In Need of a Love Story
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Romantic Comedy, Romance
What begins as a meet-cute in a bookstore quickly becomes the day-into-night date of Amara's dreams. The only issue is that this start of a love story isn't all that it seems. To find out more, support this hope-springing romcom so we can bring it to life!
In Need of a Love Story
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Romantic Comedy, Romance
1 Campaigns | California, United States
26 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$4,092
Goal: $12,500 for development
What begins as a meet-cute in a bookstore quickly becomes the day-into-night date of Amara's dreams. The only issue is that this start of a love story isn't all that it seems. To find out more, support this hope-springing romcom so we can bring it to life!
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Hi! I'm Nikita T. Hamilton and I'm the writer and director of IN NEED OF A LOVE STORY. I think it’s easy to look around at the state of the country, and the world, and to feel like hope has exited the building; that love isn’t in the room with us anymore. Every day, there’s news of hunger, violence, and loss of life here or abroad. Romantic love might seem like it should be the least of our worries, but we know it’s not. Articles on dating apps, declines in sex amongst Gen Z, and the “male loneliness epidemic” are on an endless loop. Even the U.S. Surgeon General has called loneliness a public health crisis as deadly as smoking. Despite everything that’s going on, we want love, we secretly hope that it will find us, and we’re terribly afraid to let anyone else know about either desire. I know because I’m in the number; I know because I had to travel to Paris just to gather enough hope from the city of love to be able to write a love story.
That’s why my short film IN NEED OF A LOVE STORY is important. It’s about romantic love and one almost-out-of-hope Black woman wondering what the hell she can do about it. It’s about putting one’s self out there even if it’s in an unorthodox way. The film is aimed at Millennials and Gen Zers who have come of age in a world that looks much different than the ones our parents experienced. We were promised white picket fences, steady jobs, marriage, and 2.5 kids. While some are close to living that dream and others have rejected the idea entirely, many still want the love part— but they’re losing hope. That's why I want to make this film: to give some hope back.
IN NEED OF A LOVE STORY is warm, funny, and rings an emotional bell that some of us have been trying to ignore for way too long. Since it's a romantic comedy, it does follow some of the genre's roadmap, but with a unique take that places the reins firmly in the hands of our leading lady, Amara.
What begins as a meet-cute in a bookstore quickly becomes the day-into-night date of Amara’s dreams. The only issue is that this start of a love story isn’t all that it seems. She and Tobias will have to decide what’s real, what’s crafted, and if it even matters in the end because love stories are hard to come by these days and sometimes they need a little help. I know I'm being a bit vague, but I don't want to spoil this romantic ride for you!
So, though this film is inspired by some of my favorite romance movies, what's different about IN NEED OF A LOVE STORY is that it offers audiences both recognition and relief—a reminder that intimacy is not trivial but essential, and that love is still possible, even when it feels out of reach. This film turns a familiar trope (the meet-cute) on its head to expose something universal: for better or worse, any pursuit of love requires vulnerability.
To help bring this project to life, I partnered with my friend, Jodine Gordon, an executive and fabulous writer in her own right. She resonated with the film and its message and we've been working to get it from the page to the screen ever since. The thing is, we can't do it without your help whether that's donating yourself, sharing our page with others or joining our community here or on Instagram and TikTok at @inneedofalovestory.
We're in a cultural moment where stoicism and emotional detachment are praised as strength, yet this has only deepened our isolation, poisoned our romantic relationships, and frayed the threads of community. We need love, humans need connection, and love stories have always been the heartbeat of cinema. Support bringing this one to the screen!
Our Campaign Goal: $12,500
Why do we need to raise $12.5K on Seed&Spark to make IN NEED OF A LOVE STORY a reality? The simple answer is that we want to pay people. We have some amazingly talented artists, from above and below the line, making up the cast and crew of this project and we want to pay them all. Yes, even the Production Assistants will be getting paid. We have multiple locations, gear rentals, production design, and a crew that will be working on a favored-nations basis to take this project from the page to the screen. Unfortunately, that isn't cheap and the costs add up quickly. This goal will enable us to pay everyone and have everything we need to make an amazing film!
If we go over our goal, which would be wonderful, those funds would be used for more festival submissions, additional marketing, PR, and a small wrap gift for our cast and crew.
Launch Seed&Spark Fundraising: August 17, 2026
Close Seed&Spark Fundraising: October 1, 2026
Pre-Production: Present to January 1, 2027
Principal Photography: January 23, 24, 30, 2027
Post-Production: February 1, 2026 to April 15, 2026
Launch Festival Run: April 19, 2026
There are four ways you can support us:
- Donate to our campaign! Your money goes directly to making this film a reality and it's tax-deductible because we have fiscal sponsorship from Film Independent.
- Follow our campaign on Seed&Spark! You'll receive updates from me, Jodine, and the rest of our team and you'll help us unlock rewards on the Seed&Spark platform.
- Share our campaign page and video with... everyone! Seriously, even strangers in the coffee line are not exempt from your reach. Spread the word online and IRL. It really does help us more than you know!
- Follow us on Instagram and TikTok! We want to build a community around this film and the exploration of modern love and we'd like for you to be a part of it!
Every dollar, every follow, and every share gets us one step closer to getting IN NEED OF A LOVE STORY made!
A special thanks for helping with this campaign goes to...
Film Independent (Fiscal Sponsor)
Hue Strother (Campaign Video Director and Editor)
Arianna Knott (Producer and Production Coordinator)
Marisa Stotter (Executive Producer)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast
Costs $2,000
There's no film without a cast and we not only want to bring on talented actors, but we also want to pay them for their time and effort.
Crew
Costs $4,000
In order to shoot this film, we need some amazing crew members (DP, 1st AC, Gaffer, Grip, etc.) and we want to pay them what they deserve.
Craft Services + Other
Costs $1,000
Meals and snacks for each day of shooting for cast and crew as well as the costs for transportation and production supplies
Rentals
Costs $1,700
We'd like to shoot on a RED camera and we'll need lighting and sound kits, and hard drives/storage.
Permits and Locations
Costs $1,350
We will need two or three rental locations, permits, and insurance.
Post-Production
Costs $1,750
Films are improved (and sometimes remade) in post. We want it done well and done right.
Music
Costs $450
An integral part of the film is the music and influence of jazz on our main characters. We also want to have at least one original song.
Festivals and Marketing
Costs $250
We'll be conducting a marketing campaign and submitting to festivals around the country once the film is finished.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Nikita T. Hamilton
Writer, Director, Executive Producer
Nikita is a TV and features writer, producer, and director who never thought she’d have any of those titles. She moved to Los Angeles in 2011 to complete a Ph.D. at the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California. Her studies focused on representations of Black women in television, cultural studies, and gender, which was a continuation of the research she began at the University of Pennsylvania where she double-majored in Communication and Psychology.
It took Nikita a couple of years to realize she wanted to make TV and film, not teach about it, but as soon as she did she pivoted while working on her dissertation. She started off in the industry as the Writers' Assistant for season 2 of FX’s ATLANTA, went on to complete her Ph.D., and later became the Showrunner's Assistant for Freeform’s THE BOLD TYPE. Nikita staffed on Season 4 of show in 2019 and has since worked on dramas for ABC, HBO Max, and Amazon. She has also written films for Hallmark and Lifetime. Nikita’s focus remains on telling stories about marginalized people, especially women, the power of friendship, and the comedy that comes from even the most dramatic situations.
Jodine Gordon
Executive Producer
Jodine is a producer, writer, and creative strategist bridging storytelling, culture, and technology. She is the former Head of Creative Innovation at Amazon MGM Studios, where she led high-profile talent partnerships and developed next-generation storytelling initiatives across film, TV, and animation.
As a producer, Jodine is passionate about championing bold, underrepresented voices and crafting character-driven stories with cultural resonance. She cut her teeth in entertainment as a script reader for the Tribeca Film Institute’s flagship film funds, supporting emerging filmmakers, and has since built a career shaping cross-format media projects that expand the possibilities of storytelling. Jodine has a BA in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. She is based in Los Angeles.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Hi! I'm Nikita T. Hamilton and I'm the writer and director of IN NEED OF A LOVE STORY. I think it’s easy to look around at the state of the country, and the world, and to feel like hope has exited the building; that love isn’t in the room with us anymore. Every day, there’s news of hunger, violence, and loss of life here or abroad. Romantic love might seem like it should be the least of our worries, but we know it’s not. Articles on dating apps, declines in sex amongst Gen Z, and the “male loneliness epidemic” are on an endless loop. Even the U.S. Surgeon General has called loneliness a public health crisis as deadly as smoking. Despite everything that’s going on, we want love, we secretly hope that it will find us, and we’re terribly afraid to let anyone else know about either desire. I know because I’m in the number; I know because I had to travel to Paris just to gather enough hope from the city of love to be able to write a love story.
That’s why my short film IN NEED OF A LOVE STORY is important. It’s about romantic love and one almost-out-of-hope Black woman wondering what the hell she can do about it. It’s about putting one’s self out there even if it’s in an unorthodox way. The film is aimed at Millennials and Gen Zers who have come of age in a world that looks much different than the ones our parents experienced. We were promised white picket fences, steady jobs, marriage, and 2.5 kids. While some are close to living that dream and others have rejected the idea entirely, many still want the love part— but they’re losing hope. That's why I want to make this film: to give some hope back.
IN NEED OF A LOVE STORY is warm, funny, and rings an emotional bell that some of us have been trying to ignore for way too long. Since it's a romantic comedy, it does follow some of the genre's roadmap, but with a unique take that places the reins firmly in the hands of our leading lady, Amara.
What begins as a meet-cute in a bookstore quickly becomes the day-into-night date of Amara’s dreams. The only issue is that this start of a love story isn’t all that it seems. She and Tobias will have to decide what’s real, what’s crafted, and if it even matters in the end because love stories are hard to come by these days and sometimes they need a little help. I know I'm being a bit vague, but I don't want to spoil this romantic ride for you!
So, though this film is inspired by some of my favorite romance movies, what's different about IN NEED OF A LOVE STORY is that it offers audiences both recognition and relief—a reminder that intimacy is not trivial but essential, and that love is still possible, even when it feels out of reach. This film turns a familiar trope (the meet-cute) on its head to expose something universal: for better or worse, any pursuit of love requires vulnerability.
To help bring this project to life, I partnered with my friend, Jodine Gordon, an executive and fabulous writer in her own right. She resonated with the film and its message and we've been working to get it from the page to the screen ever since. The thing is, we can't do it without your help whether that's donating yourself, sharing our page with others or joining our community here or on Instagram and TikTok at @inneedofalovestory.
We're in a cultural moment where stoicism and emotional detachment are praised as strength, yet this has only deepened our isolation, poisoned our romantic relationships, and frayed the threads of community. We need love, humans need connection, and love stories have always been the heartbeat of cinema. Support bringing this one to the screen!
Our Campaign Goal: $12,500
Why do we need to raise $12.5K on Seed&Spark to make IN NEED OF A LOVE STORY a reality? The simple answer is that we want to pay people. We have some amazingly talented artists, from above and below the line, making up the cast and crew of this project and we want to pay them all. Yes, even the Production Assistants will be getting paid. We have multiple locations, gear rentals, production design, and a crew that will be working on a favored-nations basis to take this project from the page to the screen. Unfortunately, that isn't cheap and the costs add up quickly. This goal will enable us to pay everyone and have everything we need to make an amazing film!
If we go over our goal, which would be wonderful, those funds would be used for more festival submissions, additional marketing, PR, and a small wrap gift for our cast and crew.
Launch Seed&Spark Fundraising: August 17, 2026
Close Seed&Spark Fundraising: October 1, 2026
Pre-Production: Present to January 1, 2027
Principal Photography: January 23, 24, 30, 2027
Post-Production: February 1, 2026 to April 15, 2026
Launch Festival Run: April 19, 2026
There are four ways you can support us:
- Donate to our campaign! Your money goes directly to making this film a reality and it's tax-deductible because we have fiscal sponsorship from Film Independent.
- Follow our campaign on Seed&Spark! You'll receive updates from me, Jodine, and the rest of our team and you'll help us unlock rewards on the Seed&Spark platform.
- Share our campaign page and video with... everyone! Seriously, even strangers in the coffee line are not exempt from your reach. Spread the word online and IRL. It really does help us more than you know!
- Follow us on Instagram and TikTok! We want to build a community around this film and the exploration of modern love and we'd like for you to be a part of it!
Every dollar, every follow, and every share gets us one step closer to getting IN NEED OF A LOVE STORY made!
A special thanks for helping with this campaign goes to...
Film Independent (Fiscal Sponsor)
Hue Strother (Campaign Video Director and Editor)
Arianna Knott (Producer and Production Coordinator)
Marisa Stotter (Executive Producer)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast
Costs $2,000
There's no film without a cast and we not only want to bring on talented actors, but we also want to pay them for their time and effort.
Crew
Costs $4,000
In order to shoot this film, we need some amazing crew members (DP, 1st AC, Gaffer, Grip, etc.) and we want to pay them what they deserve.
Craft Services + Other
Costs $1,000
Meals and snacks for each day of shooting for cast and crew as well as the costs for transportation and production supplies
Rentals
Costs $1,700
We'd like to shoot on a RED camera and we'll need lighting and sound kits, and hard drives/storage.
Permits and Locations
Costs $1,350
We will need two or three rental locations, permits, and insurance.
Post-Production
Costs $1,750
Films are improved (and sometimes remade) in post. We want it done well and done right.
Music
Costs $450
An integral part of the film is the music and influence of jazz on our main characters. We also want to have at least one original song.
Festivals and Marketing
Costs $250
We'll be conducting a marketing campaign and submitting to festivals around the country once the film is finished.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Nikita T. Hamilton
Writer, Director, Executive Producer
Nikita is a TV and features writer, producer, and director who never thought she’d have any of those titles. She moved to Los Angeles in 2011 to complete a Ph.D. at the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California. Her studies focused on representations of Black women in television, cultural studies, and gender, which was a continuation of the research she began at the University of Pennsylvania where she double-majored in Communication and Psychology.
It took Nikita a couple of years to realize she wanted to make TV and film, not teach about it, but as soon as she did she pivoted while working on her dissertation. She started off in the industry as the Writers' Assistant for season 2 of FX’s ATLANTA, went on to complete her Ph.D., and later became the Showrunner's Assistant for Freeform’s THE BOLD TYPE. Nikita staffed on Season 4 of show in 2019 and has since worked on dramas for ABC, HBO Max, and Amazon. She has also written films for Hallmark and Lifetime. Nikita’s focus remains on telling stories about marginalized people, especially women, the power of friendship, and the comedy that comes from even the most dramatic situations.
Jodine Gordon
Executive Producer
Jodine is a producer, writer, and creative strategist bridging storytelling, culture, and technology. She is the former Head of Creative Innovation at Amazon MGM Studios, where she led high-profile talent partnerships and developed next-generation storytelling initiatives across film, TV, and animation.
As a producer, Jodine is passionate about championing bold, underrepresented voices and crafting character-driven stories with cultural resonance. She cut her teeth in entertainment as a script reader for the Tribeca Film Institute’s flagship film funds, supporting emerging filmmakers, and has since built a career shaping cross-format media projects that expand the possibilities of storytelling. Jodine has a BA in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. She is based in Los Angeles.