Self Storage (2026) is a psychological horror short exploring grief, secrecy, and the emotional weight of living a life that cannot be spoken openly.

The story follows Elena, a bartender who moves her belongings ito a storage unit after the death of her roommate and secret lover, Mia. As the night unfolds, Elena begins experiencing unsettling disturbances tied to a pendant and memories she tried to bury.

Set within the eerie isolation of a storage facility, the film explores how silence, shame, and internalized expectations can trap someone emotionally just as much as any physical space.

Self Storage grew from real experiences and emotional contradictions surrounding grief, secrecy, and identity.

As a queer Latina filmmaker, I’m interested in the ways cultural expectations, religion, and fear can pressure people to hide parts of themselves in order to survive.

This film does not attempt to justify harm or loss. Instead, it asks audiences to sit with uncomfortable emotional truths and consider how repression and silence can quietly damage someone from the inside out.

At its core, Self Storage is about emotional confinement and the consequences of grief that cannot be spoken.

Self Storage has already been completed thanks to the dedication and generosity of an incredible cast and crew.

But finishing the film was only half the work. This story deserves to be seen. By the audiences who need it, and by the industry professionals who can help carry it further.

This campaign exists to:

• Pay the cast and crew who brought the film to life

• Cover festival submission fees

Every contribution goes first toward honoring the collaborators who made this possible, and then toward giving Self Storage the meaningful path into the world it deserves. One festival screen at a time.

Our campaign is structured in phases, meaning every funding level builds on the one before it.

This campaign allows us to honor that work and responsibly share the film with audiences.

Phase 1 — Cast & Crew Honorariums

$2,400

Our first priority is acknowledging the people who helped bring the film to life. These honorariums are a thank-you for the time, labor, and resources our collaborators contributed.

Phase 2 — Festival Launch

$3,200

Once honorariums are covered, we begin submitting to top-tier festivals that serve as launch points for independent short films.

Examples include:

• Sundance Film Festival

• SXSW

• Tribeca

• Palm Springs ShortFest

• HollyShorts

Why these are submitted first:

Several major festivals consider premiere status and prior exposure when programming shorts. Submitting to higher-tier festivals first helps preserve eligibility and gives the film its strongest possible launch before expanding into additional festivals and local screenings.

Phase 3 — Genre & Mid-Tier Festivals

$4,000

This level expands our reach into respected festivals that actively program psychological horror and women-directed films.

Examples include:

• Brooklyn Horror Film Festival

• Nightmares Film Festival

• Etheria Film Festival

• Female Eye Film Festival

Phase 4 — Local & Community Festivals

$4,800

Our final phase focuses on regional festivals, especially in Southern California and San Diego, where the film can be shared with the community that helped make it possible.

Examples include:

• San Diego Latino Film Festival

• San Diego Horror Film Festival

• North Park Film Festival

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Summer 2026

• Honorariums have been paid. Festival submissions begin, prioritizing Tier 1 festivals at early and regular deadlines while preserving premiere eligibility. Donor funds are used primarily for submission fees during this period.

Late 2026

• Submission strategy adjusts based on Tier 1 responses. Additional mid-tier submissions are made as eligibility windows open and decisions are received.

Early 2027 (January–March)

• Continued submissions to mid-tier festivals and initial submissions to local and community festivals where eligibility allows. Early festival decisions may begin to roll in during this phase.

Mid 2027 (April–August)

• Primary festival screening window. This period focuses on attending accepted festivals when possible, participating in Q&As, and sharing the film with live audiences.

Late 2027 (September–December)

• Final festival screenings and wrap-up of the festival run. This phase may include additional local or regional festivals and planning next steps for the film beyond festivals.

DISCLAIMERS:

• Film festival submissions are competitive, and acceptance is not guaranteed. While screenings cannot be promised, this campaign ensures the film is given a thoughtful, responsible opportunity to reach audiences.
• An $800 budget for short film festival submissions will typically allow you to submit to between 15 and 30 film festivals (assuming a mix of early-bird, regular, and some smaller-tier festival fees).
• Based on 2025-2026 data, the average submission fee for a short film is roughly $30–$55, but fees can range from $15 to over $100 depending on the prestige of the festival.
• Platform and payment processing fees (~8–10%) will be deducted from the total raised before distribution.
• All funds will be deposited into Kassandra Amador's account as the campaign organizer and distributed according to the budget breakdown. Kassandra Amador will not receive any personal compensation or honorarium from this campaign.
• Any unspent festival budget after the submission season will be redistributed to cast/crew.

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Independent films exist because communities believe in them.

Whether you contribute financially or simply share the campaign, your support helps this story reach audiences and allows the artists behind it to be recognized for their work.

– Kassandra "Kassy" Amador