Starflare
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Fantasy, Romance
Magic is fading. Disease spreads. The system meant to protect us is the one letting us die. This romantasy short asks what we owe the people we love...and what happens when a girl raised to follow the rules decides not to. Help us put women at the helm of the genre.
Starflare
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Fantasy, Romance
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $21,118 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
75 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Magic is fading. Disease spreads. The system meant to protect us is the one letting us die. This romantasy short asks what we owe the people we love...and what happens when a girl raised to follow the rules decides not to. Help us put women at the helm of the genre.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Once upon a time...
I grew up in a world that taught me to trust the systems around me. But as I got older, I started to see cracks - in government, education, healthcare, etc - institutions that so often fail the people they’re meant to protect. Fantasy was the first place I felt permission to question that. It slipped past the rules of my world, showing me heroines who were passionate and complex, men who were supportive and tender, and ordinary people fighting for something bigger than themselves. These stories reminded me that love and courage must coexist; because to truly love, we have to be brave enough to act, even when we’re afraid.
This short film was born in a season when the world felt like it was on fire - literally, as wildfires raged in LA, and figuratively, as our country grew more divided and angry. Change felt slow, even impossible at times. But more than grief, this story came from hope. Hope that even in moments of betrayal, we can choose connection. Hope that even in broken systems, people can still save each other in small and profound ways.
At its heart, this is a story about a young woman realizing the world she trusted wasn’t built to protect her. A young man who sees her strength even before she does. About the kind of loyalty that asks: What would you risk for someone you love? It’s a romantasy - full of stolen dragon eggs and a crumbling kingdom - but beneath the magic is something deeply human: the fear of losing what we love and the choice to act anyway.
This is also a love letter to women-led stories. To heroines who are fierce and flawed. To romance that feels as vital as any battle. And to the belief that women should lead not only on the page but behind the camera. Romantasy is having a cultural moment. Let’s make sure women’s voices are the ones shaping it.
This film is for anyone who’s felt disillusioned by the systems around them, yet still believes in magic, connection, and the quiet power of ordinary people to create change.
The Story
Synopsis: Magic is fading from the kingdom of Alendar, and a disease known as the Pale Death claims lives with each passing day. Vera, the ambitious daughter of the king’s advisor, risks everything to deliver a stolen dragon egg - a final hope for her crumbling world. Alongside Damien, the king’s alluring tracker, she discovers the closer you get to the truth, the harder it is to turn back.
Main Characters
The Hearts that Hold the Story
VERA - Daughter to the King's most trusted advisor
Headstrong. Quick-witted. Loyal. Vera was raised in the castle’s gilded cage, trained in diplomacy and combat. Grief over losing her sister to the Pale Death - a fatal sickness with no known cure - has cracked something open in her. For the first time, Vera is ready to risk everything, even her life, to protect the people she loves. But the outside world is ruthless and untamed. And it doesn’t care how brave she is.
Vera will be played by Laura Ricci.
DAMIEN - Royal Tracker
Charming. Razor-sharp. Surprisingly tender. As the kingdom’s most skilled tracker, Damien follows trails others miss - whether it’s people, lost relics, or knowledge. Beneath the easy grin and playful banter lies a mind always working, calculating risks and consequences. His “will they, won’t they” friendship with Vera has been a long game of stolen glances and moments of vulnerability. But with danger closing in, Damien must confront how far he’s willing to go to keep her safe...and what it might cost them both.
Damien has yet to be cast. Think Diego Luna, Steven Yeun, Michael B. Jordan
Style/Setting
Crafting the Magic
 (1).png)
Starflare has the heart of The Princess Bride, with the fierceness of Game of Thrones, in an intimate setting like the forests of Ever After.
This world is expansive but suffering - magic has seeped from the soil, leaving forests raw and untamed. Shooting entirely outdoors in the Los Angeles wilderness allows us to ground the fantasy in realism. Unlike the classic lush, fairytale forests we normally see in this genre, Starflare embraces a wilder, harsher landscape; one that feels both intimate and epic. Late autumn in LA brings a layered beauty to our set with sun-bleached grass, muted greens, and the sense of history and urgency. The setting is a character too, haunted by what it's lost and bearing witness to the resilience of those who remain.
Why now?
Women are underrepresented behind the camera.
In 2022, women directed only 18% of Hollywood’s top-grosing films, and make up just 24% of key creative roles across top streaming movies.* When you think about your favorite fantasy or romance films, how many of those were directed by women?
*Source: The Celluloid Ceiling Report
Romantasy is in demand.
Romantasy is is more than a trend - it’s a movement. In 2024 alone, the genre generated over $610 million in sales (up 35% from the previous year).** And with 20-50% of Hollywood films being book adaptations any given year, we’re poised to see more romantasy on screen in the years ahead.***
If you’re a fan of the genre, supporting Starflare is a way to shape what that future looks like. It’s not just about more magic and romance - it’s about who gets to tell the stories. Backing this film says yes to female writers, women-led creative teams, and storytelling that centers emotional stakes, deep relationships, and the themes we care about most.
Your support gives our team the credibility to keep building - and brings us one step closer to a world where women-led romantasy isn’t the exception. It’s the standard.
Sources: **Bloomberg, ***Dartmouth
The film industry has been struggling.
Between the pandemic, the strikes, and rapid shifts in tech and distribution models, many artists are navigating not just instability - but a full-blown industry contraction. Your pledge helps working artists reclaim their creative agency and continue making bold, meaningful stories. What makes this project special is how much creative freedom it gives the team. Artists from every department have the chance to build something original—imagining textures, symbols, and styles that don’t exist yet. That kind of creative challenge is rare, and it’s why people want to be part of a film like this. Your pledge makes that possible.
Where Your Coin Goes
AKA...the budget
Goal = $25,000
(see the breakdown below, and on our Wishlist page)
Stretch Goal = $28,000
(better equipment, better post, more festival fees)
Other Ways to Support
If you'd like to aid us on our filmmaking quest but aren't able to contribute financially, there are many other ways to show your support!
- Follow @starflare_film on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes.
- Share our campaign with your circles! Talk to your friends, share on your socials, and inspire others to pledge.
- Follow us here on Seed&Spark! Its free and hitting certain follower counts unlocks specials deals for us like gear rental and discounted festival fees.
- In-kind services. If you'd like to contribute your expertise or services, please reach out to us at [email protected]
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast
Costs $2,000
This is a SAG production and our actors/stunt performers will be paid SAG rates.
Crew
Costs $6,800
Pays a fair rate for our production professionals on set (sound, lighting, camera, hair/makeup, etc)
Equipment
Costs $4,700
Goes towards renting cameras, microphones, hard drives, as well as production design such as props and costumes.
Post-Production
Costs $5,000
Once principal photography wraps, its time to edit, color, audio, mixing, and compose a soundtrack to bring all the elements to life.
Location/Insurance
Costs $3,000
Covers the cost of shooting in nature including permits and insurance.
Food
Costs $1,000
There will be 10-15 people on set most days, for 10-12 hours a day. It takes a lot of food and coffee to keep spirits up!
Festival Fees/Advertising/Contingency
Costs $2,500
Get this film to audiences! Festival fees, a poster/trailer will help us find our people.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Laura Ricci (Writer, Producer, Vera)
Laura Ricci is an actor and storyteller with a passion for exploring transformation, the human condition, and how we love. She holds dual BAs in Theater and Communication from The College of St. Benedict. She has acted in nearly 50 stage productions spanning Shakespeare, Jane Austen adaptations, new works, musicals, and improvisation, in addition to touring nationally for young audiences. On screen, she has appeared in over 20 indie films and commercials for brands such as Best Buy, Target, and AT&T.
Her writing spans genres and formats, including a stage play, sketch comedy, a comedy short film, and a holiday romance novel. Laura recently lent her voice to the YA fantasy audiobook Flicker of Defiance.
With Starflare, Laura brings her experience and ethos as a multi-hyphenate creative to the screen - crafting women-led stories that balance sweeping romance with emotional depth.
 (1) (1).jpg)
Christine Chen (Director)
Christine Chen is an Academy-qualified film director and writer specializing in narrative storytelling and commercial work. Her passion for filmmaking began in 1993, the moment she picked up an early-edition VHS camcorder. Christine holds a B.A. from Rice University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business.
Her work has been featured at renowned festivals including HollyShorts, the New Orleans Film Festival, and Fantasia Film Festival. Her most recent feature film, Erzulie, enjoyed a limited theatrical release in May 2022 and became available on VOD starting June 14, 2022, through Kamikaze Dogfight Films and Gravitas Ventures.
Christine is also the co-author of Get Reelisms, a practical guide designed to demystify the filmmaking process for aspiring creatives, and the host of the Get Reelisms Podcast.
Emma Steiger (Producer)
Emma Steiger is a multifaceted filmmaker and storyteller known for crafting emotionally resonant, character-driven narratives. Daughter of writer Joel Steiger (MATLOCK, PERRY MASON, DIAGNOSIS: MURDER), Emma’s artistic spirit has inspired a life of creativity.
As a Junior Executive at Billy Magnussen’s HappyBad Bungalow, she has honed her ability to develop and produce compelling content. In 2024, she was named 'Best Producer' by the New York International Women’s Film Festival for RUNAWAYS. Her latest project, Wait to Tell Mother—which she wrote, directed, produced, and starred in—premiered at Dances With Films: NY, and recently won the Audience Choice Award at Nitehawk Shorts Festival. It is slated to have a stacked festival run this summer. With her highly anticipated feature debut AND YET in development, Emma continues to push the boundaries of intimate storytelling, making her a rising voice in independent cinema.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Once upon a time...
I grew up in a world that taught me to trust the systems around me. But as I got older, I started to see cracks - in government, education, healthcare, etc - institutions that so often fail the people they’re meant to protect. Fantasy was the first place I felt permission to question that. It slipped past the rules of my world, showing me heroines who were passionate and complex, men who were supportive and tender, and ordinary people fighting for something bigger than themselves. These stories reminded me that love and courage must coexist; because to truly love, we have to be brave enough to act, even when we’re afraid.
This short film was born in a season when the world felt like it was on fire - literally, as wildfires raged in LA, and figuratively, as our country grew more divided and angry. Change felt slow, even impossible at times. But more than grief, this story came from hope. Hope that even in moments of betrayal, we can choose connection. Hope that even in broken systems, people can still save each other in small and profound ways.
At its heart, this is a story about a young woman realizing the world she trusted wasn’t built to protect her. A young man who sees her strength even before she does. About the kind of loyalty that asks: What would you risk for someone you love? It’s a romantasy - full of stolen dragon eggs and a crumbling kingdom - but beneath the magic is something deeply human: the fear of losing what we love and the choice to act anyway.
This is also a love letter to women-led stories. To heroines who are fierce and flawed. To romance that feels as vital as any battle. And to the belief that women should lead not only on the page but behind the camera. Romantasy is having a cultural moment. Let’s make sure women’s voices are the ones shaping it.
This film is for anyone who’s felt disillusioned by the systems around them, yet still believes in magic, connection, and the quiet power of ordinary people to create change.
The Story
Synopsis: Magic is fading from the kingdom of Alendar, and a disease known as the Pale Death claims lives with each passing day. Vera, the ambitious daughter of the king’s advisor, risks everything to deliver a stolen dragon egg - a final hope for her crumbling world. Alongside Damien, the king’s alluring tracker, she discovers the closer you get to the truth, the harder it is to turn back.
Main Characters
The Hearts that Hold the Story
VERA - Daughter to the King's most trusted advisor
Headstrong. Quick-witted. Loyal. Vera was raised in the castle’s gilded cage, trained in diplomacy and combat. Grief over losing her sister to the Pale Death - a fatal sickness with no known cure - has cracked something open in her. For the first time, Vera is ready to risk everything, even her life, to protect the people she loves. But the outside world is ruthless and untamed. And it doesn’t care how brave she is.
Vera will be played by Laura Ricci.
DAMIEN - Royal Tracker
Charming. Razor-sharp. Surprisingly tender. As the kingdom’s most skilled tracker, Damien follows trails others miss - whether it’s people, lost relics, or knowledge. Beneath the easy grin and playful banter lies a mind always working, calculating risks and consequences. His “will they, won’t they” friendship with Vera has been a long game of stolen glances and moments of vulnerability. But with danger closing in, Damien must confront how far he’s willing to go to keep her safe...and what it might cost them both.
Damien has yet to be cast. Think Diego Luna, Steven Yeun, Michael B. Jordan
Style/Setting
Crafting the Magic
Starflare has the heart of The Princess Bride, with the fierceness of Game of Thrones, in an intimate setting like the forests of Ever After.
This world is expansive but suffering - magic has seeped from the soil, leaving forests raw and untamed. Shooting entirely outdoors in the Los Angeles wilderness allows us to ground the fantasy in realism. Unlike the classic lush, fairytale forests we normally see in this genre, Starflare embraces a wilder, harsher landscape; one that feels both intimate and epic. Late autumn in LA brings a layered beauty to our set with sun-bleached grass, muted greens, and the sense of history and urgency. The setting is a character too, haunted by what it's lost and bearing witness to the resilience of those who remain.
Why now?
Women are underrepresented behind the camera.
In 2022, women directed only 18% of Hollywood’s top-grosing films, and make up just 24% of key creative roles across top streaming movies.* When you think about your favorite fantasy or romance films, how many of those were directed by women?
*Source: The Celluloid Ceiling Report
Romantasy is in demand.
Romantasy is is more than a trend - it’s a movement. In 2024 alone, the genre generated over $610 million in sales (up 35% from the previous year).** And with 20-50% of Hollywood films being book adaptations any given year, we’re poised to see more romantasy on screen in the years ahead.***
If you’re a fan of the genre, supporting Starflare is a way to shape what that future looks like. It’s not just about more magic and romance - it’s about who gets to tell the stories. Backing this film says yes to female writers, women-led creative teams, and storytelling that centers emotional stakes, deep relationships, and the themes we care about most.
Your support gives our team the credibility to keep building - and brings us one step closer to a world where women-led romantasy isn’t the exception. It’s the standard.
Sources: **Bloomberg, ***Dartmouth
The film industry has been struggling.
Between the pandemic, the strikes, and rapid shifts in tech and distribution models, many artists are navigating not just instability - but a full-blown industry contraction. Your pledge helps working artists reclaim their creative agency and continue making bold, meaningful stories. What makes this project special is how much creative freedom it gives the team. Artists from every department have the chance to build something original—imagining textures, symbols, and styles that don’t exist yet. That kind of creative challenge is rare, and it’s why people want to be part of a film like this. Your pledge makes that possible.
Where Your Coin Goes
AKA...the budget
Goal = $25,000
(see the breakdown below, and on our Wishlist page)
Stretch Goal = $28,000
(better equipment, better post, more festival fees)
Other Ways to Support
If you'd like to aid us on our filmmaking quest but aren't able to contribute financially, there are many other ways to show your support!
- Follow @starflare_film on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes.
- Share our campaign with your circles! Talk to your friends, share on your socials, and inspire others to pledge.
- Follow us here on Seed&Spark! Its free and hitting certain follower counts unlocks specials deals for us like gear rental and discounted festival fees.
- In-kind services. If you'd like to contribute your expertise or services, please reach out to us at [email protected]
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast
Costs $2,000
This is a SAG production and our actors/stunt performers will be paid SAG rates.
Crew
Costs $6,800
Pays a fair rate for our production professionals on set (sound, lighting, camera, hair/makeup, etc)
Equipment
Costs $4,700
Goes towards renting cameras, microphones, hard drives, as well as production design such as props and costumes.
Post-Production
Costs $5,000
Once principal photography wraps, its time to edit, color, audio, mixing, and compose a soundtrack to bring all the elements to life.
Location/Insurance
Costs $3,000
Covers the cost of shooting in nature including permits and insurance.
Food
Costs $1,000
There will be 10-15 people on set most days, for 10-12 hours a day. It takes a lot of food and coffee to keep spirits up!
Festival Fees/Advertising/Contingency
Costs $2,500
Get this film to audiences! Festival fees, a poster/trailer will help us find our people.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Laura Ricci (Writer, Producer, Vera)
Laura Ricci is an actor and storyteller with a passion for exploring transformation, the human condition, and how we love. She holds dual BAs in Theater and Communication from The College of St. Benedict. She has acted in nearly 50 stage productions spanning Shakespeare, Jane Austen adaptations, new works, musicals, and improvisation, in addition to touring nationally for young audiences. On screen, she has appeared in over 20 indie films and commercials for brands such as Best Buy, Target, and AT&T.
Her writing spans genres and formats, including a stage play, sketch comedy, a comedy short film, and a holiday romance novel. Laura recently lent her voice to the YA fantasy audiobook Flicker of Defiance.
With Starflare, Laura brings her experience and ethos as a multi-hyphenate creative to the screen - crafting women-led stories that balance sweeping romance with emotional depth.
Christine Chen (Director)
Christine Chen is an Academy-qualified film director and writer specializing in narrative storytelling and commercial work. Her passion for filmmaking began in 1993, the moment she picked up an early-edition VHS camcorder. Christine holds a B.A. from Rice University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business.
Her work has been featured at renowned festivals including HollyShorts, the New Orleans Film Festival, and Fantasia Film Festival. Her most recent feature film, Erzulie, enjoyed a limited theatrical release in May 2022 and became available on VOD starting June 14, 2022, through Kamikaze Dogfight Films and Gravitas Ventures.
Christine is also the co-author of Get Reelisms, a practical guide designed to demystify the filmmaking process for aspiring creatives, and the host of the Get Reelisms Podcast.
Emma Steiger (Producer)
Emma Steiger is a multifaceted filmmaker and storyteller known for crafting emotionally resonant, character-driven narratives. Daughter of writer Joel Steiger (MATLOCK, PERRY MASON, DIAGNOSIS: MURDER), Emma’s artistic spirit has inspired a life of creativity.
As a Junior Executive at Billy Magnussen’s HappyBad Bungalow, she has honed her ability to develop and produce compelling content. In 2024, she was named 'Best Producer' by the New York International Women’s Film Festival for RUNAWAYS. Her latest project, Wait to Tell Mother—which she wrote, directed, produced, and starred in—premiered at Dances With Films: NY, and recently won the Audience Choice Award at Nitehawk Shorts Festival. It is slated to have a stacked festival run this summer. With her highly anticipated feature debut AND YET in development, Emma continues to push the boundaries of intimate storytelling, making her a rising voice in independent cinema.