STRAYS
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama
When a group of foster kids find a dying cat by the train tracks, their funeral becomes a bold act of rebellion, love, and friendship. STRAYS is about what we bury, what we keep, and how love exists everywhere- even when the world tries to take it away.
STRAYS
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $9,800 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
75 supporters | followers
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When a group of foster kids find a dying cat by the train tracks, their funeral becomes a bold act of rebellion, love, and friendship. STRAYS is about what we bury, what we keep, and how love exists everywhere- even when the world tries to take it away.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
For the kids growing up in-between...
Across America, families are being pulled apart and support systems for vulnerable children are stretched thinner than ever. On the outskirts of Los Angeles, Mati, a six-year-old on the verge of adoption, runs the tracks with her foster siblings: Nico, Valeria, and Daniel. When they discover a dying kitten tangled near the rails, the children decide it deserves a send-off better than the world usually gives them. Together, with scraps they gather from their surroundings, they build a tiny funeral, draping the kitten in wildflowers, crafting a cross from sticks, and whispering prayers they half-remember. Along the way, they are joined by the General, a deaf, unhoused veteran who lives by the tracks, their paternal figure. What starts as play becomes ritual, and what begins as mourning grows into rebellion: a defiant act of love against the system that is hours away from pulling them apart.
This is a film about childhood friendship, chosen family, and the resilience of kids who create light in forgotten places.
Too often, children in foster care are invisible in the stories we tell. In the U.S., over 340,000 children are in foster care, and more than 18,000 youth age out annually, often without adequate support. These kids live at the intersection of loss and survival, yet their acts of care and defiance rarely make it onto the screen.
Director Tai Lyn Sandhu, a USC School of Cinematic Arts student coming off an award-winning festival circuit, grew up in Queens exploring overlooked in-between spaces, by the tracks, in overgrown lots, among people society often passes by. Alongside a team of USC filmmakers inspired by naturalistic stories like The Florida Project and Stand By Me, Sandhu brings both lived experience and technical training to tell this story with honesty and urgency. She says that "this film is about the families we’re born into, the ones we build, and the forces, like time, loss, or bureaucracy, that try to tear them apart. Life is fragile and luminous. And often, those with the least hold the clearest view of its beauty. I want to see the world through their eyes. I want you to see it, too.”
The safety nets around families are fraying, leaving more children vulnerable. In uncertain times, the bonds kids form become not just friendships, but survival. Strays preserves one such story, reminding us that even when the world pulls people apart, love and rebellion can blossom in forgotten places.
We’ve been developing Strays since Spring 2025. 
Your support will directly fund essentials like:
- Hiring studio teachers for our child actors
- Permits and insurance
- Bringing on an animal wrangler for the kitten
- Feeding and transporting our cast and crew
- Festival submissions to bring Strays to audiences nationwide
We’ll shoot in November 2025, begin post-production in early 2026, and aim to premiere at festivals in late 2026. Every supporter will be part of this journey, through updates, behind-the-scenes looks, and eventually, seeing the film come to life.
Donate, share, and join the Strays.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Insurance Policy
Costs $1,500
We are working with industry standard equipment, including an Arri Alexa Mini, and we must properly insure all items.
Grip Truck
Costs $1,500
We are looking to get a 1-ton grip package and generator for lighting and rigging our entirely outdoor shoot.
Costumes
Costs $300
To authentically portray these kids, we want to create costumes that really reflects their individuality and diversity
Craft Services and Catering
Costs $800
We are feeding a cast and crew of ~30 people across 3 days
Camera and Playback Accessories
Costs $1,200
To ensure we can properly capture the world of STRAYS, we need to rent camera and digital accessories for the project
Production Design
Costs $400
To give the kids and story personality, we need to dress our set and build Ms. Katerina as a prop
Location Costs
Costs $1,500
To abide by LA Country rules, we must properly obtain permits for our production.
Soundtrack
Costs $200
We want to properly compensate our soundtrack artist for creating a full soundtrack-album for the film
Makeup
Costs $200
The kids play in dirt, and although we could spread real mud, we want to keep it clean(ish) and use makeup
Post Production
Costs $700
We need to purchase hard drives, as well as compensate post-production processes like VFX, coloring, sound, and editing
On-Set Specialized Staff
Costs $1,000
We need to hire a studio teacher, animal wrangler, and ASL interpreter on set
Festival Submissions
Costs $500
We want to bring this film into competition across the globe, and need to pay for submission fees
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Tai Lyn Sandhu (director) is an 19-year-old filmmaker, journalist, and activist from Queens, New York City, 
currently attending USC for Film Production. Her films have screened at festivals across the country. Her narrative work explores politics, social issues, mixed-race identity, and aims to distill stories of enduring issues into empathetic stories of real-human experiences. If she were a cat, she would definitely be Holly Golightly's cat from Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Sundiata Enuke (cinematographer) is a Nigerian-American filmmaker from LA whose work explores the Black experience in America, 
Nigerian folklore. She attends USC for film, and her works are currently featured at The Huntington Museum and the Acadmey Museum. Her film Jackie was showcased at the Museum of Contemporary Art and earned the finalist title at the National YoungArts Competition. She is inspired by stories growing up and the boundary between life and death. She feels most like the black cat from Coraline.
Kasey Day (writer, producer) is a screenwriter and filmmaker from San Diego, attending USC for 
screenwriting. Her passion for writing has earned recognition from the California Young Playwrights Contest. If she were a cat, she would be Puss in Boots. Obviously.
Lucas Marcelo Milk (writer, producer) is a Peruvian-Brazillian screenwriter and visual 
ist from LA. He attends USC, studying screenwriting, and explores globally underprivileged communities through his work, often centerd on the perspective of children. His cat persona is Takun from anime Fooly Cooly.
JJ Klein-Wolf (producer) is studying Cinema Studies at USC and working as an 
ependent producer. She has worked as associate programmer for The Portland EcoFilm Festival and co-producer on a short titled A Girl, Grown Up which is currently in post-production. She is passionate about cartwheels and crocheting, and resonates with Crookshanks the cat.
Ella Janes (1st AD/editor) is a YoungArts Finalist whose experimental work has been recognized at festivals
worldwide. Ella would be her real cat maverick.
Collin Nelson (editor) is a YoungArts Silver Award winner whose films have screened at Academy Award and BAFTA qualifying festivals. He has been told he reminds people of a hairless cat, which is weird because he has hair.
Jiayun Zhang (costume designer) is a filmmaker and stylist whose work spans original theatre productions, USC’s Haute Magazine, and independent fashion 
with a focus on multicultural and womanhood-centered narratives. She would be A Siamese cat.
Eloise Dumas (production designer) is a USC Cinematic Arts student with a passion for whimsical worldbuilding through design and a love for frisbee. She loves cats.
And finally, Finn Cragan (composer) is a multi-instrumentalist from Los Angeles who releases music 
under the name Persona Non Grata. His original track sets the tone for our pitch video, offering a first glimpse of the score that will carry the film. He would be a fluffy pink cat that could also fly. Listen to him on Spotify!
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
For the kids growing up in-between...
Across America, families are being pulled apart and support systems for vulnerable children are stretched thinner than ever. On the outskirts of Los Angeles, Mati, a six-year-old on the verge of adoption, runs the tracks with her foster siblings: Nico, Valeria, and Daniel. When they discover a dying kitten tangled near the rails, the children decide it deserves a send-off better than the world usually gives them. Together, with scraps they gather from their surroundings, they build a tiny funeral, draping the kitten in wildflowers, crafting a cross from sticks, and whispering prayers they half-remember. Along the way, they are joined by the General, a deaf, unhoused veteran who lives by the tracks, their paternal figure. What starts as play becomes ritual, and what begins as mourning grows into rebellion: a defiant act of love against the system that is hours away from pulling them apart.
This is a film about childhood friendship, chosen family, and the resilience of kids who create light in forgotten places.
Too often, children in foster care are invisible in the stories we tell. In the U.S., over 340,000 children are in foster care, and more than 18,000 youth age out annually, often without adequate support. These kids live at the intersection of loss and survival, yet their acts of care and defiance rarely make it onto the screen.
Director Tai Lyn Sandhu, a USC School of Cinematic Arts student coming off an award-winning festival circuit, grew up in Queens exploring overlooked in-between spaces, by the tracks, in overgrown lots, among people society often passes by. Alongside a team of USC filmmakers inspired by naturalistic stories like The Florida Project and Stand By Me, Sandhu brings both lived experience and technical training to tell this story with honesty and urgency. She says that "this film is about the families we’re born into, the ones we build, and the forces, like time, loss, or bureaucracy, that try to tear them apart. Life is fragile and luminous. And often, those with the least hold the clearest view of its beauty. I want to see the world through their eyes. I want you to see it, too.”
The safety nets around families are fraying, leaving more children vulnerable. In uncertain times, the bonds kids form become not just friendships, but survival. Strays preserves one such story, reminding us that even when the world pulls people apart, love and rebellion can blossom in forgotten places.
We’ve been developing Strays since Spring 2025.
Your support will directly fund essentials like:
- Hiring studio teachers for our child actors
- Permits and insurance
- Bringing on an animal wrangler for the kitten
- Feeding and transporting our cast and crew
- Festival submissions to bring Strays to audiences nationwide
We’ll shoot in November 2025, begin post-production in early 2026, and aim to premiere at festivals in late 2026. Every supporter will be part of this journey, through updates, behind-the-scenes looks, and eventually, seeing the film come to life.
Donate, share, and join the Strays.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Insurance Policy
Costs $1,500
We are working with industry standard equipment, including an Arri Alexa Mini, and we must properly insure all items.
Grip Truck
Costs $1,500
We are looking to get a 1-ton grip package and generator for lighting and rigging our entirely outdoor shoot.
Costumes
Costs $300
To authentically portray these kids, we want to create costumes that really reflects their individuality and diversity
Craft Services and Catering
Costs $800
We are feeding a cast and crew of ~30 people across 3 days
Camera and Playback Accessories
Costs $1,200
To ensure we can properly capture the world of STRAYS, we need to rent camera and digital accessories for the project
Production Design
Costs $400
To give the kids and story personality, we need to dress our set and build Ms. Katerina as a prop
Location Costs
Costs $1,500
To abide by LA Country rules, we must properly obtain permits for our production.
Soundtrack
Costs $200
We want to properly compensate our soundtrack artist for creating a full soundtrack-album for the film
Makeup
Costs $200
The kids play in dirt, and although we could spread real mud, we want to keep it clean(ish) and use makeup
Post Production
Costs $700
We need to purchase hard drives, as well as compensate post-production processes like VFX, coloring, sound, and editing
On-Set Specialized Staff
Costs $1,000
We need to hire a studio teacher, animal wrangler, and ASL interpreter on set
Festival Submissions
Costs $500
We want to bring this film into competition across the globe, and need to pay for submission fees
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Tai Lyn Sandhu (director) is an 19-year-old filmmaker, journalist, and activist from Queens, New York City, currently attending USC for Film Production. Her films have screened at festivals across the country. Her narrative work explores politics, social issues, mixed-race identity, and aims to distill stories of enduring issues into empathetic stories of real-human experiences. If she were a cat, she would definitely be Holly Golightly's cat from Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Sundiata Enuke (cinematographer) is a Nigerian-American filmmaker from LA whose work explores the Black experience in America, Nigerian folklore. She attends USC for film, and her works are currently featured at The Huntington Museum and the Acadmey Museum. Her film Jackie was showcased at the Museum of Contemporary Art and earned the finalist title at the National YoungArts Competition. She is inspired by stories growing up and the boundary between life and death. She feels most like the black cat from Coraline.
Kasey Day (writer, producer) is a screenwriter and filmmaker from San Diego, attending USC for screenwriting. Her passion for writing has earned recognition from the California Young Playwrights Contest. If she were a cat, she would be Puss in Boots. Obviously.
Lucas Marcelo Milk (writer, producer) is a Peruvian-Brazillian screenwriter and visual ist from LA. He attends USC, studying screenwriting, and explores globally underprivileged communities through his work, often centerd on the perspective of children. His cat persona is Takun from anime Fooly Cooly.
JJ Klein-Wolf (producer) is studying Cinema Studies at USC and working as an ependent producer. She has worked as associate programmer for The Portland EcoFilm Festival and co-producer on a short titled A Girl, Grown Up which is currently in post-production. She is passionate about cartwheels and crocheting, and resonates with Crookshanks the cat.
Ella Janes (1st AD/editor) is a YoungArts Finalist whose experimental work has been recognized at festivals worldwide. Ella would be her real cat maverick.
Collin Nelson (editor) is a YoungArts Silver Award winner whose films have screened at Academy Award and BAFTA qualifying festivals. He has been told he reminds people of a hairless cat, which is weird because he has hair.
Jiayun Zhang (costume designer) is a filmmaker and stylist whose work spans original theatre productions, USC’s Haute Magazine, and independent fashion with a focus on multicultural and womanhood-centered narratives. She would be A Siamese cat.
Eloise Dumas (production designer) is a USC Cinematic Arts student with a passion for whimsical worldbuilding through design and a love for frisbee. She loves cats.
And finally, Finn Cragan (composer) is a multi-instrumentalist from Los Angeles who releases music under the name Persona Non Grata. His original track sets the tone for our pitch video, offering a first glimpse of the score that will carry the film. He would be a fluffy pink cat that could also fly. Listen to him on Spotify!