"After accidentally seeing porn on her boyfriend's phone, Jane questions his attraction to her."

Before bed, Matthew checks his phone, revealing a lingerie photo he quickly swipes away from, but not before Jane sees it.

The following morning, Jane can't help but notice the phallic way Matthew sips his iced coffee. They go to the dog park to look at cute dogs, only to find one humping another.

Grabbing cigarettes before seeing her friend, Jane notices the condoms behind the counter. Smoking on the balcony, Jane hears about her friend Aria's latest romantic escapades.

That night, while making dinner, Matthew leaves his phone on the counter as he uses the bathroom. Jane checks his phone for any more incriminating evidence but finds none.

As Matthew kisses her neck, Jane is taken out of the intimate moment. He notices, inciting their uncomfortable conversation. Jane moves away and questions his porn habits, which he tries to answer, but an emotional distance remains. Jane suggests they try watching together. Matthew hesitantly holds his phone and presses play, quickly cringing with discomfort. Meanwhile, Jane is unexpectedly engrossed.

Porn is so prevalent in our culture, yet so unspoken about. Nowadays, it is more accessible than ever. Teens can find it with a quick Google search. Growing up, exposure to porn without guidance and warnings can lead to lots of confusion and shame for young men like myself.

As I started to form romantic relationships, I realized that my feelings were one thing, but my partner's feelings toward porn usage were a whole other perspective I hadn't considered. How does an awareness of someone's sexual activities, porn in particular, impact your sense of attachment and self-image? This is where the idea for "Private Browser" was born.

With this film, I want to explore uncomfortable conversations around intimacy and sexual expression. These conversations are where different perspectives come to a head and can lead to irreconcilable arguments or breakthroughs of interpersonal intimacy.

At its core, this is a relationship film. It is not pro or anti-porn, rather, it explores the conflicts and questions porn raises.

We're currently in pre-production, with filming beginning in early May.

After our two-day shoot, we plan to edit, color grade, and sound mix over the summer to meet fall festival deadlines.

We intend to screen at festivals across the country, many of which we have pre-existing connections to in New York, Washington, and more.

We're looking to raise $3,000 to make our film happen.

With 1,000 for production, we can properly feed our crew and afford the equipment we need to realize this film's cinematic potential.

With 1,000 for post-production, we can invest in professional finishing processes to set our film above the rest.

With 1,000 for distribution, we can submit to AND attend film festivals, directly connecting with our audience in a theater as films are meant to be seen.

Our stretch goal is $4,000, which would allow us to further invest in distribution, helping the team attend screenings without dipping into personal funds.

Last January, I flew my best friends from NYU to my hometown of Seattle to direct my short film "Third." It was the greatest creative experience of my life. Never have I been surrounded by a more supportive team who fully committed a week of their life to making this story I'd been dreaming of telling since high school. The film has gone on to screen at festivals worldwide, including the Reykjavik International Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Golden Egg Award, and producer Nikki Page and I participated in their annual Talent Lab. That the film has resonated so far and wide is a dream come true.

I had been working on "Third" for so long that when the film was complete in May, and I graduated from college, I was so lost about what to do next.

The first 6 months after graduation have been a mental rollercoaster. Balancing finding work with keeping the artistic spark alive has been a learning curve, as it is for many. My peers and I have been so busy adjusting that we've hardly been making. I want to change that with "Private Browser."

While "Third" was a personal accomplishment in scope, with this new film, I purposely want to scale things back to reflect post-grad constraints while retaining my primary directorial interest: relationships.

In contributing to "Private Browser," you're supporting young artists to get their groove back post-graduation.

How You Can Help

1. Pledge what you can and help bring "Private Browser" to life!
2. Follow our Seed & Spark page and Instagram @privatebrowsershortfilm for updates!
3. Share Our Story: The only way we reach our crowdfunding goal is if we reach beyond our networks. Share our campaign via social media, email, word-of-mouth, or any way you can!

Feel free to copy, paste, and share the template below!

Help filmmaker Sebastian Zufelt by supporting his new short film, "Private Browser" at seedandspark.com/fund/privatebrowser

Thank you for reading and all of your support! We couldn't do this without you!

Best,

Sebastian and the Private Browser Team