Join the Club
Easthampton, Massachusetts | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
Join the Club tells the story of a teenage girl facing the loss of her dad and being forced to process her complicated emotions in her high school’s drama club. This story is an anthem for anyone who has ever felt like they didn't belong and who found their people and themselves through art.
Join the Club
Easthampton, Massachusetts | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $15,650 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
101 supporters | followers
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Join the Club tells the story of a teenage girl facing the loss of her dad and being forced to process her complicated emotions in her high school’s drama club. This story is an anthem for anyone who has ever felt like they didn't belong and who found their people and themselves through art.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Join the Club tells the story of a teenage girl facing the loss of her dad and being forced to process her complicated emotions in her high school’s drama club. This story features a strong female lead, queer and trans main characters, and several characters of color. This story is an anthem for anyone who has ever felt like they didn't belong and who found their people and themselves through a shared passion.
Michelle is the debate team captain, a total nerd, and, until the recent loss of her dad, totally invisible at her school. When Michelle stands up to the school bully in an uncharacteristic fit of rage, she is forced to process her complicated emotions in an unexpected place - the school drama club. Michelle is instantly struck by the way that the other students, outsiders like herself, are able to use theater to express who they are and do it out loud. Michelle is surrounded by other outsiders, but these people are brave and loud about who they are. Will she be able to embrace this experience or shut down even more?
The script for this short was placed in the 98th percentile by WeScreenplay, a top coverage service.
Michelle - Sharp, nerdy, tenacious, big feelings shown in small ways. High school debate captain, being forced to join the drama club.
Liz - Michelle's best friend. Loud, witty, pushy, alternative. Scary to some, hilarious to most. She brings Michelle out of her shell.
Luca - King of the drama club, burgeoning drag star. Caring, empathetic, endearing.
Cora - Black, trans, British, and painfully shy. Best friends with Luca.
Crystal - Influencer wannabe, Broadway hopeful, deeply insecure, a total show-off.
Mr. Richards - Drama teacher, former actor. A little pretentious and very much over it.
Movies and their scenes are the lens through which I have always seen the world. As a female filmmaker, representation is so important to me, not only for female characters but for the many underrepresented voices in the film - women of all ages, queer and trans characters, and characters of color. This short is about the kids who feel invisible in high school and their journey to find their people and themselves through theater.
This project is the culmination of 2.5 years of working on the feature-length script. These people are so much more to me than fictional characters. They're my people, the ones I had and others I wished I had at their age and when I was in their circumstances.
The story of loss at such a pivotal time in life is also deeply personal to me, having lost both my dad in early adulthood, and more recently my brother, who was my best friend and the greatest champion of my work. This movie is as much for them as it is for me. There is something really unique about losing a parent before most if not all of your friends and peers, and I feel confident that I can portray the experience of isolation in grief, of being surrounded by others who have not yet had similar experiences, and who are still in the youthful bliss of invincibility. This story is about a young adult in a lot of pain, finding that one thing that helps her hear her own voice again after a major and devastating life change. And hopefully embracing the wonderful weird world of high school theater.
In the past several years, I’ve made three short films, each one bringing me closer to being ready to take on this particular project. These projects have helped me feel confident to keep creating and growing, evolving, and taking risks in my work.
I am committed to telling unique stories with universal truths that connect with people, especially those in underrepresented communities. My goal is to remove the gatekeeping from filmmaking and be able to independently produce my projects through grants and fundraising so I can keep pursuing my purpose and hopefully offer others the solace that films have always provided me.
While the themes of this story are deeply personal and unique, the style takes inspiration from the greatest high school movies and shows over the past several decades, like Booksmart, Plan B, Never Have I Ever, and the classics like Clueless and Mean Girls.
This short is a proof of concept for the full-length feature version of this project. The goal is to have a festival run and to raise money based on this short to make the full-length feature. Anyone who knows me knows I have long been an advocate of the Duplass school of filmmaking - don't wait for anyone else, make the movie you want to make with the resources you have at your disposal. I have followed this method my whole career, and after four shorts and developing the feature script for the past several years I am confident I can tell this story in a way that will be deeply personal and universal at the same time.
With your help, we plan to shoot this short film over four days in June 2024. Funds will cover crew and cast rates, locations, food, equipment, and so much more that goes into making a short film!
We need your help to make this happen!
Film is the most collaborative art form. Short films wouldn’t happen without the incredible generosity and contributions of so many people and their resources. We believe in paying our cast and crew, but that means we will need the budget to make it happen. This film will definitely be on a micro-budget, as is typical for shorts, so every dollar and cent makes a difference in us being able to tell this story! We need your support to make this project happen!
Other ways to contribute:
If you like what you’re reading and want to support us more, you totally can! Here are some ways we could use your help:
1) Follow us on social media! Instagram @jointheclubfilm and share our posts if you love them. And don’t forget to follow this campaign for updates! And don’t forget to follow this campaign on Seed & Spark, it really helps us get noticed!
2) Share this campaign far and wide! We need all hands on deck to make this happen in the short campaign window - so please share this with anyone you think might be interested! If it takes a village to make a short film, it takes a small city to fundraise!
3) Get in touch! We would love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected].
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location Site Fee
Costs $3,000
We need a high school to make our drama club dreams come true! This includes location and school staff fees.
Cast & Crew
Costs $7,000
Cast and crew stipends, including any necessary travel and lodging.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $500
We are lucky enough to have a local community that makes low cost equipment rentals possible!
Post Production
Costs $1,500
Help us finish the film so we can share it with the world!
Meals! Crafty!
Costs $3,000
I think we can all agree on the importance of meals and snacks! Help us feed our cast and crew during those long days on set!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Melissa Dimetres (Writer/Director)
A longtime screenwriter, Melissa started directing her own work in recent years. Her first film, Two Eggs Scrambled, was accepted into 12 festivals and has won 4 awards, including Best Romance Short and Best Female Director. Melissa’s second short film is currently in post-production. Her script for the short film Join the Club was placed in the 98th percentile by WeScreenplay.
Chris Ferry (Producer)
An actor by training, Chris began making indie movies with friends in the early 2000’s. Once on set, he fell into helping produce the projects in which he was performing. His third feature, Salvage, premiered in the Midnight series at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006. He founded the Easthampton Film Festival in 2021, through which he met Melissa, and has since co-produced her second short film.
Hunter Anderson (DoP)
Hunter Anderson, a Director of Photography located in Southern New Hampshire, is driven by a passion for visual storytelling and cinematic techniques. With a background in theater, she infuses each project with a unique vision. Her cinematography style is known for its whimsical and vibrant qualities. Hunter graduated from Keene State College with a Bachelor’s degree in Film Production and a minor in Spanish. Since then, she has immersed herself in the Boston film industry. Her passion for storytelling and collaboration not only fuels her creative endeavors but also cultivates meaningful connections within the film industry. Her work can be found at https://www.hunterandersonvisuals.com
Carley Byers (Assistant Director)
Carley is a filmmaker passionate about cultivating on-set environments that are collaborative and led with kindness. She’s primarily a writer/director/producer but welcomes the challenge that comes with assistant directing. She serves on the board of the New Bedford Film Festival and has love for the New England film community. Her most recent short film, Don't Fall From Grace is starting its festival circuit at the celebrated Boston Underground Film Festival and continuing its run into 2024.
Enrico has been pointing lights at things since he was ten years old (and professionally since he was fourteen). He has pointed lights at world-famous bands, circus acts, several large buildings, and even performers suspended from a crane. Sometimes he also sends photons through a lens in the other direction and points cameras at things.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Join the Club tells the story of a teenage girl facing the loss of her dad and being forced to process her complicated emotions in her high school’s drama club. This story features a strong female lead, queer and trans main characters, and several characters of color. This story is an anthem for anyone who has ever felt like they didn't belong and who found their people and themselves through a shared passion.
Michelle is the debate team captain, a total nerd, and, until the recent loss of her dad, totally invisible at her school. When Michelle stands up to the school bully in an uncharacteristic fit of rage, she is forced to process her complicated emotions in an unexpected place - the school drama club. Michelle is instantly struck by the way that the other students, outsiders like herself, are able to use theater to express who they are and do it out loud. Michelle is surrounded by other outsiders, but these people are brave and loud about who they are. Will she be able to embrace this experience or shut down even more?
The script for this short was placed in the 98th percentile by WeScreenplay, a top coverage service.
Michelle - Sharp, nerdy, tenacious, big feelings shown in small ways. High school debate captain, being forced to join the drama club.
Liz - Michelle's best friend. Loud, witty, pushy, alternative. Scary to some, hilarious to most. She brings Michelle out of her shell.
Luca - King of the drama club, burgeoning drag star. Caring, empathetic, endearing.
Cora - Black, trans, British, and painfully shy. Best friends with Luca.
Crystal - Influencer wannabe, Broadway hopeful, deeply insecure, a total show-off.
Mr. Richards - Drama teacher, former actor. A little pretentious and very much over it.
Movies and their scenes are the lens through which I have always seen the world. As a female filmmaker, representation is so important to me, not only for female characters but for the many underrepresented voices in the film - women of all ages, queer and trans characters, and characters of color. This short is about the kids who feel invisible in high school and their journey to find their people and themselves through theater.
This project is the culmination of 2.5 years of working on the feature-length script. These people are so much more to me than fictional characters. They're my people, the ones I had and others I wished I had at their age and when I was in their circumstances.
The story of loss at such a pivotal time in life is also deeply personal to me, having lost both my dad in early adulthood, and more recently my brother, who was my best friend and the greatest champion of my work. This movie is as much for them as it is for me. There is something really unique about losing a parent before most if not all of your friends and peers, and I feel confident that I can portray the experience of isolation in grief, of being surrounded by others who have not yet had similar experiences, and who are still in the youthful bliss of invincibility. This story is about a young adult in a lot of pain, finding that one thing that helps her hear her own voice again after a major and devastating life change. And hopefully embracing the wonderful weird world of high school theater.
In the past several years, I’ve made three short films, each one bringing me closer to being ready to take on this particular project. These projects have helped me feel confident to keep creating and growing, evolving, and taking risks in my work.
I am committed to telling unique stories with universal truths that connect with people, especially those in underrepresented communities. My goal is to remove the gatekeeping from filmmaking and be able to independently produce my projects through grants and fundraising so I can keep pursuing my purpose and hopefully offer others the solace that films have always provided me.
While the themes of this story are deeply personal and unique, the style takes inspiration from the greatest high school movies and shows over the past several decades, like Booksmart, Plan B, Never Have I Ever, and the classics like Clueless and Mean Girls.
This short is a proof of concept for the full-length feature version of this project. The goal is to have a festival run and to raise money based on this short to make the full-length feature. Anyone who knows me knows I have long been an advocate of the Duplass school of filmmaking - don't wait for anyone else, make the movie you want to make with the resources you have at your disposal. I have followed this method my whole career, and after four shorts and developing the feature script for the past several years I am confident I can tell this story in a way that will be deeply personal and universal at the same time.
With your help, we plan to shoot this short film over four days in June 2024. Funds will cover crew and cast rates, locations, food, equipment, and so much more that goes into making a short film!
We need your help to make this happen!
Film is the most collaborative art form. Short films wouldn’t happen without the incredible generosity and contributions of so many people and their resources. We believe in paying our cast and crew, but that means we will need the budget to make it happen. This film will definitely be on a micro-budget, as is typical for shorts, so every dollar and cent makes a difference in us being able to tell this story! We need your support to make this project happen!
Other ways to contribute:
If you like what you’re reading and want to support us more, you totally can! Here are some ways we could use your help:
1) Follow us on social media! Instagram @jointheclubfilm and share our posts if you love them. And don’t forget to follow this campaign for updates! And don’t forget to follow this campaign on Seed & Spark, it really helps us get noticed!
2) Share this campaign far and wide! We need all hands on deck to make this happen in the short campaign window - so please share this with anyone you think might be interested! If it takes a village to make a short film, it takes a small city to fundraise!
3) Get in touch! We would love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected].
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location Site Fee
Costs $3,000
We need a high school to make our drama club dreams come true! This includes location and school staff fees.
Cast & Crew
Costs $7,000
Cast and crew stipends, including any necessary travel and lodging.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $500
We are lucky enough to have a local community that makes low cost equipment rentals possible!
Post Production
Costs $1,500
Help us finish the film so we can share it with the world!
Meals! Crafty!
Costs $3,000
I think we can all agree on the importance of meals and snacks! Help us feed our cast and crew during those long days on set!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Melissa Dimetres (Writer/Director)
A longtime screenwriter, Melissa started directing her own work in recent years. Her first film, Two Eggs Scrambled, was accepted into 12 festivals and has won 4 awards, including Best Romance Short and Best Female Director. Melissa’s second short film is currently in post-production. Her script for the short film Join the Club was placed in the 98th percentile by WeScreenplay.
Chris Ferry (Producer)
An actor by training, Chris began making indie movies with friends in the early 2000’s. Once on set, he fell into helping produce the projects in which he was performing. His third feature, Salvage, premiered in the Midnight series at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006. He founded the Easthampton Film Festival in 2021, through which he met Melissa, and has since co-produced her second short film.
Hunter Anderson (DoP)
Hunter Anderson, a Director of Photography located in Southern New Hampshire, is driven by a passion for visual storytelling and cinematic techniques. With a background in theater, she infuses each project with a unique vision. Her cinematography style is known for its whimsical and vibrant qualities. Hunter graduated from Keene State College with a Bachelor’s degree in Film Production and a minor in Spanish. Since then, she has immersed herself in the Boston film industry. Her passion for storytelling and collaboration not only fuels her creative endeavors but also cultivates meaningful connections within the film industry. Her work can be found at https://www.hunterandersonvisuals.com
Carley Byers (Assistant Director)
Carley is a filmmaker passionate about cultivating on-set environments that are collaborative and led with kindness. She’s primarily a writer/director/producer but welcomes the challenge that comes with assistant directing. She serves on the board of the New Bedford Film Festival and has love for the New England film community. Her most recent short film, Don't Fall From Grace is starting its festival circuit at the celebrated Boston Underground Film Festival and continuing its run into 2024.
Enrico has been pointing lights at things since he was ten years old (and professionally since he was fourteen). He has pointed lights at world-famous bands, circus acts, several large buildings, and even performers suspended from a crane. Sometimes he also sends photons through a lens in the other direction and points cameras at things.