After waking in an abandoned school, Grace is greeted by Alice, who claims that they are the only ones left—and that escape is impossible. As Grace explores further into the institution, she begins to uncover a disturbing truth.

Grace awakens alone beneath a silky substance in an empty classroom, with no memory of how she got there. Armed with only a flashlight and a few supplies, she ventures into the abandoned school, searching for a way out—only to find endless hallways, empty rooms, and something lurking in the darkness.

Her search leads her to Alice, another girl trapped inside the mysterious institution. Together, they uncover disturbing clues about the place and begin searching for a way to escape.

But when Alice fatally succumbs to a mysterious injection, Grace is left alone to face a horrifying transformation of her own. As wings violently emerge from her back, Grace embraces her new form and walks away from the bloodied lab—leaving behind the question of what she has truly become.

Visually and tonally, Pupa draws inspiration from Japanese horror and the transgressive intensity of New French Extremity. With great influences from the masters of their craft, including David Lynch, Philippe Grandrieux, and Kiyoshi Kurosawa, we aim to create a film that feels like a fragmented nightmare—one that resists easy explanation but leaves an emotional imprint long after it ends. Through surreal imagery, oppressive atmosphere, and psychological horror, we want to capture the quiet terror of growing into someone new while mourning the person you're leaving behind.

The story of Pupa itself is a metaphor for the painful transition between childhood and adulthood. It reflects a period in my life when I felt isolated, directionless, and overwhelmed by the realization that growing up was something no one else could do but myself. There were no clear answers or guiding lights—only the uncertainty of moving forward and paving a path for myself. 

That feeling of profound loneliness is something I rarely see represented honestly on screen, and I believe horror is uniquely capable of expressing emotions that words often cannot.

Pupa purely uses horror as an emotional language. The endless corridors, the decaying school, and the dreamlike logic of the world all externalize Grace's internal fears, transforming an ordinary coming-of-age experience into something deeply unsettling. I want this film to feel like an unnerving dream, the ones that you can vaguely describe, and still feel the lingering feeling of dread. 

Our mission as a team is to push the boundaries of filmmaking and create a moving experience that invites audiences to look inward, explore their inner psyche, and truly feel.

Our team plans to venture into the dark, coveted parts of the brain to present something not simply scary but truly reflective of human impact on the earth and our own society.

There are dark parts of ourselves we wish to remain unseen; we plan to reveal the underbelly of our minds through lighting and shadow work, architectural and production design, and reduced dialogue to channel an experimental medium. We are currently in the stages of pre-production. This crowdfunding campaign will move the project forward by providing us the funding we need to assemble our crew and start production. 

We need $9,000 minimum to make this film, but with an increased budget we can add production value, enhanced visual effects, and more chances for others to see Pupa.

$10,000: Upgraded VFX - With a small VFX budget, we’re limited in how we can shoot the more intense scare sets, but by reaching this goal, we can bring these scenes to their full potential.

$15,000: Increased Production Design, Props, and Costume Budget - Recreating a dream-like but liminal world is a big undertaking. By reaching this goal, we’ll have bigger budgets for more props, costumes, and production design, helping us achieve an overall richer world.

$20,000: More Festival Outlets - The reality of low-budget filmmaking is that it costs a lot for hard work to be recognized. By hitting this stretch goal, we’ll have the ability to submit to more festivals so a wider audience can experience the metamorphosis of Pupa.

Giving comes in many forms; below is a crash course on how you can make an impact and play a part in independent student filmmaking. 

Give what you can 

Any amount means the world to us; you can make a difference and a direct impact through financially backing the film. 

Follow our Journey 

Follow and engage with our social media, @pupafilm, as we post updates and behind-the-scenes.

Spread the word

We can only reach our crowdfunding goals with YOUR HELP! Yes, YOU can have a direct impact on our film through spreading the word. We need to reach out beyond our networks to ensure our film comes to life. YOU can be the direct cause of making a difference in highlighting AAPI stories and seeing more diversity on the screen. 

Please share our campaign via your social media, email, or word-of-mouth; your help is crucial to our success! 

Here are some examples of how you can share; please copy and paste as you wish. 

Help filmmaker @jae.bit by supporting his experimental AAPI horror film PUPA about a young woman reconciling with the turmoil of growing up and being unaware of the new person in the mirror.  Join them on @seedandspark: Pupa

I just watched the PUPA Pitch Video directed by filmmaker @jae.bit, and WOW, you've got to support this AAPI short film!  Join them on @seedandspark:Pupa

I'm so excited to see the short film PUPA, by Jaethan Marquez, be made in San Diego, CA, this fall!  Support them on @seedandspark: Pupa