If I could touch the Sun
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Drama
If I Could Touch the Sun is a deeply personal project about overcoming fear, breaking cycles of trauma, and learning to speak your truth. We’re making this film because so many people—artists, children of tough parents, anyone struggling to be understood—deserve to see themselves reflected honestly.
If I could touch the Sun
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Drama
4 Campaigns | Illinois, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $7,755 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
13 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
If I Could Touch the Sun is a deeply personal project about overcoming fear, breaking cycles of trauma, and learning to speak your truth. We’re making this film because so many people—artists, children of tough parents, anyone struggling to be understood—deserve to see themselves reflected honestly.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
🌞 ABOUT THIS PROJECT — IF I COULD TOUCH THE SUN
MISSION STATEMENT
If I Could Touch the Sun is a deeply personal story about anxiety, identity, and the fear of being unheard in a world that moves too fast. Our mission is to shine a light on the quiet, internal battles people face—especially those navigating mental health challenges, strained family relationships, and the pressure to be “perfect.”
Blending poetic introspection with grounded emotional realism, this film explores what it means to break out of the shell that once kept you safe—but now holds you back. At its core, this story is rooted in vulnerability, empathy, and the belief that every voice deserves the chance to rise.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT — DAVID WODKA
I feel compelled to tell this story because, in many ways, it is a reflection of who I am. Like Kyle, I struggle with social anxiety and the fear of being misunderstood or rejected. When the world feels too loud, I retreat inward—often watching opportunities for connection slip by because I couldn’t break out of my shell.
If I Could Touch the Sun is my attempt to map a way out of that shell. Through Kyle’s journey, I want to explore the fragile space between fear and expression, and honor the quiet bravery it takes simply to try. This film is my way of reaching toward the light—even when it feels impossibly far—and inviting others to do the same.
🌞 THE STORY
THE COLD OPEN — One Week to Speak
Kyle is a socially anxious aspiring poet who has just one week to save his dying, estranged father. The only way to raise the money in time is to win a spoken-word competition with a cash prize large enough to change everything.
There’s only one problem: Kyle is terrified of being seen.
For most of his life, silence has been his shield. When the world feels overwhelming, he escapes into imagination—sketching creatures, writing poems he never performs, and hiding in places where fear can’t reach him. As the clock runs down and his father’s condition worsens, Kyle must confront the question that has haunted him for years:
Is staying quiet safer than losing everything?
With the encouragement of Sophie, a classmate who recognizes the creativity he hides, Kyle is pushed toward the stage—where his anxiety becomes the enemy, his imagination both refuge and burden, and his voice the only thing that might save the people he loves.
This is a story about fear.
About courage.
About the quiet moments that shape us.
WHY THIS STORY? WHY NOW?
Anxiety is one of the most common—and least understood—experiences of our generation. People struggle silently in classrooms, workplaces, and homes, often feeling unseen or misunderstood.
This film is director David Wodka’s MFA thesis at Columbia College Chicago, inspired by his own lived experience with social anxiety and self-doubt. Like Kyle, David understands the pull to retreat inward and the fear of disappointing those you love.
We’re telling this story now because mental health narratives deserve compassion and honesty.
Not sensationalized.
Not oversimplified.
But deeply human.
This story says:
You are not alone.
Your fear does not diminish your worth.
Even small sparks can make light.
WHY US?
We are a team of filmmakers who have created multiple projects together—a community built on trust, collaboration, and shared vision.
Our crew includes neurodivergent artists, disabled collaborators, international students, and first-generation filmmakers. Because members of our team live with disabilities and neurodivergence, accessibility is not an afterthought—it is central to how we work.
Our goal is to create film sets where everyone can feel safe, supported, and empowered to do their best work. Supporting this film means supporting a model of filmmaking that is compassionate, inclusive, and authentic.
VISUAL APPROACH — INNER WORLDS & HARSH REALITY
The film’s visual language mirrors Kyle’s emotional state:
Reality — Handheld, shadowed, and raw
Natural light and deep shadows reflect the weight of anxiety.
Imagined World — Warm, poetic, surreal
Soft golden hues, floating movement, and symbolic imagery—grasshoppers, suns, sketches coming alive—represent Kyle’s inner refuge.
Performance Stage — A battlefield of light
Harsh spotlights and isolation frame the moment Kyle must choose whether to retreat or speak.
The contrast between these worlds reflects the inner battle between silence and expression.
CONTEXT — WHERE WE ARE NOW
We are in advanced pre-production:
- Final script locked
- Visual moodboards created
- Production design concepts underway
- Casting in progress
- Crew assembled through Columbia College Chicago
- 4-day shoot scheduled
- Post-production team secured
This is a fully developed project, ready to move into production with your support.
HOW YOUR SUPPORT HELPS
Your contributions directly fund:
- Cast stipends
- Locations
- Production design
- Camera and sound equipment
- Transportation and meals
- Post-production (editing, color, sound, and VFX)
- Accessibility tools for neurodivergent and disabled crew
- Festival submissions
Every dollar brings us closer to the light Kyle is fighting for.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
🔥 Pledge — Every contribution matters
📣 Share — Spread the campaign through your community
👀 Follow — Stay connected for updates and behind-the-scenes content
Stories like this don’t get made without community.
Thank you for helping us bring Kyle’s voice—and David’s vision—to life.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
The Stage of Becoming
Costs $750
Our performers carry an emotionally demanding story, and fair pay respects their labor and craft.
The Journey to the Light
Costs $500
Helps our team get to set safely and affordably across four shoot days.
The World That Kyle Built
Costs $900
Brings Kyle’s emotional universe to life through his room, drawings, clothing, poetry, and relationship with his father.
The Lens of Truth
Costs $300
To capture the emotional contrast between Kyle’s inner light and the shadows he struggles against.
The Voice Breaking Through
Costs $50
Kyle’s spoken word is the heart of the story—clean audio is essential.
The Roads to the Sun
Costs $700
Moves cast, crew, and equipment across four Chicago locations.
The Worlds We Build
Costs $3,000
The park, performance stage, Kyle’s home, and street exteriors all shape the story’s emotional arc.
The Refining Fire
Costs $650
Supports post-production editing and subtle VFX to shape pacing, tone, and Kyle’s imagined realities.
The Safety Net
Costs $900
Protects the production from unexpected costs or accessibility needs.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
🌞 ABOUT THE TEAM
Welcome to the team of If I Could Touch the Sun, a project rooted in our shared commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. Our crew is a vibrant collection of artists from around the world, including neurodivergent creatives and team members with disabilities—each contributing their own perspective, voice, and lived experience. We’ve worked on countless projects together, and every time we grow stronger as collaborators. This time, we’ve united to support the director David Wodka in bringing his MFA thesis film at Columbia College Chicago to life.
At its core, If I Could Touch the Sun explores what it means to feel unseen, unheard, and held back by forces both internal and external. Kyle’s journey mirrors the emotional reality many of us have lived—fighting anxiety, longing for acceptance, and learning to speak in a world that doesn’t always listen. It is a story about resilience, vulnerability, and the courage it takes to break through silence. Helping David shape this film is not just an artistic endeavor—it is an honor, because the story reflects pieces of his own lived experience.
Our mission extends far beyond making a film. We are building a set where everyone—regardless of ability, neurotype, or background—can work safely, comfortably, and creatively. Because we have team members with disabilities, we take accessibility seriously: sensory-friendly practices, flexible workflows, communication support, and a culture built on empathy and respect. Everyone deserves the filmmaking experience they dream of, and we are dedicated to providing it.
Why now? Because the industry is evolving, but not fast enough. Representation behind the camera matters just as much as representation on screen. When diverse voices collaborate, creativity expands, innovation flourishes, and stories gain depth. Our team embodies these values, and If I Could Touch the Sun is an opportunity not only to tell a powerful narrative, but to model the kind of inclusive filmmaking the future deserves.
We are proud to stand beside David as he completes this milestone in his MFA program, and we are excited to create a project that reflects our shared belief in compassion, expression, and accessibility. With every shot we frame and every moment we capture, we’re working to build a more inclusive world—one film at a time.
Thank you for supporting our mission and believing in the power of diverse voices to transform the industry.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
🌞 ABOUT THIS PROJECT — IF I COULD TOUCH THE SUN
MISSION STATEMENT
If I Could Touch the Sun is a deeply personal story about anxiety, identity, and the fear of being unheard in a world that moves too fast. Our mission is to shine a light on the quiet, internal battles people face—especially those navigating mental health challenges, strained family relationships, and the pressure to be “perfect.”
Blending poetic introspection with grounded emotional realism, this film explores what it means to break out of the shell that once kept you safe—but now holds you back. At its core, this story is rooted in vulnerability, empathy, and the belief that every voice deserves the chance to rise.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT — DAVID WODKA
I feel compelled to tell this story because, in many ways, it is a reflection of who I am. Like Kyle, I struggle with social anxiety and the fear of being misunderstood or rejected. When the world feels too loud, I retreat inward—often watching opportunities for connection slip by because I couldn’t break out of my shell.
If I Could Touch the Sun is my attempt to map a way out of that shell. Through Kyle’s journey, I want to explore the fragile space between fear and expression, and honor the quiet bravery it takes simply to try. This film is my way of reaching toward the light—even when it feels impossibly far—and inviting others to do the same.
🌞 THE STORY
THE COLD OPEN — One Week to Speak
Kyle is a socially anxious aspiring poet who has just one week to save his dying, estranged father. The only way to raise the money in time is to win a spoken-word competition with a cash prize large enough to change everything.
There’s only one problem: Kyle is terrified of being seen.
For most of his life, silence has been his shield. When the world feels overwhelming, he escapes into imagination—sketching creatures, writing poems he never performs, and hiding in places where fear can’t reach him. As the clock runs down and his father’s condition worsens, Kyle must confront the question that has haunted him for years:
Is staying quiet safer than losing everything?
With the encouragement of Sophie, a classmate who recognizes the creativity he hides, Kyle is pushed toward the stage—where his anxiety becomes the enemy, his imagination both refuge and burden, and his voice the only thing that might save the people he loves.
This is a story about fear.
About courage.
About the quiet moments that shape us.
WHY THIS STORY? WHY NOW?
Anxiety is one of the most common—and least understood—experiences of our generation. People struggle silently in classrooms, workplaces, and homes, often feeling unseen or misunderstood.
This film is director David Wodka’s MFA thesis at Columbia College Chicago, inspired by his own lived experience with social anxiety and self-doubt. Like Kyle, David understands the pull to retreat inward and the fear of disappointing those you love.
We’re telling this story now because mental health narratives deserve compassion and honesty.
Not sensationalized.
Not oversimplified.
But deeply human.
This story says:
You are not alone.
Your fear does not diminish your worth.
Even small sparks can make light.
WHY US?
We are a team of filmmakers who have created multiple projects together—a community built on trust, collaboration, and shared vision.
Our crew includes neurodivergent artists, disabled collaborators, international students, and first-generation filmmakers. Because members of our team live with disabilities and neurodivergence, accessibility is not an afterthought—it is central to how we work.
Our goal is to create film sets where everyone can feel safe, supported, and empowered to do their best work. Supporting this film means supporting a model of filmmaking that is compassionate, inclusive, and authentic.
VISUAL APPROACH — INNER WORLDS & HARSH REALITY
The film’s visual language mirrors Kyle’s emotional state:
Reality — Handheld, shadowed, and raw
Natural light and deep shadows reflect the weight of anxiety.
Imagined World — Warm, poetic, surreal
Soft golden hues, floating movement, and symbolic imagery—grasshoppers, suns, sketches coming alive—represent Kyle’s inner refuge.
Performance Stage — A battlefield of light
Harsh spotlights and isolation frame the moment Kyle must choose whether to retreat or speak.
The contrast between these worlds reflects the inner battle between silence and expression.
CONTEXT — WHERE WE ARE NOW
We are in advanced pre-production:
- Final script locked
- Visual moodboards created
- Production design concepts underway
- Casting in progress
- Crew assembled through Columbia College Chicago
- 4-day shoot scheduled
- Post-production team secured
This is a fully developed project, ready to move into production with your support.
HOW YOUR SUPPORT HELPS
Your contributions directly fund:
- Cast stipends
- Locations
- Production design
- Camera and sound equipment
- Transportation and meals
- Post-production (editing, color, sound, and VFX)
- Accessibility tools for neurodivergent and disabled crew
- Festival submissions
Every dollar brings us closer to the light Kyle is fighting for.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
🔥 Pledge — Every contribution matters
📣 Share — Spread the campaign through your community
👀 Follow — Stay connected for updates and behind-the-scenes content
Stories like this don’t get made without community.
Thank you for helping us bring Kyle’s voice—and David’s vision—to life.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
The Stage of Becoming
Costs $750
Our performers carry an emotionally demanding story, and fair pay respects their labor and craft.
The Journey to the Light
Costs $500
Helps our team get to set safely and affordably across four shoot days.
The World That Kyle Built
Costs $900
Brings Kyle’s emotional universe to life through his room, drawings, clothing, poetry, and relationship with his father.
The Lens of Truth
Costs $300
To capture the emotional contrast between Kyle’s inner light and the shadows he struggles against.
The Voice Breaking Through
Costs $50
Kyle’s spoken word is the heart of the story—clean audio is essential.
The Roads to the Sun
Costs $700
Moves cast, crew, and equipment across four Chicago locations.
The Worlds We Build
Costs $3,000
The park, performance stage, Kyle’s home, and street exteriors all shape the story’s emotional arc.
The Refining Fire
Costs $650
Supports post-production editing and subtle VFX to shape pacing, tone, and Kyle’s imagined realities.
The Safety Net
Costs $900
Protects the production from unexpected costs or accessibility needs.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
🌞 ABOUT THE TEAM
Welcome to the team of If I Could Touch the Sun, a project rooted in our shared commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. Our crew is a vibrant collection of artists from around the world, including neurodivergent creatives and team members with disabilities—each contributing their own perspective, voice, and lived experience. We’ve worked on countless projects together, and every time we grow stronger as collaborators. This time, we’ve united to support the director David Wodka in bringing his MFA thesis film at Columbia College Chicago to life.
At its core, If I Could Touch the Sun explores what it means to feel unseen, unheard, and held back by forces both internal and external. Kyle’s journey mirrors the emotional reality many of us have lived—fighting anxiety, longing for acceptance, and learning to speak in a world that doesn’t always listen. It is a story about resilience, vulnerability, and the courage it takes to break through silence. Helping David shape this film is not just an artistic endeavor—it is an honor, because the story reflects pieces of his own lived experience.
Our mission extends far beyond making a film. We are building a set where everyone—regardless of ability, neurotype, or background—can work safely, comfortably, and creatively. Because we have team members with disabilities, we take accessibility seriously: sensory-friendly practices, flexible workflows, communication support, and a culture built on empathy and respect. Everyone deserves the filmmaking experience they dream of, and we are dedicated to providing it.
Why now? Because the industry is evolving, but not fast enough. Representation behind the camera matters just as much as representation on screen. When diverse voices collaborate, creativity expands, innovation flourishes, and stories gain depth. Our team embodies these values, and If I Could Touch the Sun is an opportunity not only to tell a powerful narrative, but to model the kind of inclusive filmmaking the future deserves.
We are proud to stand beside David as he completes this milestone in his MFA program, and we are excited to create a project that reflects our shared belief in compassion, expression, and accessibility. With every shot we frame and every moment we capture, we’re working to build a more inclusive world—one film at a time.
Thank you for supporting our mission and believing in the power of diverse voices to transform the industry.