Make The Wish
New York City, New York | Film Short
Fantasy
Make the Wish is a fantasy comedy/drama about an isolated genie who forms an unlikely friendship with a kind woman, exploring the complex impacts of loneliness and how love is the key to finding hope in what may seem like a dark reality.
Make The Wish
New York City, New York | Film Short
Fantasy
3 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $8,095 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
69 supporters | followers
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Make the Wish is a fantasy comedy/drama about an isolated genie who forms an unlikely friendship with a kind woman, exploring the complex impacts of loneliness and how love is the key to finding hope in what may seem like a dark reality.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Henry is a genie stuck in a torturous cycle: get summoned, grant wishes, wait in his empty void of a lamp, repeat.
One day, Henry is summoned by Janelle, a middle-aged woman who lives alone. Unsure what to wish for, Janelle asks Henry what he would wish for. Henry doesn’t know, and Janelle jumps at this opportunity to spend more time with him.
Janelle makes a wish for Henry’s company, and the two spend time around her house doing various activities, subtly and slowly forming a friendship with each other.
Fed up with Janelle’s avoidance, Henry tries to put an end to her games and asks her to make her wishes. Janelle flips this on Henry, making an unexpected wish that puts Henry in a unique situation, changing the duo’s dynamic forever.
The Characters
Henry is a genie, doomed to live alone in his lamp, occasionally summoned by humans in the outside world. Not overly emotive, he lives his life with a feeling of emptiness inside, as well as a lack of hope that this cycle will ever change. Henry has reached a level of acceptance of his situation and is just trying to get through each passing day with as few problems as possible.
Janelle is a middle-aged woman who spends most of her days alone in her cluttered mess of a house. A kind and caring soul, Janelle doesn’t get many visitors, but is grateful for the life she lives. She chooses to cope with the pain of her past with optimism and by helping the people around her.
Hi! I’m Justin Wilkins, the writer-director of Make the Wish.
In the 2020’s, we have seen the rise of social disconnection and an epidemic of loneliness in the U.S. As someone who has personally dealt with prolonged periods of isolation and loneliness, I know how easy it can be for hopelessness to creep in. In the digital age of smartphones and AI, it has never been easier for people to isolate themselves from the world around them, and being lonely takes a serious toll on people’s mental health. This is a story about love and hope; when I was dealing with isolation, it was stories like these that brought me hope and inspired me to move forward. I hope Make the Wish gives people hope for their future and brings warmth to their hearts.
We will be shooting Make the Wish in late April. The goal is for the film to be entirely finished by August, where the film will then be submitted to and distributed to various film festivals across the world, where audiences will be able to witness the undeniable magic of this powerful story.
The money raised from this campaign will be going towards paying for meals for the cast and crew, filming locations, production design, transportation and travel, as well as additional equipment rentals. Furthermore, donations will go towards our post-production budget, accounting for visual effects, original music, and sound design.
To bring Make the Wish to the big screen, we would need to raise $8,000 from this campaign. However, hitting our stretch goal of $9,000 would bring our greatest wish to reality!
If you are unable to donate, we totally understand, and there are other ways to support this story! Spreading the word about the film’s fundraising campaign and supporting the Make the Wish Instagram page would mean the world to this production!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Catering
Costs $1,500
To keep our wonderful cast and crew happy and healthy (which is key!!!)
Locations
Costs $1,800
To secure the perfect space to bring MAKE THE WISH to life!
Transportation
Costs $800
To cover the costs of getting equipment and crew to and from set
Production Design and Costuming
Costs $1,300
Help us fully realize the characters and world of MAKE THE WISH
Equipment
Costs $800
To fully capture the whimsy of this story using the best resources at our disposal
Festivals
Costs $500
Submitting to film festivals for audiences to witness the undeniable magic of this powerful story
VFX and Post-Production
Costs $1,300
Help us create the add the finish touches to this magical story
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Justin Wilkins (Writer-Director, Editor)
Justin Wilkins is a director, writer, and editor from Danville, CA. As a senior studying Film & Television at New York University, he’s been recently recognized for his filmmaking talent, winning the 2025 Editing Craft Award at the New Visions & Voices Film Festival. Known for his critically-acclaimed short films such as Locked In and Dominoes, Justin is all about giving audiences an experience they’ll never forget. When he’s not working as a video editor for Townsquare Media, he can be found helping his friends bring their own films to life. He’s nothing but proud to lead the “Make the Wish” team, and can’t wait to bring this film to your screens!
Carly Burton (Producer, Production Design)
Carly Burton is a senior studying Film & Television at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where she is also minoring in both Children and Adolescent Mental Health Studies and Asian Film and Media. She is also currently interning with the International Academy of Arts & Sciences and Playground Entertainment whilst also running the Editorial department of Fusion Film Festival. Although her heart lies in writing comedy, she also finds immense joy and excitement in doing production design and producing– a lover of the art of collaboration and storytelling. She can’t stress how excited she is to be a part of the MAKE THE WISH team and is looking forward to collaborating with likeminded artists to bring this story to life!
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Henry is a genie stuck in a torturous cycle: get summoned, grant wishes, wait in his empty void of a lamp, repeat.
One day, Henry is summoned by Janelle, a middle-aged woman who lives alone. Unsure what to wish for, Janelle asks Henry what he would wish for. Henry doesn’t know, and Janelle jumps at this opportunity to spend more time with him.
Janelle makes a wish for Henry’s company, and the two spend time around her house doing various activities, subtly and slowly forming a friendship with each other.
Fed up with Janelle’s avoidance, Henry tries to put an end to her games and asks her to make her wishes. Janelle flips this on Henry, making an unexpected wish that puts Henry in a unique situation, changing the duo’s dynamic forever.
The Characters
Henry is a genie, doomed to live alone in his lamp, occasionally summoned by humans in the outside world. Not overly emotive, he lives his life with a feeling of emptiness inside, as well as a lack of hope that this cycle will ever change. Henry has reached a level of acceptance of his situation and is just trying to get through each passing day with as few problems as possible.
Janelle is a middle-aged woman who spends most of her days alone in her cluttered mess of a house. A kind and caring soul, Janelle doesn’t get many visitors, but is grateful for the life she lives. She chooses to cope with the pain of her past with optimism and by helping the people around her.
Hi! I’m Justin Wilkins, the writer-director of Make the Wish.
In the 2020’s, we have seen the rise of social disconnection and an epidemic of loneliness in the U.S. As someone who has personally dealt with prolonged periods of isolation and loneliness, I know how easy it can be for hopelessness to creep in. In the digital age of smartphones and AI, it has never been easier for people to isolate themselves from the world around them, and being lonely takes a serious toll on people’s mental health. This is a story about love and hope; when I was dealing with isolation, it was stories like these that brought me hope and inspired me to move forward. I hope Make the Wish gives people hope for their future and brings warmth to their hearts.
We will be shooting Make the Wish in late April. The goal is for the film to be entirely finished by August, where the film will then be submitted to and distributed to various film festivals across the world, where audiences will be able to witness the undeniable magic of this powerful story.
The money raised from this campaign will be going towards paying for meals for the cast and crew, filming locations, production design, transportation and travel, as well as additional equipment rentals. Furthermore, donations will go towards our post-production budget, accounting for visual effects, original music, and sound design.
To bring Make the Wish to the big screen, we would need to raise $8,000 from this campaign. However, hitting our stretch goal of $9,000 would bring our greatest wish to reality!
If you are unable to donate, we totally understand, and there are other ways to support this story! Spreading the word about the film’s fundraising campaign and supporting the Make the Wish Instagram page would mean the world to this production!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Catering
Costs $1,500
To keep our wonderful cast and crew happy and healthy (which is key!!!)
Locations
Costs $1,800
To secure the perfect space to bring MAKE THE WISH to life!
Transportation
Costs $800
To cover the costs of getting equipment and crew to and from set
Production Design and Costuming
Costs $1,300
Help us fully realize the characters and world of MAKE THE WISH
Equipment
Costs $800
To fully capture the whimsy of this story using the best resources at our disposal
Festivals
Costs $500
Submitting to film festivals for audiences to witness the undeniable magic of this powerful story
VFX and Post-Production
Costs $1,300
Help us create the add the finish touches to this magical story
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Justin Wilkins (Writer-Director, Editor)
Justin Wilkins is a director, writer, and editor from Danville, CA. As a senior studying Film & Television at New York University, he’s been recently recognized for his filmmaking talent, winning the 2025 Editing Craft Award at the New Visions & Voices Film Festival. Known for his critically-acclaimed short films such as Locked In and Dominoes, Justin is all about giving audiences an experience they’ll never forget. When he’s not working as a video editor for Townsquare Media, he can be found helping his friends bring their own films to life. He’s nothing but proud to lead the “Make the Wish” team, and can’t wait to bring this film to your screens!
Carly Burton (Producer, Production Design)
Carly Burton is a senior studying Film & Television at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where she is also minoring in both Children and Adolescent Mental Health Studies and Asian Film and Media. She is also currently interning with the International Academy of Arts & Sciences and Playground Entertainment whilst also running the Editorial department of Fusion Film Festival. Although her heart lies in writing comedy, she also finds immense joy and excitement in doing production design and producing– a lover of the art of collaboration and storytelling. She can’t stress how excited she is to be a part of the MAKE THE WISH team and is looking forward to collaborating with likeminded artists to bring this story to life!