Keeping It Together
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama
When Sabrina ropes her ex-girlfriend Andy into meeting post-breakup, she attempts to revive their love with a life-altering secret. We discuss the themes of betrayal, female sexuality, forgiveness, and the penetrative male gaze. Support us in telling raw, female-driven narratives- by and for women!
Keeping It Together
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $11,700 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
56 supporters | followers
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When Sabrina ropes her ex-girlfriend Andy into meeting post-breakup, she attempts to revive their love with a life-altering secret. We discuss the themes of betrayal, female sexuality, forgiveness, and the penetrative male gaze. Support us in telling raw, female-driven narratives- by and for women!
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
This film urges us to look within, to look around us, to ask ourselves... how much are we willing to forgive for the person we love? And what is beyond forgiveness?
What's this about, anyway?
Keeping it Together follows the ending and reconnection of a relationship between two young women, Andy and Sabrina. Sabrina invites Andy to coffee, months after their breakup, desperately attempting to lure Andy back in with a life-altering secret. At its core, KIT is about betrayal, forgiveness, and how far we are willing to go for the ones we love.
Why should this story be told?
Queer characters and stories about women, by women, are severely underrepresented in the film community. Growing up, dreaming of being a storyteller, I assumed I always had to be the nagging girlfriend, the ditzy coworker, the 'crazy' ex-girlfriend. I want to tell stories that inspire women- where we show raw, imperfect, and flawed female characters.
Why does this matter?
Having female-driven narratives, especially about LGBTQ+ stories, is important now more than ever. Can you believe only 6.7% of recurring TV characters are written as a part of the LGBTQ community? Not to mention, Women of Color who play LGBTQ+ characters are almost non-existent in film and television? So non-existent, I couldn't even find any consistent date on female Black queer characters. Representation in media is not only important, it is crucial! In our film, we boast an entirely female-led team, featuring Women of Color, LGBTQ+, and First Generation Americans. We believe the people who tell the stories matter.
Why are you the right team to tell the story?
As women working in film, we know all too well the expectations and perceptions put on us. We are exhausted of two dimensional, dishonest female characters created by men that cater to the male gaze. With a diverse group of women on our team, we all input our different experiences and truths to create equity and honesty.
What about shooting with COVID?
We are running a fully vaccinated set, on par with all sets operating under Union rules. We will also be requiring negative COVID tests from all cast and crew prior to filming! Plus, masks on set at all times, except when the actors are... acting. This adds additional costs to our film, like funds for testing, PPE on set, and higher costs for space rental and catering. Your contributions are also helping to stop the spread on sets!
What stage are you in right now?
We are currently in pre-production. This campaign is covering the costs of production, post-production, and festivals and distribution! This means that from the first day on set, shooting, to when it premieres at a film festival next year, is all because of our community.
What are you going to do with the film once you've shot it?
Once we shoot, we will move forward into post-production! This includes sound mixing, color correcting, editing, etc- which are all factored into our budget. Once the film is as good as it can be for our audience (you awesome folks!) we will be submitting it to festivals worldwide. Some festivals we believe our film will perform well at is Sundance Film Festival, NewFest, Toronto International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, and Tribeca Film Festival! Our ultimate goal, however, is to bring it to as many viewers as possible, which is why we are going to work with distributors to get it on a streaming service after its festival run.
Do you have a stretch goal?
You betcha! If we receive over 100% funding, we are putting that all on screen. This means hiring top of the line post-production crew members. These folks are the ones who really make a movie look its absolute best. We will also be able to pay our crew more, and pay some folks who are working for free. We want everyone to feel valued, and make this the most equitable and professional project we can!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Paying our amazing crew!
Costs $5,000
We (literally) cannot make this movie without these amazing folks.
Gear Rental!
Costs $2,000
We gotta make our movie look as professional as possible! Which means lights, camera, lenses, etc.
Post-Production!
Costs $1,300
We need to make everything fit perfectly- which is why we must get an editor and sound mixer!
Festivals and Distribution!
Costs $1,700
We want everyone to see our amazing work! Submitting to festivals is pricey, y'all.
Share this update!
About This Team
Aurora Fox, Writer, Creator, Actress, Producer:
Aurora Fox is a feminist actress, writer, and filmmaker who hails from a small town in rural Alaska. Aurora has been artist her whole life, frolicking in the woods of Alaska, singing as a bird in her small community theatre, and publishing her poetry. Aurora graduated from The New School University with Honors in May 2020 (On Zoom, yay!) Her passion for female-stories has driven her to create Keeping It Together, which she wrote in a coffee shop in the afternoons in between her survival jobs. She aims to create diverse, inclusive stories about flawed, imperfect women.
Jordan Tyson, Actress & Creative Producer:
A choral nerd turned music and theatre fairy on a mission to heal. TV/Film: The Chair (Netflix), Vampires Vs the Bronx (Netflix); New York: The Streets of New York (Irish Rep.), Folk Wandering (ART/NY); Regional: I And You (Weston Playhouse); Audelco Rising Star Award 2017. Currently writing her debut EP. BLM.
jordantyson.com | @curlybroad | Wolf Talent Group | Sullivan Talent Group
Julianna Pitt, Director:
Julianna Pitt is an Award-Winning Director, Producer, Screenwriter and Actress. She is 1st generation Polish-American; her parents fled Communism from Poland. Her Best Actress Award was won with a Cannes Officially Selected Director. She's known for her roles on HBO's "High Maintenance," recurring role as "Ellen" on ABC's "Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23," and her role as "Lola" in the feature film "Sanctuary." She trained at Sanford Meisner's Playhouse West in Los Angeles, and The Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Theatre in New York. She's performed for several networks and many national commercials. She's been in 2 films at the Cannes Film Festival and attended. She starred in the musical "The Fantastic Clown Club," and played a supporting role in "Choices," which won Best Narrative Short. She speaks fluent Polish. A University of Florida alumna, she has a Bachelor's Degree in English and Anthropology. She's written an 8 episode Sci-fi series, and a Sci-fi medical pilot.
Kasey O'Brien, Producer and 1st AD:
Kasey O'Brien is an actor, filmmaker, and theatre artist from the Pacific Northwest. Her short films have been screened at festivals such as Tacoma Film Festival, MINT Film Festival, QFest St. Louis, Detroit SheTown Film Festival, Toronto Intl Women Film Festival(award winner), and Portland Short Fest(award winner). The key ingredients in her work are curiosity, imagination, and a little bit of magic. MFA from The New School in NYC. kaseyobriennyc.com
Jodi Savitz, Director of Photography:
Jodi is a Brooklyn-based cinematographer with 12 years diversified experience in documentaries, narrative, commercial, and multi-camera live shows, who employs creativity, ingenuity and a collaborative spirit to craft a visual language through compelling, nuanced, and thought-provoking imagery. A graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Communications, Jodi began her career as an actress before pivoting into filmmaking and specifically, cinematography.
Recent credits include NBC, MSNBC, HGTV, and VICE, commercial and branded work for CityBike, Dockers, Reformation, and Pepsi, live multi-camera events for The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra and Yarn/Ware, and a slew of narrative shorts that have screened at festivals around the globe, including The St. Louis International Film Festival, NewFest, HBO’s Women in Comedy Film Festival, Miami International Film Festival, OUTShine, Chelsea Film Festival, Perlen Queer Film Festival, and many others.
All of our incredible photos were taken by Mike Brun, a local NYC photographer who works exclusively on film. You can learn more about his work at www.mikebrun.com
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
This film urges us to look within, to look around us, to ask ourselves... how much are we willing to forgive for the person we love? And what is beyond forgiveness?
What's this about, anyway?
Keeping it Together follows the ending and reconnection of a relationship between two young women, Andy and Sabrina. Sabrina invites Andy to coffee, months after their breakup, desperately attempting to lure Andy back in with a life-altering secret. At its core, KIT is about betrayal, forgiveness, and how far we are willing to go for the ones we love.
Why should this story be told?
Queer characters and stories about women, by women, are severely underrepresented in the film community. Growing up, dreaming of being a storyteller, I assumed I always had to be the nagging girlfriend, the ditzy coworker, the 'crazy' ex-girlfriend. I want to tell stories that inspire women- where we show raw, imperfect, and flawed female characters.
Why does this matter?
Having female-driven narratives, especially about LGBTQ+ stories, is important now more than ever. Can you believe only 6.7% of recurring TV characters are written as a part of the LGBTQ community? Not to mention, Women of Color who play LGBTQ+ characters are almost non-existent in film and television? So non-existent, I couldn't even find any consistent date on female Black queer characters. Representation in media is not only important, it is crucial! In our film, we boast an entirely female-led team, featuring Women of Color, LGBTQ+, and First Generation Americans. We believe the people who tell the stories matter.
Why are you the right team to tell the story?
As women working in film, we know all too well the expectations and perceptions put on us. We are exhausted of two dimensional, dishonest female characters created by men that cater to the male gaze. With a diverse group of women on our team, we all input our different experiences and truths to create equity and honesty.
What about shooting with COVID?
We are running a fully vaccinated set, on par with all sets operating under Union rules. We will also be requiring negative COVID tests from all cast and crew prior to filming! Plus, masks on set at all times, except when the actors are... acting. This adds additional costs to our film, like funds for testing, PPE on set, and higher costs for space rental and catering. Your contributions are also helping to stop the spread on sets!
What stage are you in right now?
We are currently in pre-production. This campaign is covering the costs of production, post-production, and festivals and distribution! This means that from the first day on set, shooting, to when it premieres at a film festival next year, is all because of our community.
What are you going to do with the film once you've shot it?
Once we shoot, we will move forward into post-production! This includes sound mixing, color correcting, editing, etc- which are all factored into our budget. Once the film is as good as it can be for our audience (you awesome folks!) we will be submitting it to festivals worldwide. Some festivals we believe our film will perform well at is Sundance Film Festival, NewFest, Toronto International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, and Tribeca Film Festival! Our ultimate goal, however, is to bring it to as many viewers as possible, which is why we are going to work with distributors to get it on a streaming service after its festival run.
Do you have a stretch goal?
You betcha! If we receive over 100% funding, we are putting that all on screen. This means hiring top of the line post-production crew members. These folks are the ones who really make a movie look its absolute best. We will also be able to pay our crew more, and pay some folks who are working for free. We want everyone to feel valued, and make this the most equitable and professional project we can!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Paying our amazing crew!
Costs $5,000
We (literally) cannot make this movie without these amazing folks.
Gear Rental!
Costs $2,000
We gotta make our movie look as professional as possible! Which means lights, camera, lenses, etc.
Post-Production!
Costs $1,300
We need to make everything fit perfectly- which is why we must get an editor and sound mixer!
Festivals and Distribution!
Costs $1,700
We want everyone to see our amazing work! Submitting to festivals is pricey, y'all.
Share this update!
About This Team
Aurora Fox, Writer, Creator, Actress, Producer:
Aurora Fox is a feminist actress, writer, and filmmaker who hails from a small town in rural Alaska. Aurora has been artist her whole life, frolicking in the woods of Alaska, singing as a bird in her small community theatre, and publishing her poetry. Aurora graduated from The New School University with Honors in May 2020 (On Zoom, yay!) Her passion for female-stories has driven her to create Keeping It Together, which she wrote in a coffee shop in the afternoons in between her survival jobs. She aims to create diverse, inclusive stories about flawed, imperfect women.
Jordan Tyson, Actress & Creative Producer:
A choral nerd turned music and theatre fairy on a mission to heal. TV/Film: The Chair (Netflix), Vampires Vs the Bronx (Netflix); New York: The Streets of New York (Irish Rep.), Folk Wandering (ART/NY); Regional: I And You (Weston Playhouse); Audelco Rising Star Award 2017. Currently writing her debut EP. BLM.
jordantyson.com | @curlybroad | Wolf Talent Group | Sullivan Talent Group
Julianna Pitt, Director:
Julianna Pitt is an Award-Winning Director, Producer, Screenwriter and Actress. She is 1st generation Polish-American; her parents fled Communism from Poland. Her Best Actress Award was won with a Cannes Officially Selected Director. She's known for her roles on HBO's "High Maintenance," recurring role as "Ellen" on ABC's "Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23," and her role as "Lola" in the feature film "Sanctuary." She trained at Sanford Meisner's Playhouse West in Los Angeles, and The Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Theatre in New York. She's performed for several networks and many national commercials. She's been in 2 films at the Cannes Film Festival and attended. She starred in the musical "The Fantastic Clown Club," and played a supporting role in "Choices," which won Best Narrative Short. She speaks fluent Polish. A University of Florida alumna, she has a Bachelor's Degree in English and Anthropology. She's written an 8 episode Sci-fi series, and a Sci-fi medical pilot.
Kasey O'Brien, Producer and 1st AD:
Kasey O'Brien is an actor, filmmaker, and theatre artist from the Pacific Northwest. Her short films have been screened at festivals such as Tacoma Film Festival, MINT Film Festival, QFest St. Louis, Detroit SheTown Film Festival, Toronto Intl Women Film Festival(award winner), and Portland Short Fest(award winner). The key ingredients in her work are curiosity, imagination, and a little bit of magic. MFA from The New School in NYC. kaseyobriennyc.com
Jodi Savitz, Director of Photography:
Jodi is a Brooklyn-based cinematographer with 12 years diversified experience in documentaries, narrative, commercial, and multi-camera live shows, who employs creativity, ingenuity and a collaborative spirit to craft a visual language through compelling, nuanced, and thought-provoking imagery. A graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Communications, Jodi began her career as an actress before pivoting into filmmaking and specifically, cinematography.
Recent credits include NBC, MSNBC, HGTV, and VICE, commercial and branded work for CityBike, Dockers, Reformation, and Pepsi, live multi-camera events for The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra and Yarn/Ware, and a slew of narrative shorts that have screened at festivals around the globe, including The St. Louis International Film Festival, NewFest, HBO’s Women in Comedy Film Festival, Miami International Film Festival, OUTShine, Chelsea Film Festival, Perlen Queer Film Festival, and many others.
All of our incredible photos were taken by Mike Brun, a local NYC photographer who works exclusively on film. You can learn more about his work at www.mikebrun.com