Based on the lyrical novel The Geography of Girlhood by screenwriter Kirsten ‘Kiwi’ Smith of 10 Things I Hate About You, Legally Blonde, and She’s The Man, PEACH FUZZ is the story of Penny– a chubby, 15-year-old girl growing up in the PNW, desperately trying to figure out who she is. Which is, as nearly all of us have learned the hard way, a rocky path with unexpected swerves and curves. Penny feels like a viewer in her own life, watching her sister lead a life overflowing with the experiences she is desperate to have. So desperate, in fact, that she makes some bad choices trying to fulfill that fantasy. PEACH FUZZ serves as a reminder that we are not just our most authentic moments, but also the version of ourselves that was lost— the one most desperately in need of our love.

The genesis of PEACH FUZZ can be traced back to December of 2022. Kenna Fojas, our writer/director, was craving a story to tell when she came across Penny’s. After being gifted Kiwi’s lyrical novel The Geography of Girlhood for Hanukkah, Kenna reached out to Kiwi (her friend/mentor) for guidance on how to find a story to direct. Several conversations later, Kenna, with Kiwi’s support, decided to write her own short film script based on Penny’s story in The Geography of Girlhood, later entitling her project PEACH FUZZ. Kenna saw many similarities between her own coming-of-age story and that of Penny’s, culminating in a universal script that speaks to many different experiences of growing up. 

Once PEACH FUZZ was born, our crew came together in an incredibly organic way. Reaching out to industry professionals and students alike, we were able to craft a team of folks with the passion and drive of fresh-faced artists, as well as the experience and knowledge of veteran filmmakers. This energy lead us to the point in pre-production where we currently reside, and where we feel ready to share and promote our film with the rest of the world!

Our mission as a crew is to foster a community-centered set. We believe that centering community in art forms a space that is conducive to creativity and self-expression. Every member of our set is loved, appreciated, and celebrated equally across the board, behind, and in front of the camera.

We are proud to celebrate the diversity of our crew, with creatives from myriad social identities making up our team. Our strength lies in the fact that there is power in combining as many different voices and points of view as possible to nourish and enrich a story together. 

“Often, movies about teenagers are dumbed down with cheap photography. There aren’t a lot of quality art films made for young audiences. But I wanted to treat them with respect, to look properly at that deep, emotional time.” - Sofia Coppola, director of The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation

This story follows Penny, a chubby teen girl, as she tries desperately to figure out who she is. Which is, as nearly all of us have learned the hard way, a guaranteed path to something false, it’s forcing yourself into an ill-fitting box built on being desired. In the clarity of hindsight, we ridicule this stage of life, trying to sweep it out of our stories but ultimately it’s an inevitable and essential stop on our journey. That festering pit of shame and guilt that wells up inside you, is best used as fuel for the fiery desire to try, once again, to know yourself. This film should serve as a reminder that we are not just our most authentic moments, but also the version of ourselves that was lost: the one most desperately in need of our love. Shame, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder; let us collectively soften our gaze.

Penny is the kind of person that anyone can see themselves in because she is the embodiment of real-life experiences that we as a crew have lived through. From the embarrassment of an awkward first kiss, to the vitriol of a fight with a sibling, to the quiet shame of being a young kid and just wanting to be wanted in any room you walked into. People from all walks of life can see themselves in these experiences; they can see themselves in Penny. We celebrate the ugly reality of adolescence and show anyone who needs to hear it that it is worth it to be yourself. We are here to tell the beauty and pain of what real adolescence is like, and to show that it doesn’t need to be glamorous to be worth living through.

We are dedicated to making safety our very first priority throughout this entire process. That includes taking the right precautions in regards to COVID-19, meaning that our entire crew is fully vaccinated and is taking the necessary steps to avoid the spread of the virus while working together in groups. 

Aside from physical health and safety, we also want to be extremely respectful of the mental and emotional health of everyone involved. This film is about coming to terms with one’s agency and navigating the precarious time between childhood and adulthood, which is a process that inherently carries a lot of emotional weight with it. With this project, we want to create a safe space for not only our viewers, but also, in every way possible, for our entire crew.

We extend our sincerest gratitude for your unwavering support and invaluable contributions. Our team is dedicated and passionate, but we recognize that this film is not able to come to fruition without people like you. By supporting this project, you’re not only helping us tell a story that takes the experiences of young audiences seriously and celebrates their journeys of self-discovery, but also fostering the future of independent filmmaking!

If you wish to support us by pledging money to this project, we promise to put every last penny to its best possible use. As a low-budget film, we are appreciative of any amount, as it can go a long way and open up whole new doors for this story.

Our goal is 15,000 USD but more support allows us to compensate our team who is putting massive amounts of efforts to help tell this story as well as cover the total costs of different departments on our production.

If we raise 17,000 USD... we can expand our art department budget and make Penny’s world come even more to life!

If we raise 20,000 USD...we can record high-quality sound and footage with better technology!

If we raise 30,000 USD... we can invest in the editing of our film even more to better execute our artistic vision and we can get the film seen by more people by submitting it to more festivals!

We would love to share every aspect of our journey with you, so follow us on our Instagram (@peachfuzzfilm) to stay in the loop and see all our newest updates, as well as some fun behind-the-scenes footage!

You can also show PEACH FUZZ support by spreading the word and sharing our story so that we can reach as many people as possible who might be interested in giving our production a chance. 

Here are ways you can help us get PEACH FUZZ seen:

1. Follow us on socials :) : Be sure to follow us on Instagram and our Seed and Spark page to stay up to date and encourage your family and friends to follow us too!
2. Spread the word about PEACH FUZZ! : Tell a friend to tell a friend about PEACH FUZZ. Repost our socials and campaign page and help us get PEACH FUZZ seen!

To get in contact with us about our pitch deck or for further support, click here to fill out our Google form and we will be in correspondence with you as soon as possible.

Thank you from the bottom of our fuzzy hearts <3