Scammers
New York City, New York | Film Short
Teen, Drama
22-year-old Mayla, still living with her religious Caribbean mother in Yonkers, sneaks off to a gentrifying neighborhood in the Bronx where her white best friend lives alone in her Dad's apartment. Once there, a charming local convinces them to join an ATM scam that tests their morals & friendship.
Scammers
New York City, New York | Film Short
Teen, Drama
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $3,180 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
39 supporters | followers
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22-year-old Mayla, still living with her religious Caribbean mother in Yonkers, sneaks off to a gentrifying neighborhood in the Bronx where her white best friend lives alone in her Dad's apartment. Once there, a charming local convinces them to join an ATM scam that tests their morals & friendship.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
SCAMMERS follows Mayla, a.k.a. 'May,' a young adult still living with her religious mother in Yonkers. Unable to be herself at home, she escapes to the city to visit her best friend, Jessica, whose more lenient parents let her live rent-free in an apartment in a newly gentrified part of the Bronx. When they meet a friendly local running an ATM scam, what starts as a brief moment of freedom for May turns into a test of morality and friendship.
This film blends humor and angst against the gritty underbelly of city life. May and Jessica navigate the blurry lines between right and wrong — beyond religious and class doctrine. SCAMMERS explores how privilege shapes our sense of morality and the risks we take with our spiritual well-being.
We are shooting on an Alexa Mini with 16mm lenses to capture a filmic, textured look on the full 35mm sensor. Working with a colorist, we'll create a soft, grainy finish as a nod to the '90s films I grew up watching, where I first saw young women like me on screen. This story, set in 2025, where young people still feel trapped by economic pressure despite more visibility and opportunity, will use the digital camera and filmic look to dramatize these cyclical aspects of society for folks still struggling to grow up.
We are shooting December 5th, 6th and 7th. The funds raised will support equipment rentals like a mini jib and lights that will help create our filmic look on digital camera as well as truck rentals, food for our 13-person crew, and post-production color and score. Every contribution will help us create a visually striking short that tells a story about survival in modern NYC.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Gear Truck
Costs $1,090
In order to travel our Equipment from rental houses to our shooting locations, we will need to rent a high-roof sprinter van for 5 days
Equipment
Costs $1,910
We would like to rent a lights and gear to support our style. Shooting the Alexa Mini w/16mm lenses, we aim to let historic image meet 2025.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Anshool joins us as our lead producer. Anshool Pradhan is a third year MFA candidate at Columbia University, studying Creative Writing and film directing. His film industry experience ranges from technical (special effects) roles on blockbuster Hollywood films, to directing indie shorts across three countries, to producing Columbia MFA/MA student short films. Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, his work highlights stories about legacy within peripheral communities.
Our Associate Producer, Leslie Ye, is a screenwriter and native New Yorker. She tells stories for and about women of color that explore how power (and its pursuit) shapes our world. By day, she's a freelancer whose decade-plus of experience in the tech industry spans growth, strategic communications, and content strategy.
Our Director of Photography, Ben Bonwitt-Marsh is a New York Based Cinematographer. He is currently in his senior year at NYU Tisch, studying Film and TV Production. Ben has experience shooting work ranging from commercials and music video work to independent shorts and NYU grad projects. Ben has worked on large blockbuster projects like HBO’s House of the Dragon and has been accepted as a friend of the Association of Camera Operators.
Our Production Designer, Shilongane Nkoana is a designer from a rural area in the North of South Africa called Ga-chokoe. She specializes in performing arts technology; scenography, prop making, decor painting, costumes, lighting, makeup and textiles. She is an MFA candidate for Stage and Film Design.
Meet the Cast!
Celeste Sena as “Mayla.” Celeste is a first generation Caribbean-American actress (AEA/ SAG-AFTRA) and a recent graduate of the Brooklyn College MFA acting program.She has appeared in several projects like Totino's Commercial with Pete Davidson, a short film called Rap Pack starring Emmy Winner Jharrel Jerome and A&E Networks show called UnderCover Life. She also made her onscreen debut in Hilly and Gully, an independent film by Patrice Johnson Chevannes.
Romy Bavli as “Jessica.” Romy is a New York–based actor who earned her B.A. in Theater, majoring in Acting, from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television. Born and raised in NYC, she trained at Stella Adler as a teen and is now part of Sheila Gray’s acting studio. Romy actively pursues theater, film, television, and animation voiceover, and is represented by Harriette Feliz at Arise Artists Agency.
Jahlil Hall as “Trey.” A graduate of the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, Jahlil honed his craft in Acting Technique for the Stage, Film, and Television. His journey into acting began at the age of 12, propelled by a passion to entertain and provide an escape from reality. His recent accomplishments include playing the lead in 'Between Panic and Desire,' 'You’re a Weirdo, Annie Best' and 'The Comic Con Con Job' off Broadway.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
SCAMMERS follows Mayla, a.k.a. 'May,' a young adult still living with her religious mother in Yonkers. Unable to be herself at home, she escapes to the city to visit her best friend, Jessica, whose more lenient parents let her live rent-free in an apartment in a newly gentrified part of the Bronx. When they meet a friendly local running an ATM scam, what starts as a brief moment of freedom for May turns into a test of morality and friendship.
This film blends humor and angst against the gritty underbelly of city life. May and Jessica navigate the blurry lines between right and wrong — beyond religious and class doctrine. SCAMMERS explores how privilege shapes our sense of morality and the risks we take with our spiritual well-being.
We are shooting on an Alexa Mini with 16mm lenses to capture a filmic, textured look on the full 35mm sensor. Working with a colorist, we'll create a soft, grainy finish as a nod to the '90s films I grew up watching, where I first saw young women like me on screen. This story, set in 2025, where young people still feel trapped by economic pressure despite more visibility and opportunity, will use the digital camera and filmic look to dramatize these cyclical aspects of society for folks still struggling to grow up.
We are shooting December 5th, 6th and 7th. The funds raised will support equipment rentals like a mini jib and lights that will help create our filmic look on digital camera as well as truck rentals, food for our 13-person crew, and post-production color and score. Every contribution will help us create a visually striking short that tells a story about survival in modern NYC.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Gear Truck
Costs $1,090
In order to travel our Equipment from rental houses to our shooting locations, we will need to rent a high-roof sprinter van for 5 days
Equipment
Costs $1,910
We would like to rent a lights and gear to support our style. Shooting the Alexa Mini w/16mm lenses, we aim to let historic image meet 2025.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Anshool joins us as our lead producer. Anshool Pradhan is a third year MFA candidate at Columbia University, studying Creative Writing and film directing. His film industry experience ranges from technical (special effects) roles on blockbuster Hollywood films, to directing indie shorts across three countries, to producing Columbia MFA/MA student short films. Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, his work highlights stories about legacy within peripheral communities.
Our Associate Producer, Leslie Ye, is a screenwriter and native New Yorker. She tells stories for and about women of color that explore how power (and its pursuit) shapes our world. By day, she's a freelancer whose decade-plus of experience in the tech industry spans growth, strategic communications, and content strategy.
Our Director of Photography, Ben Bonwitt-Marsh is a New York Based Cinematographer. He is currently in his senior year at NYU Tisch, studying Film and TV Production. Ben has experience shooting work ranging from commercials and music video work to independent shorts and NYU grad projects. Ben has worked on large blockbuster projects like HBO’s House of the Dragon and has been accepted as a friend of the Association of Camera Operators.
Our Production Designer, Shilongane Nkoana is a designer from a rural area in the North of South Africa called Ga-chokoe. She specializes in performing arts technology; scenography, prop making, decor painting, costumes, lighting, makeup and textiles. She is an MFA candidate for Stage and Film Design.
Meet the Cast!
Celeste Sena as “Mayla.” Celeste is a first generation Caribbean-American actress (AEA/ SAG-AFTRA) and a recent graduate of the Brooklyn College MFA acting program.She has appeared in several projects like Totino's Commercial with Pete Davidson, a short film called Rap Pack starring Emmy Winner Jharrel Jerome and A&E Networks show called UnderCover Life. She also made her onscreen debut in Hilly and Gully, an independent film by Patrice Johnson Chevannes.
Romy Bavli as “Jessica.” Romy is a New York–based actor who earned her B.A. in Theater, majoring in Acting, from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television. Born and raised in NYC, she trained at Stella Adler as a teen and is now part of Sheila Gray’s acting studio. Romy actively pursues theater, film, television, and animation voiceover, and is represented by Harriette Feliz at Arise Artists Agency.
Jahlil Hall as “Trey.” A graduate of the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, Jahlil honed his craft in Acting Technique for the Stage, Film, and Television. His journey into acting began at the age of 12, propelled by a passion to entertain and provide an escape from reality. His recent accomplishments include playing the lead in 'Between Panic and Desire,' 'You’re a Weirdo, Annie Best' and 'The Comic Con Con Job' off Broadway.