Locus[t] is a 15-minute psychological dramedy and proof-of-concept for the final stage of Leeth’s auto-fictional TRIPtych.The journey began in Sri Lanka during COVID lockdowns with QUARANteen, a verbatim solo show Leeth was commissioned to create for a local arts festival. As Sri Lanka's economic and political crisis worsened the following year, a new meta solo show, GROWTHesque, was written and performed in Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and later, in New York City (where Leeth was awarded Best Emerging Actor at United Solo Festival) and at Stanford University.

The situation in Sri Lanka improved afterwards, but now, having started college in “the land of opportunity,” trouble seems to have followed...

When this idealistic artist drops out of college to chase his Hollywood dreams, he is confronted by anti-immigration policies, strained relationships, and artistic disillusionment. Teetering on the edge of a breakdown haunted by his diasporic demons and battling his alter-ego, he channels his chaos into making a film—racing against time and the system for a chance at salvation.BOUNDARY-BREAKING, this film centers a previously unrepresented cast of brown (Sri Lankan) characters set primarily in present-day Staten Island in New York City: home to America’s largest Sri Lankan diaspora community but effectively unknown to most New Yorkers. The ‘fresh-off-the-boat’ protagonist’s unsuccessful attempts to connect with who he deems “his community” in America reveal themes of cultural fossilization within the different waves of diaspora communities and delve into real immigrant struggles of belonging. These complex dynamics and relatively hidden lives drive the arc of this film.

STYLISTICALLY UNIQUE, this film integrates Sri Lankan demon forms from ancient ritual practices and ‘Kolam’ theater traditions - which have, thus far, been creatively restricted to being depicted with wooden masks and caricaturized costumes from live performances. Locus[t] aims to bring these demons to life by shooting with practical effects and enhancing realism in post-production using VFX. Though set mostly in the US, a few scenes will depict Sri Lanka and its landscapes via flashbacks of the protagonist’s family.This short film establishes the tone, characters, and world of the final TRIPtych installment, intended to expand into

a narrative series or feature film.

Our creative collaborators on this film include Stanford’s Restorative Film Collective, Kehelmala, and The Soul Sri Lanka, while production for this film was primarily financed by Stanford University.

Our finishing budget is intentionally lean and prioritizes fair compensation for collaborators and professional post-production, with many creatives having already contributed significant labor and personal resources free of charge for this production.

Our stretch goal - if we surpass our funding target - will be to first provide basic compensation for the 32 cast and crew members who volunteered their labor freely for the dedication to our mission, and second, to fund the pre-production of the longer-form feature/series version of this proof-of-concept short.

Our film is a bold, community-rooted narrative that speaks to the globe and aims to reshape the future of independent media.

As part of the 'Beyond the Screen Rally', we need over 250 FOLLOWERS to qualify for OTV’s industry circles of mentorship and up to $25,000 in additional finishing funds, which would allow us to achieve our stretch goal: bringing to life not only the FULL VISION of this colorfully boundary-breaking and nuanced story, but also a new wave of truely inclusive storytelling from the heart of America.

YOU CAN HELP us reach our potential: please PLEDGE, FOLLOW, & SHARE!