LOVELAND
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Thriller, Mystery
If Americans can agree on two things, it’s their love of reality tv and true crime. LOVELAND blends both into one story. A short film about a woman trapped inside a competitive dating show who begins to fear for her life when a contestant mysteriously disappears.
LOVELAND
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Thriller, Mystery
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $20,881 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
106 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
If Americans can agree on two things, it’s their love of reality tv and true crime. LOVELAND blends both into one story. A short film about a woman trapped inside a competitive dating show who begins to fear for her life when a contestant mysteriously disappears.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
We are now aiming for our stretch goal of $25,000!!!
*This will help us with numerous additional post-production costs like color correction and sound design!
When a woman mysteriously disappears from the production of America’s favorite dating show Loveland, one contestant becomes obsessed with uncovering what happened to her — jeopardizing the one thing she came for: happily ever after.
Some of my favorite films center around the trope of the missing woman and how their stories are portrayed in the media. Whether it’s physical, emotional or systemic abuse, films about missing women are often used as a way to reflect a wide spectrum of the female experience.
The genesis of this project began at a friend’s viewing party of The Bachelor — the American reality television series where thirty women embark on a rigorous six-week journey to win the heart of one man, and hopefully his everlasting love.
Some might also characterize The Bachelor as a homogenized Disney fairytale for adults. Yet another narrative presenting a very narrow version of femininity, one to be judged and rated all for the love and acceptance of one man. And like our favorite childhood classics, despite their problematic messaging, we still tune in.
Happily ever after, but at what cost? That's the question explored in Loveland: a psychological thriller about losing ones identity in a system which commodifies desirability, capitalizes on age-old gender dynamics, and exploits our fear of being alone.
VISUAL INSPIRATION
Here are some images to give you a sense of the look and feel of our film.
The Skeptical Outsider
Mysterious and Disembodied Close-ups
Stacked Compositions
Conformity and Repetition
Roses and Surveillance
Underwater Subjectivity
WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP
Your generous contributions will go towards:
- Securing shooting locations and permits in Los Angeles.
- Hiring cast and crew.
- Renting camera and sound equipment.
- Providing meals to our team.
- Submissions to festivals so our film can be seen!
TIMELINE
Here's when it's all going to happen:
- June 2023 – August 2022: Pre-Production
- September 2023: Principal Photography
- October – December 2023: Post-Production
- January 2024 – 2025: Distribution & Festivals
OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT
If you'd like to see this film get made, but aren't in a position to contribute, we totally understand! There are plenty of other meaningful ways to help:
- Follow us on Social Media @loveland.film for updates on every step of the filmmaking process!
- Share our campaign on your social media by posting: “Support filmmaker @sofia.bonami by contributing to @loveland.film on @seedandspark!"
- Follow us on Seed&Spark! (It’s free!) Seed&Spark rewards campaigns for building their audience. If we hit 250 “followers,” regardless of how many people pledge, we'll start unlocking creator discounts, products, services, and festival fee waivers for this and future projects, courtesy of Seed&Spark!
- In-kind services. If you'd like to contribute your expertise or other services, email us at [email protected].
Seed&Spark Receives Only What You Tip At Checkout
We chose Seed&Spark as our crowdfunding platform because of their guidance and unmatched success rate, and because they charge no fees to filmmakers. Your tip at checkout supports Seed&Spark's valuable services to indie filmmakers. By clicking the 'Pledge' button above, you can contribute any amount, and pledge with or without claiming an incentive or revealing your name. You will only be charged if our crowdfunding reaches 80% of the listed campaign goal. Every dollar counts!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location
Costs $6,000
This money would go towards securing a luxury mansion where our story takes place.
Cast
Costs $4,500
This money would go towards paying our actors.
Crew
Costs $4,500
This money would go towards hiring professional crew members.
Meals
Costs $2,000
This money would go towards providing meals to our cast and crew.
Camera & Sound Equipment
Costs $3,000
This money would go towards all equipment needed for filming including camera, sound, and lighting.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
SOFIA BONAMI (Writer/Director)
Sofia Bonami is a LA-based writer/director born and raised in New York City. She is a graduate of Bard College where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Film and Screenwriting. As a filmmaker, Sofia explores the spectrum of the female experience through intimate character studies. Her short film Blackout, inspired by her experience teaching creative writing to incarcerated women, was an official selection at LA Shorts International Film Festival, HollyShorts Film Festival and received the audience award at Nitehawk Shorts Festival. Sofia began her career as a social media intern at A24 in 2013 where she later worked as a Creative Marketing Producer until 2018. Over the course of her time at A24, Sofia strategized distribution and marketing campaigns for films such as Moonlight, Lady Bird, Hereditary, The Witch, and Ex Machina. Currently, Sofia is an Associate Producer on the third Season of the AppleTV+ series The Morning Show starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. She assisted Emmy® award-winning filmmaker, Mimi Leder on Seasons 1 and 2. She is also a 2012 recipient of the Gotham Marcie Bloom Fellowship.
DYLAN PAFFE (Producer)
Dylan Paffe is a Canadian writer, director and producer born in Calgary, Alberta. His films have premiered at the Raindance Film Festival, ACID Cannes, Festival Du Nouveau Cinema, and many others. He is a graduate of the Directing program at the American Film Institute.
GEMMA DOLL-GROSSMAN (Cinematographer)
Gemma Doll-Grossman is a LA-based cinematographer born and raised in San Francisco. She has lensed films that recently premiered at Venice Film Festival (Luna Piena) and SXSW (Scotty’s Vag). After earning degrees in Biology and Film Studies from Wesleyan University, Gemma worked as a soccer coach to save money to book a one-way ticket to Rome to reconnect with her family. She ended up living in Italy for four years and working as a set electric, most notably alongside directors Jonas Carpignano (Mediterranea, A Ciambra and A Chiara), Benh Zeitlin (Wendy) and Joe Talbot (American Paradise). Upon her return to California, Gemma graduated with an MFA in Cinematography from AFI Conservatory in 2019. She has since been a Project Involve 2022 fellow, a two-time Panavision grant recipient, and a cinematographer at the 2023 Sundance Directors' Lab. Gemma focuses on narrative feature filmmaking. Her features are currently in post-production: Francisco Ordoñez's erotic crime thriller The Low End Theory, Seabold Kreb's psychological drama Bury Me When I'm Dead and Matt Hardy's Dogme 95-inspired Bare. Gemma's goal is to make audiences experience visceral, somatic sensations to story and image. Committed to capturing often untold perspectives and utilizing experimental techniques, Gemma loves to explore sexuality, moral ambiguity, and the magical in the mundane.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
We are now aiming for our stretch goal of $25,000!!!
*This will help us with numerous additional post-production costs like color correction and sound design!
When a woman mysteriously disappears from the production of America’s favorite dating show Loveland, one contestant becomes obsessed with uncovering what happened to her — jeopardizing the one thing she came for: happily ever after.
Some of my favorite films center around the trope of the missing woman and how their stories are portrayed in the media. Whether it’s physical, emotional or systemic abuse, films about missing women are often used as a way to reflect a wide spectrum of the female experience.
The genesis of this project began at a friend’s viewing party of The Bachelor — the American reality television series where thirty women embark on a rigorous six-week journey to win the heart of one man, and hopefully his everlasting love.
Some might also characterize The Bachelor as a homogenized Disney fairytale for adults. Yet another narrative presenting a very narrow version of femininity, one to be judged and rated all for the love and acceptance of one man. And like our favorite childhood classics, despite their problematic messaging, we still tune in.
Happily ever after, but at what cost? That's the question explored in Loveland: a psychological thriller about losing ones identity in a system which commodifies desirability, capitalizes on age-old gender dynamics, and exploits our fear of being alone.
VISUAL INSPIRATION
Here are some images to give you a sense of the look and feel of our film.
The Skeptical Outsider
Mysterious and Disembodied Close-ups
Stacked Compositions
Conformity and Repetition
Roses and Surveillance
Underwater Subjectivity
WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP
Your generous contributions will go towards:
- Securing shooting locations and permits in Los Angeles.
- Hiring cast and crew.
- Renting camera and sound equipment.
- Providing meals to our team.
- Submissions to festivals so our film can be seen!
TIMELINE
Here's when it's all going to happen:
- June 2023 – August 2022: Pre-Production
- September 2023: Principal Photography
- October – December 2023: Post-Production
- January 2024 – 2025: Distribution & Festivals
OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT
If you'd like to see this film get made, but aren't in a position to contribute, we totally understand! There are plenty of other meaningful ways to help:
- Follow us on Social Media @loveland.film for updates on every step of the filmmaking process!
- Share our campaign on your social media by posting: “Support filmmaker @sofia.bonami by contributing to @loveland.film on @seedandspark!"
- Follow us on Seed&Spark! (It’s free!) Seed&Spark rewards campaigns for building their audience. If we hit 250 “followers,” regardless of how many people pledge, we'll start unlocking creator discounts, products, services, and festival fee waivers for this and future projects, courtesy of Seed&Spark!
- In-kind services. If you'd like to contribute your expertise or other services, email us at [email protected].
Seed&Spark Receives Only What You Tip At Checkout
We chose Seed&Spark as our crowdfunding platform because of their guidance and unmatched success rate, and because they charge no fees to filmmakers. Your tip at checkout supports Seed&Spark's valuable services to indie filmmakers. By clicking the 'Pledge' button above, you can contribute any amount, and pledge with or without claiming an incentive or revealing your name. You will only be charged if our crowdfunding reaches 80% of the listed campaign goal. Every dollar counts!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location
Costs $6,000
This money would go towards securing a luxury mansion where our story takes place.
Cast
Costs $4,500
This money would go towards paying our actors.
Crew
Costs $4,500
This money would go towards hiring professional crew members.
Meals
Costs $2,000
This money would go towards providing meals to our cast and crew.
Camera & Sound Equipment
Costs $3,000
This money would go towards all equipment needed for filming including camera, sound, and lighting.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
SOFIA BONAMI (Writer/Director)
Sofia Bonami is a LA-based writer/director born and raised in New York City. She is a graduate of Bard College where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Film and Screenwriting. As a filmmaker, Sofia explores the spectrum of the female experience through intimate character studies. Her short film Blackout, inspired by her experience teaching creative writing to incarcerated women, was an official selection at LA Shorts International Film Festival, HollyShorts Film Festival and received the audience award at Nitehawk Shorts Festival. Sofia began her career as a social media intern at A24 in 2013 where she later worked as a Creative Marketing Producer until 2018. Over the course of her time at A24, Sofia strategized distribution and marketing campaigns for films such as Moonlight, Lady Bird, Hereditary, The Witch, and Ex Machina. Currently, Sofia is an Associate Producer on the third Season of the AppleTV+ series The Morning Show starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. She assisted Emmy® award-winning filmmaker, Mimi Leder on Seasons 1 and 2. She is also a 2012 recipient of the Gotham Marcie Bloom Fellowship.
DYLAN PAFFE (Producer)
Dylan Paffe is a Canadian writer, director and producer born in Calgary, Alberta. His films have premiered at the Raindance Film Festival, ACID Cannes, Festival Du Nouveau Cinema, and many others. He is a graduate of the Directing program at the American Film Institute.
GEMMA DOLL-GROSSMAN (Cinematographer)
Gemma Doll-Grossman is a LA-based cinematographer born and raised in San Francisco. She has lensed films that recently premiered at Venice Film Festival (Luna Piena) and SXSW (Scotty’s Vag). After earning degrees in Biology and Film Studies from Wesleyan University, Gemma worked as a soccer coach to save money to book a one-way ticket to Rome to reconnect with her family. She ended up living in Italy for four years and working as a set electric, most notably alongside directors Jonas Carpignano (Mediterranea, A Ciambra and A Chiara), Benh Zeitlin (Wendy) and Joe Talbot (American Paradise). Upon her return to California, Gemma graduated with an MFA in Cinematography from AFI Conservatory in 2019. She has since been a Project Involve 2022 fellow, a two-time Panavision grant recipient, and a cinematographer at the 2023 Sundance Directors' Lab. Gemma focuses on narrative feature filmmaking. Her features are currently in post-production: Francisco Ordoñez's erotic crime thriller The Low End Theory, Seabold Kreb's psychological drama Bury Me When I'm Dead and Matt Hardy's Dogme 95-inspired Bare. Gemma's goal is to make audiences experience visceral, somatic sensations to story and image. Committed to capturing often untold perspectives and utilizing experimental techniques, Gemma loves to explore sexuality, moral ambiguity, and the magical in the mundane.