LOGLINE: A passionate actress navigates her underfunded school theater department, growing into woman hood while contending with a new male director.

Lottie Baby invites you into a world of friendship and unapologetic femininity. Living in her own sheltered world, Lottie struggles to accept reality for what it is. Often confused with naivety, Lottie’s faith in humanity usually outweighs her gut-feelings. Following her mother's footsteps, Lottie aspires to be a world famous actress, pushing through her school's underfunded, unpopular theater department. Initially upset by their abrupt teacher-change, Lottie begins to appreciate Nico’s drive and sincerity, eventually acting in Little Women, their senior production. Throughout rehearsals, however, Nico demonstrates predatory behavior which Lottie first mistakes for admiration or believing in her ability to become a star.

Palo Alto (2013), Lady Bird (2017), and Theater Camp (2023) were my biggest inspirations when writing this film. For example, Lottie Baby has the composition and coloring of Palo Alto, the different relationship dynamics of Lady Bird, and the craziness of high school theater from Theater Camp.

FROM WARM TO COOL: One of my favorite filmmakers of all time is Sean Baker (The Florida Project, Tangerine) and he utilizes intense, playful colors such as pinks, purples, and oranges. His colors are so vivid at the surface and the story itself is usually dark and sad underneath. He inspired me to tell stories through color. I want Lottie Baby to begin very warm-toned in the lighting, costuming, and color grading, and begin to transform to cooler colors as the story goes on, reflecting Lottie’s internal battle. The very last scene, however, I would like to revert back to warm colors, giving Lottie the autonomy and agency over her story.

LOTTIE, Lead, 17: Inspired by her mother, Lottie is determined to be a successful actress. She was born in a small town in upstate New York and grew up with her mother as an only child. She has never officially met her father, but knows that he was a director and her mother was his muse. Lottie is extremely intelligent, shy, humble, and passionate. Some would call her naïve, but she would argue otherwise. This positive personality trait is weaponized against her when Nico, her new theater teacher, behaves inappropriate around her. Lottie immediately senses something is wrong and does not feed into it, but she second guesses her judgement, going back and forth on is genuinely helping her become a star or if he is getting close for personal reasons. After Vivian addresses his behavior, Lottie knows it's not all in her head and runs to her mom, who, for the first time, isn't supportive, because the same thing happened to her and she hasn't realized it quite yet.

NICO, Lead, 30s: Nico is a man in his early-to-mid thirties. He is extremely closed off about any personal details about his life, but to put it into perspective, he comes from a wealthy, powerful family. He graduated from film school and has barely made any progress from that. He has a way with words, making his little milestones sound like big achievements. He sees a job temporarily hiring a new theater director at a small, private school and takes it for two reasons: the opportunity to lead and potentially find his "muse."

VIVIAN, Lead, 17: Vivian is Lottie's lifelong friend. Vivian is outgoing, slightly bossy, and very funny. Vivian is practically an extended member of Lottie's family, like that one kid in school who would spend more time a their friend's house than their own. She is always welcomed with open arms, coming over with new movie recommendations, homevideo ideas, and her unwavering support of Lottie. Vivian, like Lottie, is determined and has big dreams. She ultimately wants to be a director.

LORETTA, Supporting, 40s: In her teens and early twenties, Loretta was a famous Broadway actress. She was scouted by Lottie's father and became his muse. She would eventually star in all of his productions, from plays to films, and the two became romantically linked. However, after Lottie came along, Joseph urged Loretta to raise Lottie alone. Tired of being in the spotlight, Loretta agreed. Despite stepping away from acting, Loretta was excited to see Lottie wanting to follow her footsteps and encouraged her all the way.

Bella Rosales, a rising junior at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, is making her independent film debut with Lottie Baby .Concentrating in screenwriting and minoring in psychology, Bella is passionate about telling truthful, female-driven stories. Lottie Baby is a touching story about two best friends confronting a harsh reality. The film aims to highlight issues of sexual harassment and abusive power dynamics that women face. Bella is committed to using her art to create safe spaces for women in the film industry and to raise awareness about these critical issues. By supporting Lottie Baby, you are contributing to a vital conversation and helping to foster a safer, more equitable world for women.

Unlike a typical work environment, the arts often demand a high level of personal exposure and emotional investment, making those involved more susceptible to exploitation and abuse.



TOTAL: $23,950

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Thank you so much,

Bella Rosales