Grappling a quarter-life crisis and her unresolved grief over her estranged father's sudden death, a quirky and jaded artist resorts to manufacturing mediocre paintings to pay the bills. But when her first birthday after his death prompts her mother to diagnose her disillusionment as purebred denial, she is forced to face the uncomfortable feelings that she's crammed down: everything from the death itself to her own guilt over their fractured relationship.

Urged on by an unfinished painting she believes was an attempt at contact from her father, she takes her mother's not so subtle advice to talk to her dad...a suggestion she takes a step too far as she gets in touch with her Indigenous heritage and performs a smudging ceremony in a misguided and heartbroken attempt summon his spirit from the afterlife. When she succeeds in crossing a boundary between boring reality and fantastical spirit, she finds herself facing a journey through the broken pieces of their time together with the worst circumstance she could paint: living with herself.

MOOD BOARD

Inappropriate explores how we frame family, heritage, and identity in a hustle culture and the pieces of ourselves we lose along the way.

A kuwei (hello) and thank you for embarking on this journey! This story is inspired by so many things that make me tick as a creative: fantasy, connection, shared experience, diverse perspectives, and escapism (we all know we do it).

But more than that...

It is inspired most of all by the loss of my own father, who passed quite suddenly right before the worldwide pandemic shut down cities, countries, and even relationships. In a time so riddled with loss, I did what any sane 20-something would do: completely shut down all emotions and threw myself into work. Oh wait, jobs and industries were shutdown too.

Reeling from my own loss and feeling incredibly alone in grief during a time of worldwide pain - an irony that was not lost on me - I turned all the chaotic, pent up energy I was feeling toward creating. This story, after quite a few drafts, is what emerged from the pain, and it is my hope to share this with anyone who, having existed on this planet for more than a second, has experienced the inexplicable, gut wrenching feeling of loss and is on their own journey toward healing.

Part memoriam to my dad and part love letter to the grieving

this journey aims to explore how we frame family, identity, and heritage in a hustle culture because we often take these things for granted though they shape who we become and by what we measure our successes. Incorporating elements of my own Native American heritage, a cord that will always connect my father and me, this story also examines how we choose the threads of ourselves we think matter in the larger tapestry of our life stories.

INAPPROPRIATE IS A COMPLETELY ORIGINAL WORK. IT TONALLY RESONATES WITH LIVING WITH YOURSELF (2020) AND WAYS TO SEE (2019).

Photo Credits, From Left: Living with Yourself (2020), Collider.com | Ways to See (2019), Jessica Sanderson, jessicasanderson.com

WHY THIS?

Thank you for asking! This story is an exploration of grief, and while the experience that inspired it is deeply personal, I am willing to bet anyone reading this has experienced the pain of grief at least once in their lives. The truth is, nothing is certain, a painful fact that much of the past four years has spent teaching us over and over again.

But despite the global experience of loss, we still live in a time where bereavement days barely cover the length of a memorial service, let alone the time it actually takes to realize that the world has somehow tilted very suddenly and no one seems to notice but you, and where success is measured above all else. Despite the ease of connection across vast distances, more and more people are struggling to find and maintain connections within communities, relationships, and even the most intimate of home lives. People have become accustomed to faces flashing across screens without fully connecting with the person before them and artists and audiences seem farther apart than ever, a divide that seems to grow as more ways to be entertained and to turn off our brains (and feelings) surface.

This story may be an adventure that packs a fantasy punch, but at its core it is a deeply relatable experience that I hope resonates with audiences (like you!) and provides comfort, connection, and even a hope for healing.

Additionally, as a biracial creative, it is my hope to bring more Indigenous stories to the fore in a way that is deeply relatable and human.

WHY NOW?

Okay, I see you calling me out here! It's a fair question. The first draft of this script was on the page by mid summer 2020...MULTIPLE drafts later, it was (or so I thought) ready to go by the end of 2021.

When I first wrote this script, I wanted to share it for many of the same reasons I stated above, with the exception of the artist/audience divide. At the time, I hadn't even begun to realize this shift, and as an actor and writer, it startled me. I firmly believe that there is an unbreakable connection between artists and audience members because, at our most fundamental human level, we are all joined by a creative force. Before language, there were cave paintings, dance, music, song. I create because I believe that those connections matter, and right now, they matter more than ever.

Audiences are a critical part of the creative process, which is why I want to invite you into this process so fully! Creating in an incubator is not fun. Besides, who does that serve?

So NOW because the future of entertainment, I truly believe, is independent. It is relational. It is raw.

With this story, you get all three and then some.

WHY YOU?

I already mentioned that this is part love letter to the grieving, but truly, it is part love letter to the audience. I have yet to find anything that can make me feel, think, or dream as much as I do when I experience a piece of creative work (movie, painting, song, etc). There's a deeply personal tie to creativity that I believe is at the core of every human spirit.

YOU play a huge role in my creator brain as an audience member, because I am constantly interested in that connection between art and audience. This film is the flagship production of my production company, Fighter Productions, whose mission is to make work that resonates again. Work that has a meaningful impact on people and communities and bridges divides between diverse points of view.

I do believe the future of the way creatives, well, create is indie and that means everyone plays a part. Your contribution to this film, whether financial, resourceful, or otherwise (and truly, all support matters and is appreciated!) is critical in ensuring that independent art can have the chance to reach audiences and that this particular story can resonate with audiences wherever they may find themselves!

And speaking of diverse perspectives, it was critical to me that this film incorporate the talents of other indie artists. While part of our campaign will be to support the hiring of other collaborators and cast, I'd love to introduce you to our creative team so far!

AUTUMN SILVAS is a writer/actor/multi-hype creative. Having started her career onstage and transitioned into film, her passion is storytelling and creating new worlds. A biracial artist, she is passionate about bringing more Indigenous stories to the fore in a natural and relatable way. Her debut screenplay, Inappropriate, has received multiple accolades, including maintaining the #1 Adventure Short on Coverfly's Red List in 2023. Having mounted devised pieces and on the ground theatre works, she believes in getting out and creating as much as possible. Connectivity and humanity are the throughlines of her work, with a healthy dose of fantasy mixed in.

A collaborator at her core, Autumn believes the best art resonates across divides. A firm believer in tea, vintage clothing, and well-timed puns, she is the founder and owner of Fighter Productions, an independent arts and entertainment venture in the Rockies. Through this company, Autumn intends to take indie filmmaking to a new level and cannot wait to share the upcoming projects on the docket. Inappropriate is its flagship film.

SHAYLA SIMONS is a proud military spouse and girl mom who loves pink, cute things, and creativity, not necessarily in that order! Her background is in animation, which served her well on projects such as the award winning Just One More Story which, with her production pipeline skills, was a weeklong endeavor that has since touched many. Although her strengths are in animation and documentary production, she has seen all parts of the production timeline and is thrilled to begin working on a full, live action indie with the team behind Inappropriate.  

MATTHEW SMALDONE is a Colorado-based writer, director, producer, and actor. After beginning his career acting in Shakespearean plays in Philadelphia, Matthew moved back home to Colorado where we founded his production company, Chameleon Film Studios, and translated his theatrical skills into the film medium. Since then he has written, directed, and produced 6 short films, 2 feature films, and a slew of other creative endeavors. Currently, he is finishing his most recent feature film, The Scars of Our Hands, to be premiered at the Oriental Theater on August 18th, and beginning preproduction on a project for Stoner Ranch Productions. Matthew enjoys fly-fishing, Dungeons and Dragons, and spending time with his family.

THE BUDGET

Inappropriate will film in late summer 2024. We are working hard to bring this film to you. In fact, we're working in tandem with you, so you get to be a huge part of this process! Our budget will go towards developing our awesome team of collaborators (cast + crew), equipment rental, post production, and the best location for our dreamy desert landscape.

EVERYONE on this project is working below a normal working rate, which shows their passion for indie film and this story! Every dollar is crucial in ensuring this love letter to the grieving is as high quality as possible and that the final film is accessible to audiences! And though my dad was a sucker for a good camcorder record, it is vital that in telling this story for him and all those loved ones who have embarked on their next journey, the creative vision can have a great impact through quality footage.

Additionally, this budget supports our goal to employ Indigenous creatives wherever possible and respectfully, honorably, and honestly incorporate elements of the writer's culture (smudging supplies, etc.). Here's how your contribution shakes out:

*If the project campaign goes over our goal, our stretch goals will go toward our team, better quality post-production, and festival submissions to increase visibility and resonate with a wider audience*

STRETCH GOALS: noun, plural: those friendly reminders that a contribution over the goal amount is greatly appreciated and put to good use. Uses like:

$17,500: higher rates for our team, opportunity to provide screenings for grief support groups

$20,000: funding toward festival submissions and travel for our team to said festivals

$22,500: the opportunity to offer a SPECIAL INCENTIVE to YOU, our audience, for a limited screening IRL at a movie theatre in our Rocky Mountain home.

As an audience member, EVERY contribution counts, so please know that every time you pledge support and invite your friends to do the same, you're directly impacting the independent artists on this project AND making this project more accessible to a wider audience! Losing someone can be a very lonely experience, yet it's something we all know too well. When you support this film, you are creating a ripple effect of goodness in the arts and in community!

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?

If you want to learn more about the fun things we have planned for you in gratitude for your support, head over to the INCENTIVES tab. Trust us, there's some goodies planned. But more than that, you'll be part of a community that believes in creating stories that matter and resonate again.

SHARING IS CARING

Friends don't let friends grieve alone! To connect with as wide an audience as possible, we need to ripple beyond our immediate collaborators. Want to help? Thank you! To hit our goal, we would love to welcome you to this community and invite you to share this page with anyone you think this story will resonate with. Please like & follow this page, share this project with your circle, and follow project updates at Fighter Productions' website.

From all of us here, and those collaborators to come (through your involvement, seriously it is that direct an impact!), thank you and continue sharing your light!