Sinked Up
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, LGBTQ
"Sinked Up" is a queer female love story told from inside the bathroom - the most intimate room. We start at what looks like the end of the road & flashback to key moments in their relationship... feeling their way from roommate to romance, out of order & out of their respective comfort zones.
Sinked Up
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, LGBTQ
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $9,636 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
132 supporters | followers
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"Sinked Up" is a queer female love story told from inside the bathroom - the most intimate room. We start at what looks like the end of the road & flashback to key moments in their relationship... feeling their way from roommate to romance, out of order & out of their respective comfort zones.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Origin
Morgan: "I was like, 'Fuck it. I'm not waiting for my dream projects.' So I made a short about being a Manson girl. Lexi was my Superstar PA/Anchoring Force. My next idea, which was scarier to me, was a Jill Soloway-inspired film exploring sexual identity. I knew I had to make it with Lexi. I loved the idea of playing her earthiness off of the internal chaos of someone navigating her sexuality."
Lexi: "I'd spent the last 6 years making my own content and it's the direction I want my career to keep moving in. So when Morgan and I started geeking out on the work that was inspiring us ("I Love Dick") we landed on the idea of a female-centric love story that explores the blurry lines of identity."
The Bathroom
I mean, yeah, it's way easier to shoot everything in one location, but we chose the bathroom because it's the most intimate room in a home. The intimacy of a bedroom can be fleeting, but we tend to share a bathroom only with people we feel really comfy with. It's not (usually) the sexiest place, but it is the most vulnerable place.
Morgan: "I was really inspired by the dance my boyfriend and I do around each other during our nighttime routine. I know when to move so he can wash his face. He knows when to move so I can brush my teeth. Sometimes I just sit on the toilet while he showers as we catch up on our day. It's a level of intimacy I've never shared with anyone else."
Lexi: "I'm one of three sisters so sharing bathroom space was an inveitable and sweet part of my childhood. We'd line up and wait our turn to have Mom blow-dry our hair while we'd spill about our days. The very first time I shaved my legs, it was my sister who wielded the razor. Now, later in life, I'll steal away to the bathroom for a private conversation during a dinner party (rude) or share a shower beer while the person I'm dating chats to me on the other side of the curtain."
The Point
This is more than just a coming out story. This is a love story.
The LGBTQ+ community has gained a lot of visibility and acceptance, but we still have a long way to go. Most love stories are still looking at romance through a heteronormative lens. Very few of the queer stories we do get feature women, and even fewer show bisexuality in a positive light.
We're changing that with this film.
The Characters
Elsie is an artist whose ex-boyfriend just moved out. She has experimented with women in the past but has only fallen in love with men. Enter Frankie. Now, confronted with this new, life-changing, identity-challenging love Elsie has to decide whether to come out and risk flinging herself into "the no-man's land of sexuality" - not gay enough for her queer friends, and not straight enough for her family.
Frankie knew who she was in the womb. After being fired from her live-in personal assistant gig, she moves in with Elsie. When Frankie falls in love with her, she has to decide whether being with Elsie is worth having a closeted relationship for the first time in her life. Is this relationship big enough to sacrifice her sense of self and sense of community? How can she navigate that without pressuring her soul mate?
The Makers & Shakers
We're women filmmakers who strongly believe in giving voice to people who are rarely heard. We believe that we can tell this story with sensitivity, humor and bad-assery.
The Crew
We want to hire an all-women, queer-inclusive crew. This will create a safe environment to explore the sensitive nature of the material. These are also groups of people who've been socialized to accept less, and we want to pay these bad-ass professionals what they're worth.
Bonus: They can use this rate to negotiate for fair wages on future projects. #closethewagegap
The Artist
Our support of female artists goes all the way down to set design.
We'll see Elsie's art around the room, which will mirror her exploration and growth throughout the film. These original works have been generously donated by real-life artist, Alie Smith, who explores the female form and identity.
You can have one of her pieces as a thank-you for contributing. Check out our incentives for details.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Lodging/Functional Bathroom
Costs $150
We're using Air BnB to house crew & as our functional restroom during the shoot.
Share this update!
About This Team
The Team
Lexi Pappas is an actor, writer, and filmmaker. Her recent work includes the forthcoming dark comedy feature, Eating Cars, and the award-winning digital series, Us, which earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Austin Web Fest. She’s the Creator, Writer and Producer of several short films and two seasons of a web series. She can currently be seen in the Immersive production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with the Ovation Award-Nominated After Hours Theatre Company.
Morgan Smith is an actor, comedienne, writeur and producer person. She directed the youth theater program at the LA LGBT Center. She played a lead in the comedy-action short, Fork You, which won Best Original Story at the Josiah Media Festival; and a supporting role in the feature romcom, Almost Amazing, which premiered at the Hollywood Black Film Festival. You can catch her at the Laugh Riot Grrrl Festival this year with her female-driven comedy troupe, Macho.
Raechel Zarzynski is a director and videographer. She worked on the crew for some amazing TV shows including Jill Soloway's I Love Dick and Transparent. Her recent directing work includes music videos for Low Hum's Nebraska and Facial's Carrying the Load. She has produced several short films over the years and is currently in post on her short film Five Years, which she promises will be amazing.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Origin
Morgan: "I was like, 'Fuck it. I'm not waiting for my dream projects.' So I made a short about being a Manson girl. Lexi was my Superstar PA/Anchoring Force. My next idea, which was scarier to me, was a Jill Soloway-inspired film exploring sexual identity. I knew I had to make it with Lexi. I loved the idea of playing her earthiness off of the internal chaos of someone navigating her sexuality."
Lexi: "I'd spent the last 6 years making my own content and it's the direction I want my career to keep moving in. So when Morgan and I started geeking out on the work that was inspiring us ("I Love Dick") we landed on the idea of a female-centric love story that explores the blurry lines of identity."
The Bathroom
I mean, yeah, it's way easier to shoot everything in one location, but we chose the bathroom because it's the most intimate room in a home. The intimacy of a bedroom can be fleeting, but we tend to share a bathroom only with people we feel really comfy with. It's not (usually) the sexiest place, but it is the most vulnerable place.
Morgan: "I was really inspired by the dance my boyfriend and I do around each other during our nighttime routine. I know when to move so he can wash his face. He knows when to move so I can brush my teeth. Sometimes I just sit on the toilet while he showers as we catch up on our day. It's a level of intimacy I've never shared with anyone else."
Lexi: "I'm one of three sisters so sharing bathroom space was an inveitable and sweet part of my childhood. We'd line up and wait our turn to have Mom blow-dry our hair while we'd spill about our days. The very first time I shaved my legs, it was my sister who wielded the razor. Now, later in life, I'll steal away to the bathroom for a private conversation during a dinner party (rude) or share a shower beer while the person I'm dating chats to me on the other side of the curtain."
The Point
This is more than just a coming out story. This is a love story.
The LGBTQ+ community has gained a lot of visibility and acceptance, but we still have a long way to go. Most love stories are still looking at romance through a heteronormative lens. Very few of the queer stories we do get feature women, and even fewer show bisexuality in a positive light.
We're changing that with this film.
The Characters
Elsie is an artist whose ex-boyfriend just moved out. She has experimented with women in the past but has only fallen in love with men. Enter Frankie. Now, confronted with this new, life-changing, identity-challenging love Elsie has to decide whether to come out and risk flinging herself into "the no-man's land of sexuality" - not gay enough for her queer friends, and not straight enough for her family.
Frankie knew who she was in the womb. After being fired from her live-in personal assistant gig, she moves in with Elsie. When Frankie falls in love with her, she has to decide whether being with Elsie is worth having a closeted relationship for the first time in her life. Is this relationship big enough to sacrifice her sense of self and sense of community? How can she navigate that without pressuring her soul mate?
The Makers & Shakers
We're women filmmakers who strongly believe in giving voice to people who are rarely heard. We believe that we can tell this story with sensitivity, humor and bad-assery.
The Crew
We want to hire an all-women, queer-inclusive crew. This will create a safe environment to explore the sensitive nature of the material. These are also groups of people who've been socialized to accept less, and we want to pay these bad-ass professionals what they're worth.
Bonus: They can use this rate to negotiate for fair wages on future projects. #closethewagegap
The Artist
Our support of female artists goes all the way down to set design.
We'll see Elsie's art around the room, which will mirror her exploration and growth throughout the film. These original works have been generously donated by real-life artist, Alie Smith, who explores the female form and identity.
You can have one of her pieces as a thank-you for contributing. Check out our incentives for details.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Lodging/Functional Bathroom
Costs $150
We're using Air BnB to house crew & as our functional restroom during the shoot.
Share this update!
About This Team
The Team
Lexi Pappas is an actor, writer, and filmmaker. Her recent work includes the forthcoming dark comedy feature, Eating Cars, and the award-winning digital series, Us, which earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Austin Web Fest. She’s the Creator, Writer and Producer of several short films and two seasons of a web series. She can currently be seen in the Immersive production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with the Ovation Award-Nominated After Hours Theatre Company.
Morgan Smith is an actor, comedienne, writeur and producer person. She directed the youth theater program at the LA LGBT Center. She played a lead in the comedy-action short, Fork You, which won Best Original Story at the Josiah Media Festival; and a supporting role in the feature romcom, Almost Amazing, which premiered at the Hollywood Black Film Festival. You can catch her at the Laugh Riot Grrrl Festival this year with her female-driven comedy troupe, Macho.
Raechel Zarzynski is a director and videographer. She worked on the crew for some amazing TV shows including Jill Soloway's I Love Dick and Transparent. Her recent directing work includes music videos for Low Hum's Nebraska and Facial's Carrying the Load. She has produced several short films over the years and is currently in post on her short film Five Years, which she promises will be amazing.