In a city built on ambition, a young woman learns the difference between being chosen and choosing herself.

KARMA follows Asia, a 21-year-old Black aspiring screenwriter who has carried one dream since childhood: becoming a screenwriter. When she moves to Los Angeles for a highly competitive summer internship at Dialog Studios, it feels like everything she’s worked for is falling into place... until she meets Nate, a charming fellow intern from Ohio.

Their chemistry is immediate and undeniable. They connect over shared ambition, creative goals, and the promise of a future in the industry. But as the summer heats up and only one full-time position remains, cracks begin to surface.

Asia becomes sidetracked, tangled in an undefined situationship she can never fully read. She ignores every red flag: the casual racism masked as jokes, the political divide, the way he pulls her close physically while keeping her at arm’s length emotionally. Though securing the full-time role remains her priority, she slowly puts herself—and her worth—on the back burner, thinking with her heart instead of her head.

When Asia finally confronts Nate and confesses how she feels, he doesn’t know how to face it and disappears. Left abandoned and questioning her worth, she spirals. But instead of breaking, Asia channels her heartbreak into the one thing that has never failed her: her writing. In reclaiming her voice, she remembers who she is and why she came to Los Angeles in the first place - not for a guy, but for herself and her dreams.

REFERENCES, STYLE & TONE:

KARMA blends an old Hollywood sensibility with a retro-modern visual language. The aesthetic pulls from early 2000s indie romances, intimate, sun-soaked, nostalgic - while the color palette channels bold, saturated 70s tones.

Visual/Stylistic References: The Studio, Licorice Pizza, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Tonal References: Normal People (intimate heartbreak), I Love LA (messy quarter-life ambition), The Edge of Seventeen (raw coming-of-age honesty)

WHY NOW:

In 2025, young people are lonelier than ever - yet more "connected" through situationships, ghosting, and breadcrumbing than any generation before. Modern dating culture has left us questioning our worth, ignoring red flags, and choosing people who won't choose us. KARMA speaks directly to this moment.

This film explores the awkward, chaotic, and sometimes humiliating moments of modern dating through a stylized, comedic lens. At a time when conversations around identity, relationships, and self-worth are happening more openly than ever, this story embraces the softness, humor, and absurdity of coming of age in your twenties. All the while doing it in a city that constantly tests you.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN:

We have 30 days to raise $10,000 and make KARMA a reality! This film only happens because of people like you - supporters who believe in honest storytelling, who want to see more Black stories on screen, and who understand that independent film is built on community. Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us one step closer. Thank you for being part of this journey (no pun intended) with us!

PRODUCTION (60% - $6000) Cast, crew, equipment rentals, locations, and meals to keep our team energized through the shoot.

POST-PRODUCTION (11% - $1100) Editing, color grading, sound design and mixing, and music that captures the heartbreak and hope of Asia's journey.

PRE-PRODUCTION (20% - $2000) Location permits, production insurance, casting, and scouting the perfect LA spots to tell this story authentically.

MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION (5% - $500) Film festival submissions, poster design, and social media campaigns to get KARMA seen.

CONTINGENCY (4% - $400) A safety net for unexpected costs - because filmmaking always has surprises.

Stretch Goal: $15,000 Additional funds will allow us to pay our cast and crew competitive rates, upgrade our camera package for even richer visuals, invest in an original score, and submit to more prestigious film festivals.

A PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE FILMMAKER:

Growing up, I never saw myself - a young Black girl, now woman - represented in media the way I wanted to be. The stories I craved weren't about trauma or struggle; they were about the casualties of girlhood, the softness, the chaos of coming of age. I wanted to see more girls that looked like me fall in love, get their hearts broken, chase their dreams, and choose themselves. Those stories didn't exist. I always wished someone would follow me around with a reality TV camera because of the insane things that happened in my life. I’d create scenes to songs in my head, visualize moments I wished I could recreate… So when I got ghosted in the most embarrassing way possible, I thought - why not turn this into something? Why not make the story I've been waiting to see?

As an aspiring actor in LA, the biggest lesson I've learned this past year is that you have to make it happen for yourself. In my first year of auditioning, working on set, networking, and bonding with other artists, I fell deeply in love with storytelling. But when I started reading scripts and trying to figure out where I fit, I noticed a gap - there weren't nearly enough roles for Black women that simply explored the messy, relatable, everyday experience of being young and figuring it out.

KARMA is that story. It's deeply personal, and for every girl who's had to learn the hard way that choosing yourself is the only choice that matters.

With love,

Journey Woods