So, That Happened
Austin, Texas | Film Short
Drama, Romantic Comedy
When Sheila and Imran meet up after over a decade, there is anxiety, and various forms of tension, but, there is also electric chemistry. While discussing their past and present lives, they find themselves in the unique position of figuring out what their potential future may hold.
So, That Happened
Austin, Texas | Film Short
Drama, Romantic Comedy
104 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$17,407
Goal: $15,000 for pre-production
When Sheila and Imran meet up after over a decade, there is anxiety, and various forms of tension, but, there is also electric chemistry. While discussing their past and present lives, they find themselves in the unique position of figuring out what their potential future may hold.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Austin, TX - The setting for SO, THAT HAPPENED
I have a deep appreciation for real and raw stories about everyday life; from the mundane to the complex. Some may say that “nothing happens” in these types of narratives but, there is such extraordinary beauty in telling these stories. The way we decide to live our lives and the ups and downs that come with that make up who we are as people. I wanted to make a film that spoke to a very organic situation at a particular point in someone’s life. SO, THAT HAPPENED follows Sheila and Imran who haven’t seen each other since college, but when Imran moves back to Austin, an opportunity arises for the pair to get acquainted once more.
I love storytelling, and consider myself to be a storyteller in every aspect of my life. My work takes a lot of inspiration from my personal experiences and different mediums that I adore.I’ve worked at festivals, curated film programs, and created a podcast about a lesser known moment in history; but this project will be my first time taking a seat in the director’s chair, and I couldn’t be more thrilled for this next step in my creative journey.
These everyday stories are mostly seen through the lens of white people, very rarely have I seen slice of life stories from the BIPOC community. The majority of what is made depicts our trauma and oppression, which of course is important to highlight, but we deserve joy, too. I want to get rid of the common misconception that we don’t face the struggles of dating, low self-esteem, work-life balance, etc. These experiences are universal and transcend culture, backgrounds, religion, and more.
I created this short in a way that will have every viewer feeling a range of emotions and deeply resonating with this layered story on a number of levels. The audience will be on this journey with Sheila and Imran for fourteen minutes, and when our time with them is up, I don’t think they will want to say goodbye. Viewers will see themselves in Sheila and Imran, whether that’s in their vulnerability, their conversations, or their current places in life.
Films that represent the tone and style for SO, THAT HAPPENED
I was very fortunate to be one of five recipients for the WAVE Grant given by Wavelength Productions, the team behind such films as ONE CHILD NATION, FAREWELL AMOUR, and ATHLETE A. This grant gives first time directors who identify as female/non-binary people of color $5,000, in addition to a one year mentorship. I am coming into this campaign with a boost, which is essential to achieving our crowdfunding goal of $15,000. Our team is currently in pre-production and working tirelessly to hire crew, nail down locations, perfecting the script, and getting all of our production ducks in a row.
In order to make this vision a reality we need your help! Your support will contribute to building out and paying for a majority local crew, casting, period specific production design, and post production to name a few. After the completion of the film, our team will be submitting to festivals with the hopes to world premiere at a top film festival in 2024.
When you pledge any amount to our film (no contribution is too small), you are helping uplift a story from the Asian American diaspora. You are supporting individuals from a wealth of different communities including women and LGBTQIA+. Lastly, you are supporting creativity, hard work, ambition and determination. We sincerely hope y’all will join us along for the ride.
The SO, THAT HAPPENED team cannot wait to be on set, but we just need a little love before we get there!
Thank you,
Neha
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Casting
Costs $3,000
Paying our talent and making sure the right actors are cast for the roles.
Locations
Costs $3,000
Austin is a major character in this film, and we want to showcase this city right!
Production Design
Costs $1,000
Will pay for purchases needed for period flashback scenes and other decorations.
Share this update!
About This Team
NEHA AZIZ (she/her) (Writer, Director) is a Pakistani-born writer, film programmer, and podcaster living in Austin, TX. She produced COME & TAKE IT, a documentary short about the #CocksNotGlocks and Gun Free UT movements with acclaimed filmmakers PJ Raval and Ellen Spiro, which has gone on to win numerous accolades. From 2017 - 2020, Neha worked at SXSW as a member of the Communications team. She currently works as a Film Programmer and Community Programs Director for the Austin Asian American Film Festival, Features Programmer for the Cleveland International Film Festival, and a Programming and Media consultant for rePRO. In 2021, she was named an iHeartRadio NextUP fellow for their inaugural podcast program; her show, PARTITION (limited series) debuted in August 2022 and has been featured on Apple Podcasts, NPR, The Austin Chronicle, The RepresentASIAN Project, Asian Founded, and more. Neha is one of the recipients of the 2023 WAVE Grant which offers $5,000 and one year of mentorship to first time female/non-binary directors of Color. SO, THAT HAPPENED will mark her directorial debut.
MASE KERWICK (he/him) (Producer) is a playwright and host of the popular variety show (and now podcast) QUEERTOWNE. When not creating award winning work with classic Texas brands like Dell and Whataburger, Mase most enjoys championing the voices of everyday Texans with fascinating and insightful perspectives on the Lone Star State. A staple of the Austin comedy scene, he's been included in lineups across the country - and is thrilled to see some of his own tendencies as a hopeless romantic brought to the screen in SO, THAT HAPPENED.
ALIFYA ALI (she/they) (Producer) is a producer and second generation Pakistan-American from Texas. Their producing work includes the 2023 narrative short film When You Left Me on That Boulevard, which premiered at Sundance and won the Grand Jury Prize for shorts as well as the Texas shorts Special Jury Prize for Vision at the 2023 SXSW Film & TV festival. They also work as a brand commercial producer and has lead creative on various commercials for Sonic, Racetrac, Frito Lay brands, and Indeed where she is currently a video producer on their in-house creative team. They are currently in development on the narrative features ’06/’07 and On Earth As We Are in Heaven with director Kayla Abuda Galang and finishing the upcoming short THE PIT.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Austin, TX - The setting for SO, THAT HAPPENED
I have a deep appreciation for real and raw stories about everyday life; from the mundane to the complex. Some may say that “nothing happens” in these types of narratives but, there is such extraordinary beauty in telling these stories. The way we decide to live our lives and the ups and downs that come with that make up who we are as people. I wanted to make a film that spoke to a very organic situation at a particular point in someone’s life. SO, THAT HAPPENED follows Sheila and Imran who haven’t seen each other since college, but when Imran moves back to Austin, an opportunity arises for the pair to get acquainted once more.
I love storytelling, and consider myself to be a storyteller in every aspect of my life. My work takes a lot of inspiration from my personal experiences and different mediums that I adore.I’ve worked at festivals, curated film programs, and created a podcast about a lesser known moment in history; but this project will be my first time taking a seat in the director’s chair, and I couldn’t be more thrilled for this next step in my creative journey.
These everyday stories are mostly seen through the lens of white people, very rarely have I seen slice of life stories from the BIPOC community. The majority of what is made depicts our trauma and oppression, which of course is important to highlight, but we deserve joy, too. I want to get rid of the common misconception that we don’t face the struggles of dating, low self-esteem, work-life balance, etc. These experiences are universal and transcend culture, backgrounds, religion, and more.
I created this short in a way that will have every viewer feeling a range of emotions and deeply resonating with this layered story on a number of levels. The audience will be on this journey with Sheila and Imran for fourteen minutes, and when our time with them is up, I don’t think they will want to say goodbye. Viewers will see themselves in Sheila and Imran, whether that’s in their vulnerability, their conversations, or their current places in life.
Films that represent the tone and style for SO, THAT HAPPENED
I was very fortunate to be one of five recipients for the WAVE Grant given by Wavelength Productions, the team behind such films as ONE CHILD NATION, FAREWELL AMOUR, and ATHLETE A. This grant gives first time directors who identify as female/non-binary people of color $5,000, in addition to a one year mentorship. I am coming into this campaign with a boost, which is essential to achieving our crowdfunding goal of $15,000. Our team is currently in pre-production and working tirelessly to hire crew, nail down locations, perfecting the script, and getting all of our production ducks in a row.
In order to make this vision a reality we need your help! Your support will contribute to building out and paying for a majority local crew, casting, period specific production design, and post production to name a few. After the completion of the film, our team will be submitting to festivals with the hopes to world premiere at a top film festival in 2024.
When you pledge any amount to our film (no contribution is too small), you are helping uplift a story from the Asian American diaspora. You are supporting individuals from a wealth of different communities including women and LGBTQIA+. Lastly, you are supporting creativity, hard work, ambition and determination. We sincerely hope y’all will join us along for the ride.
The SO, THAT HAPPENED team cannot wait to be on set, but we just need a little love before we get there!
Thank you,
Neha
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Casting
Costs $3,000
Paying our talent and making sure the right actors are cast for the roles.
Locations
Costs $3,000
Austin is a major character in this film, and we want to showcase this city right!
Production Design
Costs $1,000
Will pay for purchases needed for period flashback scenes and other decorations.
Share this update!
About This Team
NEHA AZIZ (she/her) (Writer, Director) is a Pakistani-born writer, film programmer, and podcaster living in Austin, TX. She produced COME & TAKE IT, a documentary short about the #CocksNotGlocks and Gun Free UT movements with acclaimed filmmakers PJ Raval and Ellen Spiro, which has gone on to win numerous accolades. From 2017 - 2020, Neha worked at SXSW as a member of the Communications team. She currently works as a Film Programmer and Community Programs Director for the Austin Asian American Film Festival, Features Programmer for the Cleveland International Film Festival, and a Programming and Media consultant for rePRO. In 2021, she was named an iHeartRadio NextUP fellow for their inaugural podcast program; her show, PARTITION (limited series) debuted in August 2022 and has been featured on Apple Podcasts, NPR, The Austin Chronicle, The RepresentASIAN Project, Asian Founded, and more. Neha is one of the recipients of the 2023 WAVE Grant which offers $5,000 and one year of mentorship to first time female/non-binary directors of Color. SO, THAT HAPPENED will mark her directorial debut.
MASE KERWICK (he/him) (Producer) is a playwright and host of the popular variety show (and now podcast) QUEERTOWNE. When not creating award winning work with classic Texas brands like Dell and Whataburger, Mase most enjoys championing the voices of everyday Texans with fascinating and insightful perspectives on the Lone Star State. A staple of the Austin comedy scene, he's been included in lineups across the country - and is thrilled to see some of his own tendencies as a hopeless romantic brought to the screen in SO, THAT HAPPENED.
ALIFYA ALI (she/they) (Producer) is a producer and second generation Pakistan-American from Texas. Their producing work includes the 2023 narrative short film When You Left Me on That Boulevard, which premiered at Sundance and won the Grand Jury Prize for shorts as well as the Texas shorts Special Jury Prize for Vision at the 2023 SXSW Film & TV festival. They also work as a brand commercial producer and has lead creative on various commercials for Sonic, Racetrac, Frito Lay brands, and Indeed where she is currently a video producer on their in-house creative team. They are currently in development on the narrative features ’06/’07 and On Earth As We Are in Heaven with director Kayla Abuda Galang and finishing the upcoming short THE PIT.