Social Media 

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @Ripplesmovie to see us shout you out for your contributions! Also, please share this fundraising campaign with anyone you think would want to help bring this project to life. Thank you from the entire Ripples crew.

Plot

Ripples is a fictional short film about Steve Green, a grief-ridden young man on a mission to travel back in time and save his brother, Greg, from imminent death. On his journey through time, however, Steve is linked to a therapist named Lisa, and is forced to talk about the loss of his brother. As the two push and pull, Steve insists that therapy is nothing but useless theory, and Lisa is forced to use alternative strategies to get Steve to open up.

Why You?

The reason this story is so important, though, and why it warrants your contributions, is from what emerges through this conflict—a story much deeper than one about time travel. Specifically, a tale of grief, mental health, and most of all: acceptance.   

This message, though, is not delivered in a way that is preachy, or even obvious to the audience. Instead, it is captured through the experiences of the characters, and the choices they make, rather than the words they speak. By telling the story like this, we unlock a universal audience—a story that can speak to even the most closed off people, those resistant to therapy and self-reflection, because they will not experience the messages we have weaved into the story. Instead, they will experience a human's pain, joy, trebulations, and successes, formatted in a way that all can relate to. 

Why Us?

Since I gained the ability to question the truth of the claims made by my adult relatives, I've feared death. Suddenly, the promises of heaven, seeing all my deceased ancestors, and living for infinity became as unbelievable as Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny. This new disbelief plagued my existence much more than the exposing of any of the fantastical holiday fairies could, though. What specifically frightened me was the idea of losing my parents—a reality that although I never admitted, I knew deep down was entirely possible, as I watched two of my best friends lose their mothers at a young age. 

Then, August 23rd, 2019 came and the most shocking, gut-wrenching, moment of my life occurred. I received a call from my father's parents to let me know my life was going to change forever; my dad had died after getting hit by a car riding his bicycle. 

The following months were consumed with grief, and although I cannot pinpoint exactly where all my emotions came from, it seemed everything else consumed me too: anger, fear, insecurity, depression, and anxiety. I dedicated my time to work, and did everything possible to distract myself from what really was happening in my life. It took me reaching a point so low that I had no choice to look anywhere else but up—up at all the things in my life that the cloud of grief I clinged to wouldn't let me see. I had to let go of a world with my dad, of a world where death meant despair, and see the one that was right in front of me. 

This story not only inspired Ripples, but is built within it. The themes of dying to live and being blind to the world in front of you are expressed through the decisions, actions, and experiences of all the characters in Ripples.

Why now? 

As suicide and child suicide rates increase, as well as rates of loneliness and depression, the American government continues to dedicate more resources to war and military action than they do in the people at home. It is necessary now that people experience a story that shows them there is hope for their feelings of dread, grief, and loneliness in this society that has left them behind. Ripples shows its audience that even though they may not have access to therapy, psychiatry, or community, we can find refuge in ourselves and each other: a powerful message for inhabitants of society who have been left with nowhere to turn. 

Covid Safety

We will provide hand sanitizer and KN-95 masks for all of those who feel it necessary to use them. 

Distribution Plan and Where We're At

Currently, we are in the process of casting the film, and have fully finished the script. We plan to shoot at the beginning of June, and then submit our film to notable and small film festivals. As we get further along in the process, we will make sure to update our contributors on the status of our movie and the timeline of its release, which we will eventually have free online for all to see.