Pineapple Promise
Boise, Idaho | Film Feature
Comedy, Drama
Two lifelong best friends call out their sacred code word and begin a healing quest to honor a promise: finding the will to stay alive. This film blends dark comedy with raw honesty to explore men’s mental health and the power of platonic friendship.
Pineapple Promise
Boise, Idaho | Film Feature
Comedy, Drama
1 Campaigns | Idaho, United States
73 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$22,226
Goal: $20,000 for production
Two lifelong best friends call out their sacred code word and begin a healing quest to honor a promise: finding the will to stay alive. This film blends dark comedy with raw honesty to explore men’s mental health and the power of platonic friendship.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Benny is about to lose his daughter.
Neeve is barely holding on.
They were supposed to grow up and blend in. Instead, they made a promise. In a world where men are taught to stay quiet about their feelings, Benny finally calls the three words he was never supposed to say: “I need help.” Or, in their language: “Pineapple.”
One word launches a chaotic, darkly funny road trip to answer a brutal question:
Can two broken people keep a promise, when neither of them is sure they want to be here?
This Story Isn't Fiction for Too Many People.
Silence is the problem. Pineapple Promise is about what happens when someone finally speaks.
Why a Dark Comedy?
Laughter is always the best medicine. (We don't have a statistic on that, but, we're pretty sure.)
The hardest conversations need a way in, and humor disarms us, making space for honesty.
We're here to shatter stigmas and open doors to conversation, and here to confirm that life is at its best when it's beautiful, messy, lived-in, and hilarious. Pineapple Promise brings the chaotic warmth of Little Miss Sunshine to the buddy-adventure-trip of A Real Pain with the familiar, platonic love in The Skeleton Twins, into an entirely new, deeply relatable, heart-wrenching reality that some promises are always worth keeping.
Without any laughter, it's a lot harder to open up about the truth.
Why Should You Join In?
Because this story is about you, too. If you've ever checked in on a friend (or needed someone to check on you), you get what Pineapple Promise is all about. This isn't just a film, it's a conversation starter. One that can reach people who don't always feel seen, and remind them they're not alone.
We're experienced & scrappy filmmakers, we know how to make every minute count! Here's a timeline of what to expect:
- January - April 2026: Pre-production kicks off! Table reads, casting, and prepping this fundraiser.
- May 2026: Our Seed&Spark campaign is live! (Thanks for being here!)
- May 16, 2026: Our live fundraiser screening event for Dance Around the Fire, the first film in the Pineapple Promise universe. (Psst...tickets to this Boise, ID event are included in our incentives!)
- June 2026: We're kicking it into high gear; renting gear, locking locations, and covering all the shoot scheduling.
- July - August 2026: Filming and production (that's everyone's favorite part, right?)
- September 2026 - February 2027: Finishing post-production polishes!
- March - July 2027: We're on our press run! Spreading the Pineapple Promise to indie theaters, film festivals, and private screenings.
- August 2027: Your chance to finally see Pineapple Promise. (Don't worry! We'll share all the details on how you can see it with our campaign donors & followers!)
Where's My Contribution Going?
We don't even have words for how much we appreciate all the incredibly generous donations so far! But we can start with:
THANK YOU!!!
Hitting our $20,000 production goal means we're officially going to be able to make this movie, and ensure our entire cast and crew are fed, paid, and safe! This also means that we're going to head straight into Phase 2!
PHASE 2: POST-PRODUCTION (Unlocked!)
Instead of our original plan to run an additional fundraiser in the fall, we're going to lock in all the post-production funding now. This means less worry about where the film is going or if it leaves our hard drives, and more focus on making this film the absolute best it can be!
Since our original goal of $20,000 has been met, we're now aiming for a total goal of $30,000 on this Seed&Spark campaign. Here's a look at the totals with our new post-production stretch goals:
- +$3,750 ($23,750 total): Our editor can get the entire film cut, reviewed, and revised.
- +$1,500 ($25,250 total): Our composer gets to work making music magic custom tuned to each scene and moment.
- +$2,500 ($27,750 total): With our music and picture-locked cut, our audio genius gets to smooth everything out and make every moment count.
- +$1,500 ($29,250 total): Completely locked and audibly perfected, our colorist works to bring every scene to life with a brilliant polish.
- +$500 ($29,750 total): We get to hire a photographer to capture on-set stills of our cast in full costume and makeup, and a designer for posters, graphics, and key shareable art to promote and market the film.
- +$250 ($30,000 total): A full render of our finalized film, in a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) format that can be played in theaters everywhere!
PHASE 1: PRODUCTION (Fully Funded!)
Thanks to our generous supporters so far, our Phase 1 costs are 100% funded! Here is exactly what those initial funds (our original $20,000 goal) are paying for:
We're filming this entire movie around beautiful Boise, Idaho with a local cast and crew, and highlighting all the variety and natural beauty Idaho has to offer! This not only helps us keep our expenses manageable, but also gives us a chance to show off that Idaho is a lot more than potatoes. Some things we aren't willing to compromise on:
- Everyone gets paid! Artistic work is real work, and we believe in paying people for their time and skills.
- Everyone gets fed! It's hard to run a camera if your stomach's growling.
- The right tools for the job! Our crew comes with most of what we need, but we're doing this right and ensuring rentals for the things we're missing (and that we have the hard drive space to hold all our RED footage!)
- We're staying safe! Insurance is a non-starter for many of our locations, and there's some pesky paperwork to film inside some of Idaho's state and national parks.
- This film has "a look"! We know that even the nicest camera filming a blank wall looks, well, boring. We need to dress our sets (and our actors).
- We're not faking it! Idaho is surrounded by beautiful wilderness, and this is an adventure-road-trip movie, we'll need lodging for our out-of-town shoot days. We'd also like to ensure some cleaning fees for the locations we're being given for free.
What's Next?
As of May 15th we are officially fully funded for production and we can't thank you all enough for your generous support! Pineapple Promise would be stuck on a page if it weren't for every single dollar, follow, and share given to this campaign.
We're now on the road to our post-production goal of $10,000 to make sure we can get this film from camera to screen. This also means we won't need to worry about crafting and planning another fundraiser during the filming, and would speed up our timeline for getting Pineapple Promise into the world.
If we achieve this additional goal, we'll be on our way to securing funding for marketing, distribution, and film festivals to spread a greater message of what it means to simply ask for the help you need. This mission means the world to us, and we're so grateful to have you all on board with us!
Help us share the importance of men's mental health, friendships, and finding joy and magic in everyday life.
We can't do this without you!
I am making Pineapple Promise because I’ve seen how easy it is for people—especially men—to suffer quietly, to convince themselves they have to carry everything alone. This film is my response to that silence. It’s a story about friendship, about showing up when it’s messy, and about the courage it takes to ask for help.
At its core, Pineapple Promise is a comedy about two friends who embark on a ridiculous yet heartfelt journey. But underneath the humor is something deeply personal: the idea that healing doesn’t come from grand gestures—it comes from small acts of presence. A conversation. A shared memory. A promise. This film is both absurd and sincere—like the ways we hold onto each other in times of suffering. We are creating a film grounded and real, while still embracing a world filled with beauty, magic, and love. Because that’s what friends do: they suspend time, soften pain—and sometimes, they save us.
We’re making this film with drive and intention. It’s a community-driven project, shot locally, built by people who believe in telling honest stories about mental health without losing humor or hope. We’re not interested in preaching—we’re interested in connection. Humbly, and with a belief that anything is possible, I ask for your support.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew
Costs $12,000
We're making art, but these people are also making a living. Wages for our 2 week shoot!
Gear
Costs $2,000
Our crew comes with most of the gear we need, but not all of it. Let's get the right tools for the job!
Locations
Costs $700
We're able to beg and borrow quite a few, but we probably shouldn't steal any. Help us get our locations locked in!
Craft Services
Costs $3,500
A well-fed crew is a happy crew. And a happy crew can focus on great work. Help put food on our table (literally)!
Art Department
Costs $800
We need to dress our sets, and our actors, and we'll need some props, too. (Yes, one of them is a pineapple!)
Insurance & Overhead
Costs $1,000
Help us protect our gear! And our people, and our copyright, and gas up our vehicles.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer / Director: Jack Judson
A published author and filmmaker, Jack Judson brings a deeply personal voice to Pineapple Promise, crafting stories that explore the complexities of human connection. This project reflects his commitment to honest storytelling, blending humor and heartbreak to tackle conversations that too often go unspoken.
Cinematographer / Colorist: Daniel Klamerus
A visual storyteller with a focus on strong narrative sensibility and a commitment to emotional authenticity, Daniel Klamerus brings an intimate lens to Pineapple Promise. With a background in narrative, deeply cutting stories, Klamerus helps translate the film's raw, human moments into something audiences can truly feel.
Location Sound / Post-Production Sound Mixer: Chuck Norton
With a passion for capturing authentic performances and shaping immersive soundscapes, Chuck Norton ensures that every moment of Pineapple Promise resonates; emotionally and technically. His work helps ground the film in realism, allowing the story to connect on a deeper level.
Lead Actor (Benny): Marc Ewins
An accomplished actor with a strong screen presence, Marc Ewins brings depth and nuance to the role of Benny. His history as a comedic performer balances vulnerability and humor, making him the perfect fit for a relatable character navigating the complicated realities of friendship, fatherhood, and survival.
Producer / Actor (Neeve): Victoria Horn
A filmmaker and storyteller with a background in marketing and audience engagement, Victoria Horn is passionate about creating work that connects beyond the screen. Pineapple Promise is a deeply personal project, one that reflects her commitment to truthful storytelling and meaningful impact.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Benny is about to lose his daughter.
Neeve is barely holding on.
They were supposed to grow up and blend in. Instead, they made a promise. In a world where men are taught to stay quiet about their feelings, Benny finally calls the three words he was never supposed to say: “I need help.” Or, in their language: “Pineapple.”
One word launches a chaotic, darkly funny road trip to answer a brutal question:
Can two broken people keep a promise, when neither of them is sure they want to be here?
This Story Isn't Fiction for Too Many People.
Silence is the problem. Pineapple Promise is about what happens when someone finally speaks.
Why a Dark Comedy?
Laughter is always the best medicine. (We don't have a statistic on that, but, we're pretty sure.)
The hardest conversations need a way in, and humor disarms us, making space for honesty.
We're here to shatter stigmas and open doors to conversation, and here to confirm that life is at its best when it's beautiful, messy, lived-in, and hilarious. Pineapple Promise brings the chaotic warmth of Little Miss Sunshine to the buddy-adventure-trip of A Real Pain with the familiar, platonic love in The Skeleton Twins, into an entirely new, deeply relatable, heart-wrenching reality that some promises are always worth keeping.
Without any laughter, it's a lot harder to open up about the truth.
Why Should You Join In?
Because this story is about you, too. If you've ever checked in on a friend (or needed someone to check on you), you get what Pineapple Promise is all about. This isn't just a film, it's a conversation starter. One that can reach people who don't always feel seen, and remind them they're not alone.
We're experienced & scrappy filmmakers, we know how to make every minute count! Here's a timeline of what to expect:
- January - April 2026: Pre-production kicks off! Table reads, casting, and prepping this fundraiser.
- May 2026: Our Seed&Spark campaign is live! (Thanks for being here!)
- May 16, 2026: Our live fundraiser screening event for Dance Around the Fire, the first film in the Pineapple Promise universe. (Psst...tickets to this Boise, ID event are included in our incentives!)
- June 2026: We're kicking it into high gear; renting gear, locking locations, and covering all the shoot scheduling.
- July - August 2026: Filming and production (that's everyone's favorite part, right?)
- September 2026 - February 2027: Finishing post-production polishes!
- March - July 2027: We're on our press run! Spreading the Pineapple Promise to indie theaters, film festivals, and private screenings.
- August 2027: Your chance to finally see Pineapple Promise. (Don't worry! We'll share all the details on how you can see it with our campaign donors & followers!)
Where's My Contribution Going?
We don't even have words for how much we appreciate all the incredibly generous donations so far! But we can start with:
THANK YOU!!!
Hitting our $20,000 production goal means we're officially going to be able to make this movie, and ensure our entire cast and crew are fed, paid, and safe! This also means that we're going to head straight into Phase 2!
PHASE 2: POST-PRODUCTION (Unlocked!)
Instead of our original plan to run an additional fundraiser in the fall, we're going to lock in all the post-production funding now. This means less worry about where the film is going or if it leaves our hard drives, and more focus on making this film the absolute best it can be!
Since our original goal of $20,000 has been met, we're now aiming for a total goal of $30,000 on this Seed&Spark campaign. Here's a look at the totals with our new post-production stretch goals:
- +$3,750 ($23,750 total): Our editor can get the entire film cut, reviewed, and revised.
- +$1,500 ($25,250 total): Our composer gets to work making music magic custom tuned to each scene and moment.
- +$2,500 ($27,750 total): With our music and picture-locked cut, our audio genius gets to smooth everything out and make every moment count.
- +$1,500 ($29,250 total): Completely locked and audibly perfected, our colorist works to bring every scene to life with a brilliant polish.
- +$500 ($29,750 total): We get to hire a photographer to capture on-set stills of our cast in full costume and makeup, and a designer for posters, graphics, and key shareable art to promote and market the film.
- +$250 ($30,000 total): A full render of our finalized film, in a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) format that can be played in theaters everywhere!
PHASE 1: PRODUCTION (Fully Funded!)
Thanks to our generous supporters so far, our Phase 1 costs are 100% funded! Here is exactly what those initial funds (our original $20,000 goal) are paying for:
We're filming this entire movie around beautiful Boise, Idaho with a local cast and crew, and highlighting all the variety and natural beauty Idaho has to offer! This not only helps us keep our expenses manageable, but also gives us a chance to show off that Idaho is a lot more than potatoes. Some things we aren't willing to compromise on:
- Everyone gets paid! Artistic work is real work, and we believe in paying people for their time and skills.
- Everyone gets fed! It's hard to run a camera if your stomach's growling.
- The right tools for the job! Our crew comes with most of what we need, but we're doing this right and ensuring rentals for the things we're missing (and that we have the hard drive space to hold all our RED footage!)
- We're staying safe! Insurance is a non-starter for many of our locations, and there's some pesky paperwork to film inside some of Idaho's state and national parks.
- This film has "a look"! We know that even the nicest camera filming a blank wall looks, well, boring. We need to dress our sets (and our actors).
- We're not faking it! Idaho is surrounded by beautiful wilderness, and this is an adventure-road-trip movie, we'll need lodging for our out-of-town shoot days. We'd also like to ensure some cleaning fees for the locations we're being given for free.
What's Next?
As of May 15th we are officially fully funded for production and we can't thank you all enough for your generous support! Pineapple Promise would be stuck on a page if it weren't for every single dollar, follow, and share given to this campaign.
We're now on the road to our post-production goal of $10,000 to make sure we can get this film from camera to screen. This also means we won't need to worry about crafting and planning another fundraiser during the filming, and would speed up our timeline for getting Pineapple Promise into the world.
If we achieve this additional goal, we'll be on our way to securing funding for marketing, distribution, and film festivals to spread a greater message of what it means to simply ask for the help you need. This mission means the world to us, and we're so grateful to have you all on board with us!
Help us share the importance of men's mental health, friendships, and finding joy and magic in everyday life.
We can't do this without you!
I am making Pineapple Promise because I’ve seen how easy it is for people—especially men—to suffer quietly, to convince themselves they have to carry everything alone. This film is my response to that silence. It’s a story about friendship, about showing up when it’s messy, and about the courage it takes to ask for help.
At its core, Pineapple Promise is a comedy about two friends who embark on a ridiculous yet heartfelt journey. But underneath the humor is something deeply personal: the idea that healing doesn’t come from grand gestures—it comes from small acts of presence. A conversation. A shared memory. A promise. This film is both absurd and sincere—like the ways we hold onto each other in times of suffering. We are creating a film grounded and real, while still embracing a world filled with beauty, magic, and love. Because that’s what friends do: they suspend time, soften pain—and sometimes, they save us.
We’re making this film with drive and intention. It’s a community-driven project, shot locally, built by people who believe in telling honest stories about mental health without losing humor or hope. We’re not interested in preaching—we’re interested in connection. Humbly, and with a belief that anything is possible, I ask for your support.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew
Costs $12,000
We're making art, but these people are also making a living. Wages for our 2 week shoot!
Gear
Costs $2,000
Our crew comes with most of the gear we need, but not all of it. Let's get the right tools for the job!
Locations
Costs $700
We're able to beg and borrow quite a few, but we probably shouldn't steal any. Help us get our locations locked in!
Craft Services
Costs $3,500
A well-fed crew is a happy crew. And a happy crew can focus on great work. Help put food on our table (literally)!
Art Department
Costs $800
We need to dress our sets, and our actors, and we'll need some props, too. (Yes, one of them is a pineapple!)
Insurance & Overhead
Costs $1,000
Help us protect our gear! And our people, and our copyright, and gas up our vehicles.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer / Director: Jack Judson
A published author and filmmaker, Jack Judson brings a deeply personal voice to Pineapple Promise, crafting stories that explore the complexities of human connection. This project reflects his commitment to honest storytelling, blending humor and heartbreak to tackle conversations that too often go unspoken.
Cinematographer / Colorist: Daniel Klamerus
A visual storyteller with a focus on strong narrative sensibility and a commitment to emotional authenticity, Daniel Klamerus brings an intimate lens to Pineapple Promise. With a background in narrative, deeply cutting stories, Klamerus helps translate the film's raw, human moments into something audiences can truly feel.
Location Sound / Post-Production Sound Mixer: Chuck Norton
With a passion for capturing authentic performances and shaping immersive soundscapes, Chuck Norton ensures that every moment of Pineapple Promise resonates; emotionally and technically. His work helps ground the film in realism, allowing the story to connect on a deeper level.
Lead Actor (Benny): Marc Ewins
An accomplished actor with a strong screen presence, Marc Ewins brings depth and nuance to the role of Benny. His history as a comedic performer balances vulnerability and humor, making him the perfect fit for a relatable character navigating the complicated realities of friendship, fatherhood, and survival.
Producer / Actor (Neeve): Victoria Horn
A filmmaker and storyteller with a background in marketing and audience engagement, Victoria Horn is passionate about creating work that connects beyond the screen. Pineapple Promise is a deeply personal project, one that reflects her commitment to truthful storytelling and meaningful impact.