, finds that her specific situation gives a unique perspective on what she is dealing with.

*** We are participating in the Seed & Spark AAPI Renaissance Rally in order to bring more attention to how depression is talked about within the Asian community. Like our Writer/Director, our main character is Turkish, a culture and community at a crossroads of various backgrounds. People from Turkey sometimes consider themselves Asian, Middle Eastern, European, and/or some combination of these. This rally will give us the opportunity to speak more from and about one of these lesser-seen perspectives.

Also promoting Asian representation, our lead actress Sebiye Behtiyar is of Uyghur descent, born in Ürümqi in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. She made her feature debut in 2025 in PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT LIFE and was nominated for Breakthrough Performer by the Gotham Independent Film Awards.

Our hope and belief is that with this project’s willingness to be vulnerable with something so personal, audiences will actually find something more affecting, more universal. We believe that we can achieve a greater sense of shared humanity by being open and honest, warts and all.

Our goal is to build connection through dialogue, continuing this process through the life of the film (ex., festivals, community screenings, online engagement) and beyond.

This story has elements of “magical realism,” but we present these as “real.”

Throughout the film, while we are always with Laurie, experiencing the world alongside her, we never go into any kind of heightened subjectivity. The reality in which Laurie lives and her imaginative reactions to it are both played straight, which lends a certain amount of fun juxtaposition. This playfulness is the story’s engine for specificity, humor, and subversiveness.

Thematically, emotionally, stylistically, Sound Design is a key component to this project:

Laurie "hears" her apartment, feeling attuned to its piping, plumbing, heating, and flooring, sounds which feel like friends and keep her company in the absence of human connection. The constant subtle din of CREAKS, WHIRS, and CLANKS; her old radiator’s cranky but wise "VOICE;" and the contrasting upbeat diegetic TUNES of the Turkish pop songs she grew up with -- these all intermingle and intertwine to become the film’s distinct soundscape.

Comps:

• HAROLD AND MAUDE (1971): gentle absurdism
• ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW (2005): an intimate, offbeat sensibility
• THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD (2021): contemporary emotional uncertainty and self-examination

See Team for more details.

• Pre-Production (February 2026): Finalize Casting, Locations, Crew
• Launch Seed & Spark Campaign + Continue Pre-Production (March 2026): Test Shoot, Rehearsals, Initial Production Design (set dressing, props, wardrobe, makeup, hair, etc.)
• Conclude Seed & Spark Campaign + Finalize Pre-Production (April 2026): Finalize Production Design, Finalize Shoot Prep
• Production (May 2026): Principal Photography in Portland, Oregon
• Post Production (May - July 2026): Editing to picture lock, Sound Design and Mixing, Color Grading, Final Cut & Deliverables
• Festivals & Exhibition (Aug 2026 - 2027): Submit to Festivals (major, regional, local, specialized), Festival & Audience Outreach, Community Building
• Distribution + Online Premiere (2027): Submit to and premiere on a suitable online distribution outlet

Where are we in the process currently?

As of March 2026, we are currently in active pre-production:

• Script is locked
• Core team is in place
• Crew is in progress
• Casting is in progress
• Locations are in progress

What is your plan for when the film is finished?

We will have private online and in-person viewings as we submit to various festivals, targeting a curated list of major, regional, local, and specialized festivals suitable for our project. Once our festival run is complete, will seek out a distribution partner to exhibit the film online and continue the life of the film. Our goal ultimately is to have as many people see it as possible.

*** This project is more than just a short -- it will also act as a proof of concept for a feature-length version of this story.

The budget for this project is based on fiscal responsibility and realistic expectations. With a projected runtime of five minutes, only two main roles (LAURIE and RADIATOR) and only one of these actually being on camera (LAURIE), as well as one interior location (LAURIE’S APARTMENT) and three exterior locations, the logistical needs for this project seem rather modest.

However, we are budgeting to do justice to this project, in the way it should be done, and without compromising our artistic vision. We are being conservative but realistic in our plans, including a contingency to cover any unforeseen expenses.

To note, the budget includes $3000 of personal equity outside of this crowdfunding campaign.

Donations:

This project would not be possible without some extremely generous in-kind donations:

• Most of our team are forgoing or reducing their rate to make this film possible.
• A majority of our production equipment, including an Alexa Mini package, is being donated by STNDRD.
• More pending...

Creating home sounds is a labor of love, but bringing our vision to life requires your support. By becoming a part of this crowdfunding campaign, you are literally making this movie happen. There is no home sounds without you!

If you are able, please PLEDGE to our campaign – every contribution, no matter the size, directly goes into making this film a reality.

Here’s how your participation in our crowdfunding campaign will MAKE AN IMPACT:

• Cast ($2,250): Talent, Casting
• Crew ($1,750): Production Designer, Cinematographer, Assistant Camera, Gaffer, Grip, Location Sound
• Locations ($800): Location fees, Meals, Craft Services
• Production Design ($800): Set Dressing, Props, Wardrobe, Hair, Makeup
• Post ($400): Sound Design, Color Correction, Music Licensing, Music Composition

Stretch Goals:

If our campaign goes beyond 100% of our goal, we will use the additional funds for:

1. Production Design: How the frame looks and feels is such a key aspect to this particular project. We will be making every cent count, scrounging, borrowing, begging as needed. Any additional funds here will increase our ability to show things on screen exactly as we envision them and amp up the production value.
2. Sound Mixing, Composition, Music Licensing: Obviously, with the film's title, sound is vital to our storytelling. Additional funds will allow us to spend more time on the mix to create an even more immersive and polished surround soundscape, hire a Composer, and license a song or two.
3. Crew/Cast Rates: Many members of the team are foregoing their rates in order to make this project happen. Additional funds will give us a chance to pay them more in line with what they would normally be paid for their services.
4. Festivals & Marketing: Once the film is complete, we want as many people to see it as possible. Additional funding here will help pay for submissions, travel to festivals, and marketing (physical, PR, etc.).

In-kind Donations:

If you're able to offer something other than money, please consider an in-kind donation. Some examples: use of your apartment as a location, airline miles to help pay for travel, or even food to feed our crew during production. Reach out to us for more info at [email protected]. You can also take a look at our Wish List and choose an item to donate there.

Partnerships:

We are also seeking non-profits, businesses, and any other individuals and/or organizations — both within the Portland, Oregon community and beyond — who operate in the area of mental health and/or Turkish cultures and would like to work together on getting more accurate representations out into the world.

We completely understand if a monetary contribution isn’t possible. But, if you’re willing and able, there are several completely free things that you could do that would help us out immensely:

1. Follow our Seed & Spark page

See that blue heart at the top right of this page?

Click that to become a follower of our campaign. You will not only get updates on our project, but if we get enough followers, Seed & Spark will reward us with valuable funds and resources. In addition, if we get at least 350 followers, we are able to fully participate in the Seed & Spark AAPI Renaissance Rally and qualify for the opportunity for additional support and mentorship.

2. Follow, Like, Comment on our Social Media

Every single interaction boosts our visibility and brings us just a little bit closer to making this film, so:

• Follow us @homesoundsfilm on Instagram or @studiopebble on TikTok, BlueSky, Facebook, etc.
• Watch and like our pitch video on YouTube.
• Leave us a comment anywhere (words of encouragement go a long way!).

3. Spread the word - social media, email, text, IRL — anything! 

If you can, share this project with just two other people. This will actually make a huge difference for us. Share using the share button at the top of this page, reposting one of our social media posts, or whatever works for you.

If you're not sure what to say when you're posting, here are some pre-written messages to share:

• I’m excited to support @homesoundsfilm, a darkly comedic but heartfelt story about depression and connection. Join @_selin_sevinc and @studiopebble in bringing this story to life. Support now: seedandspark.com/fund/homesoundsshort
• I just pledged to @homesoundsfilm, a subtle yet powerful exploration of mental health and finding the small victories when dealing with depression. Please consider supporting and sharing: seedandspark.com/fund/homesoundsshort
• By telling an honest story about depression that isn’t depressing, @homesoundsfilm is a story for those willing to be vulnerable, who recognize the need for a greater sense of shared humanity in understanding mental health struggles. This story needs your support: seedandspark.com/fund/homesoundsshort
• @homesoundsfilm needs your help to share an honest and realistic story about depression, and continue the dialogue of mental health in Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. Support now: seedandspark.com/fund/homesoundsshort

To stay up-to-date with the journey of this project, FOLLOW us here on SEED & SPARK or on Instagram: @homesoundsfilm. Post your support with #homesounds.

Questions? Comments? Random thoughts? Email us! - [email protected]

Thank you so much for visiting our campaign page and for your support!

❤️ the home sounds team

#homesounds