RED EDEN
Seattle, Washington | Film Short
Sci-Fi, Foreign Film
Set on terraformed Mars, this Thai-American sci fi short asks: what do we leave behind for those that come after us? Supporting this film's last stages will empower post-production workers and VFX artists to work with stunning footage from Thailand and complete this ambitious vision of the future.
RED EDEN
Seattle, Washington | Film Short
Sci-Fi, Foreign Film
2 Campaigns | Washington, United States
56 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$17,886
Goal: $35,000 for post-production
Set on terraformed Mars, this Thai-American sci fi short asks: what do we leave behind for those that come after us? Supporting this film's last stages will empower post-production workers and VFX artists to work with stunning footage from Thailand and complete this ambitious vision of the future.
Participating In
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
RED EDEN is at its core a meditation on grief and hope through science fiction, exploring big concepts like terraforming, self-aware A.I., and speculative evolution.
The film takes place thousands of years in the future, centering on an A.I. named Nong who serves as the sole caretaker of a lush, green Mars. Through a voice recording from Nong's creator, Dr. Dawan Techavijit, a robotics engineer for the Red Eden Project, we discover that the mission to terraform Mars has finally completed after centuries of automation. In a bitter twist of fate, Dr. Dawan informs Nong that conditions on Earth deteriorated long before, and there are no humans left to colonize Mars. Her late creator setting her free of her centuries-long task, Nong must decide whether to continue following her programmed directives or evolve into something beyond what humanity intended.
Inspired by the science fiction stories of Ted Chiang and the artwork of Simon Stålenhag, RED EDEN blends naturalistic settings, grounded VFX, and an unusual mother/daughter relationship across time to explore what it means to leave behind a legacy—and how our creations outlast us.
In February 2025, we filmed on location in northern Thailand with a majority Thai cast and crew. Now, we need your help to bring the world of Red Eden fully to life in post-production.
Taking notes from recent productions like Gareth Edwards' The Creator, we designed the film to incorporate a considerable amount of visual effects to fully realize terraformed Mars in the far future.
Filmmaking, like terraforming, is a process that takes a lot of time and resources.
Especially now in a tumultuous time for the industry, independent filmmaking relies on community support. Post-production—especially high-quality VFX—is expensive, and we want to ensure that Red Eden achieves the cinematic quality it deserves.
Every contribution, no matter the size, helps us bring this story to life. Even if you can’t support with funds, sharing this campaign with your friends and networks is just as valuable!
We are making Red Eden because we want to see a different kind of future on screen—
one shaped by Thai culture, not just Western sci-fi tropes. Several members of the crew grew up back and forth between these sides of our world, and this film is an articulation of that immigrant experience, coded in a genre we love.
We think audiences are hungry for something more out of sci fi stories—ones that are meditative, grounded, and culturally specific. That’s what Red Eden aims to be. And we believe if we tell this story with care, it will resonate far beyond the short runtime.
We've projected a finishing budget of $35,000. Every dollar contributed will go directly into post-production.
We must hit 80% of our goal in order to receive any funds.
Our budget will fund:
- VFX: An honorarium for our team of VFX artists to go through the extensive process of augmenting our live action footage, including painting out buildings and wires, rotoscoping, motion tracking, 3D model design, 3D rigging, and compositing. This is an essential process for augmenting Nong with robotic features, enhancing the landscapes, and bringing Mars to life.
- Color Grading: Elevating the cinematography combined with composited VFX and crafting the film’s distinct visual tone.
- Voice Over Casting: Giving the role of Dr. Dawan a distinct voice as an older Thai woman, and potentially further casting for other translations.
- Original Score: A rich, atmospheric score to deepen the film’s emotional impact.
- Sound Design & Audio Mix: Creating a lush and balanced soundscape that sonically transports audiences to terraformed Mars.
- Festival Fees: Ensuring Red Eden reaches audiences worldwide by submitting to top-tier film festivals.
Reaching this goal is the bare minimum for VFX artists to work on the project at a slow pace between commercial projects.
If we can surpass this goal, we can provide closer to standard rates for VFX, or provide honorarium for more VFX artists, and potentially expedite the post process so the film can release sooner.
$52,500: Additional honorarium for VFX artists, expedited work for a 2026 release.
$70,000: Double honorarium for VFX artists, or closer to standard rate for existing VFX team, expedited work for a 2025 release.
Our project has assembled an impressive roster of filmmakers spanning two continents. Our producer Marisa Marchitelli and the production crew in Thailand have had extensive experience producing shorts, features, and episodics in the region, while the post-production and VFX team in Seattle have been frequent collaborators spanning commercial work, music videos, and narrative shorts. Red Eden reunites several collaborators from Champ's previous documentary short film funded through Seed & Spark, Yai Nin.
Can’t contribute financially? No problem! You can still support Red Eden by:
✔️ Sharing this campaign on social media, email, or word of mouth.
✔️ Following us on Seed&Spark – More followers = better campaign reach and eligibility for further support through the AAPI Renaissance Rally
✔️ Spreading the word to sci-fi fans and film lovers who might be interested!
THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE RED EDEN PROJECT!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Color Grading
Costs $1,650
Professional color correction ensures the film’s tone and visuals feel polished, cinematic, and cohesive with our VFX.
Sound Design and Audio Mix
Costs $3,650
Sound immerses the audience in the world of Red Eden, from terraformed Mars winds to subtle robotic whirs.
Original Score
Costs $1,500
A minimal but focused original score to build emotional weight, especially in key narrative moments like the final sequence.
Visual Effects
Costs $25,200
Enables worldbuilding through background extensions, robotic enhancements, and environmental VFX.
Voice Over Casting
Costs $1,500
Covers voice talent, studio rental, and direction for a Thai VO segment to enhance narrative depth or bilingual context.
Share this update!
About This Team
Champ Ensminger
Writer/Director/Producer
Champ is a Thai American filmmaker born in Chiang Mai and raised in Spokane, Washington. Champ began his career hustling restaurant jobs in New York City while interning at Vimeo and the agency m ss ng p eces. After a few years of various work on commercials, branded documentaries, and music videos, Champ brought his filmmaking back to Chiang Mai in 2013. He spent time as a volunteer and instructor at Documentary Arts Asia, a non-profit aimed at highlighting the work of Asia-based photographers and filmmakers. He now works out of Seattle as a freelance editor, after 7 years being part of the team at the production company World Famous, making content for companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and T-Mobile. Champ's personal filmmaking continues to draw him back to his home country, where his award-winning documentary short YAI NIN (2020) was made thanks to funding from Seed & Spark.
Marisa Marchitelli
Producer/Director of Photography
Marisa is a Thai-Italian-American filmmaker, photographer, and writer based in Chiang Mai, where she has spent over a decade documenting Northern Thailand’s disappearing heritage, environmental challenges, and rich cultural traditions. With a background in television and formal training in Visual Media and Photography from American University and the School of Visual Arts in New York, Marisa brings a refined cinematic eye to every project. Her documentary Smoke: A Crisis in Northern Thailand showcases her investigative focus on regional environmental issues, while her work as Director of Photography on Netflix’s Orgasm Inc. reflects her versatility across formats. For Red Eden, Marisa drew on her deep familiarity with Chiang Dao’s landscapes and communities to help shape the film’s unique visual language and grounded, place-based storytelling.
Rogelio Salinas
VFX Supervisor
Rogelio Salinas is a seasoned VFX Supervisor, digital artist, and filmmaker with over 15 years of experience in the visual effects industry. He is the founder of LightBuddy Studios in Seattle, a boutique VFX and motion design studio specializing in commercials, film, and television. His work encompasses a range of projects, from short films and features, to music videos and branded content. Holding an MFA in Film Production from the University of Texas at Austin, Rogelio brings a filmmaker’s eye to visual effects, ensuring seamless integration of storytelling and digital artistry. His expertise in VFX-augmented live action production was instrumental in our production approach for Red Eden.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
RED EDEN is at its core a meditation on grief and hope through science fiction, exploring big concepts like terraforming, self-aware A.I., and speculative evolution.
The film takes place thousands of years in the future, centering on an A.I. named Nong who serves as the sole caretaker of a lush, green Mars. Through a voice recording from Nong's creator, Dr. Dawan Techavijit, a robotics engineer for the Red Eden Project, we discover that the mission to terraform Mars has finally completed after centuries of automation. In a bitter twist of fate, Dr. Dawan informs Nong that conditions on Earth deteriorated long before, and there are no humans left to colonize Mars. Her late creator setting her free of her centuries-long task, Nong must decide whether to continue following her programmed directives or evolve into something beyond what humanity intended.
Inspired by the science fiction stories of Ted Chiang and the artwork of Simon Stålenhag, RED EDEN blends naturalistic settings, grounded VFX, and an unusual mother/daughter relationship across time to explore what it means to leave behind a legacy—and how our creations outlast us.
In February 2025, we filmed on location in northern Thailand with a majority Thai cast and crew. Now, we need your help to bring the world of Red Eden fully to life in post-production.
Taking notes from recent productions like Gareth Edwards' The Creator, we designed the film to incorporate a considerable amount of visual effects to fully realize terraformed Mars in the far future.
Filmmaking, like terraforming, is a process that takes a lot of time and resources.
Especially now in a tumultuous time for the industry, independent filmmaking relies on community support. Post-production—especially high-quality VFX—is expensive, and we want to ensure that Red Eden achieves the cinematic quality it deserves.
Every contribution, no matter the size, helps us bring this story to life. Even if you can’t support with funds, sharing this campaign with your friends and networks is just as valuable!
We are making Red Eden because we want to see a different kind of future on screen—
one shaped by Thai culture, not just Western sci-fi tropes. Several members of the crew grew up back and forth between these sides of our world, and this film is an articulation of that immigrant experience, coded in a genre we love.
We think audiences are hungry for something more out of sci fi stories—ones that are meditative, grounded, and culturally specific. That’s what Red Eden aims to be. And we believe if we tell this story with care, it will resonate far beyond the short runtime.
We've projected a finishing budget of $35,000. Every dollar contributed will go directly into post-production.
We must hit 80% of our goal in order to receive any funds.
Our budget will fund:
- VFX: An honorarium for our team of VFX artists to go through the extensive process of augmenting our live action footage, including painting out buildings and wires, rotoscoping, motion tracking, 3D model design, 3D rigging, and compositing. This is an essential process for augmenting Nong with robotic features, enhancing the landscapes, and bringing Mars to life.
- Color Grading: Elevating the cinematography combined with composited VFX and crafting the film’s distinct visual tone.
- Voice Over Casting: Giving the role of Dr. Dawan a distinct voice as an older Thai woman, and potentially further casting for other translations.
- Original Score: A rich, atmospheric score to deepen the film’s emotional impact.
- Sound Design & Audio Mix: Creating a lush and balanced soundscape that sonically transports audiences to terraformed Mars.
- Festival Fees: Ensuring Red Eden reaches audiences worldwide by submitting to top-tier film festivals.
Reaching this goal is the bare minimum for VFX artists to work on the project at a slow pace between commercial projects.
If we can surpass this goal, we can provide closer to standard rates for VFX, or provide honorarium for more VFX artists, and potentially expedite the post process so the film can release sooner.
$52,500: Additional honorarium for VFX artists, expedited work for a 2026 release.
$70,000: Double honorarium for VFX artists, or closer to standard rate for existing VFX team, expedited work for a 2025 release.
Our project has assembled an impressive roster of filmmakers spanning two continents. Our producer Marisa Marchitelli and the production crew in Thailand have had extensive experience producing shorts, features, and episodics in the region, while the post-production and VFX team in Seattle have been frequent collaborators spanning commercial work, music videos, and narrative shorts. Red Eden reunites several collaborators from Champ's previous documentary short film funded through Seed & Spark, Yai Nin.
Can’t contribute financially? No problem! You can still support Red Eden by:
✔️ Sharing this campaign on social media, email, or word of mouth.
✔️ Following us on Seed&Spark – More followers = better campaign reach and eligibility for further support through the AAPI Renaissance Rally
✔️ Spreading the word to sci-fi fans and film lovers who might be interested!
THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE RED EDEN PROJECT!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Color Grading
Costs $1,650
Professional color correction ensures the film’s tone and visuals feel polished, cinematic, and cohesive with our VFX.
Sound Design and Audio Mix
Costs $3,650
Sound immerses the audience in the world of Red Eden, from terraformed Mars winds to subtle robotic whirs.
Original Score
Costs $1,500
A minimal but focused original score to build emotional weight, especially in key narrative moments like the final sequence.
Visual Effects
Costs $25,200
Enables worldbuilding through background extensions, robotic enhancements, and environmental VFX.
Voice Over Casting
Costs $1,500
Covers voice talent, studio rental, and direction for a Thai VO segment to enhance narrative depth or bilingual context.
Share this update!
About This Team
Champ Ensminger
Writer/Director/Producer
Champ is a Thai American filmmaker born in Chiang Mai and raised in Spokane, Washington. Champ began his career hustling restaurant jobs in New York City while interning at Vimeo and the agency m ss ng p eces. After a few years of various work on commercials, branded documentaries, and music videos, Champ brought his filmmaking back to Chiang Mai in 2013. He spent time as a volunteer and instructor at Documentary Arts Asia, a non-profit aimed at highlighting the work of Asia-based photographers and filmmakers. He now works out of Seattle as a freelance editor, after 7 years being part of the team at the production company World Famous, making content for companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and T-Mobile. Champ's personal filmmaking continues to draw him back to his home country, where his award-winning documentary short YAI NIN (2020) was made thanks to funding from Seed & Spark.
Marisa Marchitelli
Producer/Director of Photography
Marisa is a Thai-Italian-American filmmaker, photographer, and writer based in Chiang Mai, where she has spent over a decade documenting Northern Thailand’s disappearing heritage, environmental challenges, and rich cultural traditions. With a background in television and formal training in Visual Media and Photography from American University and the School of Visual Arts in New York, Marisa brings a refined cinematic eye to every project. Her documentary Smoke: A Crisis in Northern Thailand showcases her investigative focus on regional environmental issues, while her work as Director of Photography on Netflix’s Orgasm Inc. reflects her versatility across formats. For Red Eden, Marisa drew on her deep familiarity with Chiang Dao’s landscapes and communities to help shape the film’s unique visual language and grounded, place-based storytelling.
Rogelio Salinas
VFX Supervisor
Rogelio Salinas is a seasoned VFX Supervisor, digital artist, and filmmaker with over 15 years of experience in the visual effects industry. He is the founder of LightBuddy Studios in Seattle, a boutique VFX and motion design studio specializing in commercials, film, and television. His work encompasses a range of projects, from short films and features, to music videos and branded content. Holding an MFA in Film Production from the University of Texas at Austin, Rogelio brings a filmmaker’s eye to visual effects, ensuring seamless integration of storytelling and digital artistry. His expertise in VFX-augmented live action production was instrumental in our production approach for Red Eden.