Our story begins at the end. Elias, nearing the final chapter of his life, is enrolled in at-home hospice care by his daughter, Rose. Into their lives steps Jackie, a gentle hospice worker who helps create the quiet conditions for something rare: space to simply be.

At its heart, this is a story about the bond between a dying father and the daughter he’ll leave behind. Elias chooses levity over fear and in doing so, he teaches Rose how to stay present in the face of death. This is a film about what happens when we stop resisting the inevitable and instead, meet it with love. A meditation on mortality, memory, and the kind of presence that makes every breath count.



I've never seen a dead body. Over three decades of life, and I still don’t know what it feels like to see death. Many would call that lucky, but it’s odd, no? I’ve held newborns, celebrated birthdays, graduations, weddings… but I’ve never come face to face with death. Not even at funerals. 

We’ve been trained to avoid it. To not discuss it. To knock on wood—as if silence or superstition will keep it from happening. But it won’t. Death is one of the only truly universal experiences. It links us all—past, present, and future. It’s not a rupture, but a thread that runs through every human who has ever lived. We spend so much of our lives afraid of it, trying not to look. But what if we did?

What if, instead of avoiding death, we leaned into it? 

Soon Dead is a quiet invitation to do just that. To stop running. To sit still. To notice what’s already here. This story isn’t about endings—it’s about what changes within us when we see death for what it truly is—a guiding light.

Soon Dead is part of Theories of Love, a series of shorts about love in New York. Each short explores a different relationship and a different kind of love. Soon Dead is the final short in the series, but the first we're bringing to life. We’re beginning at the end because death isn’t some far-off thing creeping closer with age. Every second that ticks by, dies. Death is with us from the moment we’re born and it stays with us, every step of the way. A constant reminder that our time is limited. I find that both beautiful and reassuring. My hope is that this film nudges people to see it that way too.

A core theme of this short is sitting with the discomfort of death until it becomes something more. To capture that, the film will be intimate and observational, allowing space to breathe. There’s no need to rush when you’re at the end of your life. Every move Elias makes should feel significant, as if it could be his last.

We’ll approach death with the weight it deserves while also highlighting its beauty. Light will reflect this balance: Elias, at peace with dying, will be lit warmly, except in moments of struggle. Rose’s journey will be visualized through a gradual shift. Natural lighting will ground the film, reinforcing death as a natural part of life—not something to be feared.

Filmmaking is a deeply humbling endeavor. It demands time, labor, and vulnerability. Every step of this journey has asked me to give a little more of myself. This is the biggest creative leap of faith I’ve ever attempted (and we haven’t even shot a single frame yet). But no matter how much I pour in, this isn’t something I - or anyone - can do alone. It takes a group of people giving their all. Soon Dead won't come to life without a dedicated crew, and my hope is to compensate them for their work. Your support helps us do that.

$25 might cover a day’s worth of meals for a crew member. $100 could rent a critical piece of gear. $250 can help cover post-production. $500 brings us closer to paying our crew. And if you’re in a position to contribute more, you’re helping make the impossible possible.

We’re currently in pre-production: locking in cast, rounding out our crew, and scouting locations. The success of this campaign will determine whether Soon Dead gets made. We don’t have external financing—just this community. That’s why every dollar, every share, every note of encouragement matters.

If we hit our base goal of $20,000, pre-production kicks into full swing in July, and we’ll shoot over two days in mid-August. Post wraps in September, and we’ll begin submitting to festivals in winter 2025. Prior to the festival run, the film will be shared with our backers before reaching a wider online audience in 2026.

But we won't stop at 100%.

STRETCH GOALS

$20,000 — PRODUCTION GOAL 

Gets us through production with care and intention. Covers the essentials: gear, insurance, locations, meals—and modest but meaningful pay for the artists helping bring this story to life. It allows us to shoot Soon Dead with love, honesty, and focus.

$30,000 — SUPPORT OUR PEOPLE

Many of our crew are working below rate to make this possible. This helps us pay them fairly, upgrade equipment, expand prep, and deepen our post process—so every emotional beat lands the way it should.

$40,000 — MAKE IT WHOLE

At this level, we can give Soon Dead the festival life it deserves. That means expanding submissions, outreach and screenings. We can start finding the people who need this story most.

$50,000 — BUILD THE LEGACY 

Honestly, I'd die. This helps us go beyond the film: to create supplemental materials, host conversations, and deepen the impact.

Beyond the financial, your support also empowers us. We’re telling a story about a subject most people actively avoid. By backing, sharing, or simply reaching out, you’re telling us that this story matters. That you’re willing to sit with discomfort. That you, too, believe in the quiet power of a story about love, death, and what it means to stay present.

If you’d like to share the campaign, here’s copy you can use:

Socials:

I just backed Soon Dead—a beautiful short film about death, presence, and love. It’s a tender, transformative story that asks us to stop running from the inevitable and find beauty in the everyday. Support it here: [seedandspark.com/fund/soon-dead] 

#SoonDeadFilm #SupportIndieFilm

Short & Sweet:

Support Soon Dead—a short film that meets death not with fear, but with love. [seedandspark.com/fund/soon-dead] 

Your support helps us nurture the filmmaking community in New York while our industry continues to recover. When I sat down with my fellow producers, Hailey Choi and A.J. Serrano, we talked about how much we wanted to stay active—to create something meaningful with a crew of people who want to tell stories, even during quiet times.

We didn’t want to wait around, hoping opportunities would come our way. We wanted to build something.

That’s why crowdfunding felt right. Because this is all about community. By supporting Soon Dead, you’re helping create opportunities for emerging filmmakers to work, grow, and be seen. You’re backing stories that don’t shout, but still deserve to be heard. And you’re continuing a tradition of filmmaking that reminds us how small stories on the big screen can make us feel a little less alone.

Death isn’t soft or painless. It’s hard—we’re not pretending otherwise. But we are shining a light on something often overlooked: that even in the heaviness, there can be meaning. Our hope is that this film makes death feel a little less painful, and a little more human.

The world needs stories like this. Ones that remind us how connected we already are. Ones that help us hold the hard things with love.

We’re ready to make this film but we can’t do it without you. The truth is, we’re not meant to. Every human who has ever lived has died. We’re all in this together.

Join us.