The Apricot
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Animation, Family
"The Apricot" tells the story of a 10-year-old boy and his first summer working on the family's apricot farm. This project is based on real childhood memories that the director holds dear to his heart.
The Apricot
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Animation, Family
2 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $10,200 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
103 supporters | followers
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"The Apricot" tells the story of a 10-year-old boy and his first summer working on the family's apricot farm. This project is based on real childhood memories that the director holds dear to his heart.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
"The Apricot" is a proud recipient of the Spark Animation Fellowship 2024-25, presented by Latino Film Institute and sponsored by the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity. The final completed film will be screened at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) 2025.
(Link to announcement)
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While the grant from this fellowship will be able to cover the majority of our costs, we are raising an additional $10,000 to help us make the best film possible. This additional funding will help us cover:
ANIMATION STUDIO + ARTIST COMPENSATION
COMPOSITING
COMPOSER + ORIGINAL SCORE
(with live instrument recording)
VOICE ACTING + RECORDING
SOUND DESIGN + MIXING
~ ~ ~
Our story is set in Hollister, California. A 10-year-old Alex and his mom are on their way to work on Grandpa’s apricot farm for the summer—a family tradition that dates back to 1975, long before Alex was even born!
Upon arriving, Alex is thrown into the fast-paced work environment. He does his best to keep up with his relatives, but they all cut the apricots at a speed that leaves his head spinning.
With a little help from Grandpa, Alex discovers the true meaning of what this family tradition is meant to teach.
~ ~ ~
We are thrilled to be partnering with
¡VIVA CALAVERA!
They will be completing the final animation for the short film.
~ ~ ~
"During my freshman year of college, I received a call from my parents letting me know that my grandfather had unexpectedly passed away the day before—a freak accident while he was working on a tractor.
The timing of this news was eerie, because the previous night—on a whim—I had started drawing a portrait of him.
It's taken me a long time to process what it meant to lose my grandfather so suddenly. I couldn’t help but feel guilty that I hadn’t spent the proper amount of time talking with him and spending quality time with him.
I have since realized that while I might not have had many lengthy conversations with him, there was a special bond that we had because of the time I spent working on the apricot farm.
'The Apricot' will serve to honor the memory of my grandfather, showcasing the beauty and strength of these types of family bonds."
Alex Z. Avila
Writer/Director
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Animation Production
Costs $5,000
These additional funds will help support the labor costs for our partner animation studio.
Music
Costs $1,000
Funds to hire our composer and put together a group of musicians to record the score live!
Post Production
Costs $4,000
Finishing funds to complete the final stages of the film, including but not limited to Voice Acting, Sound Design/Mix, and Color.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Alex Z. Avila
Writer/Director
Alex is a first-gen Mexican-American filmmaker who enjoys a Decaf coffee
and loves workshopping story across all mediums.
Carlo Padilla
Producer
Carlo is a first-gen Mexican-American producer of animation who
enjoys coffee and organizing 2D animated shows/films.
Rachel Meng
Co-Director/Story Artist
Rachel is a story artist based in Southern California who enjoys immersing herself
in characters and worlds through video games, DND, and animation.
Cheng Guo
Art Director
Cheng is an artist based in LA who loves spending time
with friends and discovering new films.
Pascal Horn
Composer
Pascal is a German composer, orchestrator, and music theorist
with a passion for classical music, video games, coffee, and cooking.
Israel Vasquez
Editor
Israel is a Salvadoran-American editor from LA who has worked as an AE and Editor
on various documentaries and feature films, including
The Fight, The Underground Railroad, and the upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King.
Francisco Gonzalez
Story Artist
Francisco is a Mexican story artist and screenplay writer based in Guadalajara
who loves cinema, animation, and literature.
Ben Steele
Animatic Editor
Ben is a lifelong fan of animation who enjoys
role-playing games, writing, and drawing.
Jesse Soto
Layout Artist
Jesse is a first-gen Mexican-American storyboard artist in LA
who enjoys dogs, animating 2D short films, and dodgeball.
Artie Rodriguez
Color Key Artist
Artie is a Mexican artist based in Mexico who enjoys
painting, coffee, board games, TCGs, music, and creative challenges.
Erik Cruz
Background Designer
Erik is a Brazilian artist based in the UK who loves
cooking, going to the beach, and storytelling.
Ben Kim
Background Designer
Ben is a coffee-loving LA-based artist who enjoys
outdoor painting with friends and adventuring.
Jose D Hernandez
Background Designer
Jose is a first-gen Salvadoran-American who loves
pro wrestling, rock music, and playing guitar.
Sydney Kosgard
Color Designer
Sydney is a Midwest native living in LA who loves
gouache painting, thrift stores, and playing video games.
Jailine Ramirez
Visual Development Artist
Jailine is a first-gen Mexican-American who enjoys
hiking, thrifting, and watercolor painting.
Zamir Ramirez
Production Coordinator
Zamir is a first-gen LA-born production coordinator, fan of all things film,
analog media collector, and aspiring home chef.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
"The Apricot" is a proud recipient of the Spark Animation Fellowship 2024-25, presented by Latino Film Institute and sponsored by the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity. The final completed film will be screened at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) 2025.
(Link to announcement)
While the grant from this fellowship will be able to cover the majority of our costs, we are raising an additional $10,000 to help us make the best film possible. This additional funding will help us cover:
ANIMATION STUDIO + ARTIST COMPENSATION
COMPOSITING
COMPOSER + ORIGINAL SCORE
(with live instrument recording)
VOICE ACTING + RECORDING
SOUND DESIGN + MIXING
~ ~ ~
Our story is set in Hollister, California. A 10-year-old Alex and his mom are on their way to work on Grandpa’s apricot farm for the summer—a family tradition that dates back to 1975, long before Alex was even born!
Upon arriving, Alex is thrown into the fast-paced work environment. He does his best to keep up with his relatives, but they all cut the apricots at a speed that leaves his head spinning.
With a little help from Grandpa, Alex discovers the true meaning of what this family tradition is meant to teach.
~ ~ ~
We are thrilled to be partnering with
¡VIVA CALAVERA!
They will be completing the final animation for the short film.
~ ~ ~
"During my freshman year of college, I received a call from my parents letting me know that my grandfather had unexpectedly passed away the day before—a freak accident while he was working on a tractor.
The timing of this news was eerie, because the previous night—on a whim—I had started drawing a portrait of him.
It's taken me a long time to process what it meant to lose my grandfather so suddenly. I couldn’t help but feel guilty that I hadn’t spent the proper amount of time talking with him and spending quality time with him.
I have since realized that while I might not have had many lengthy conversations with him, there was a special bond that we had because of the time I spent working on the apricot farm.
'The Apricot' will serve to honor the memory of my grandfather, showcasing the beauty and strength of these types of family bonds."
Alex Z. Avila
Writer/Director
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Animation Production
Costs $5,000
These additional funds will help support the labor costs for our partner animation studio.
Music
Costs $1,000
Funds to hire our composer and put together a group of musicians to record the score live!
Post Production
Costs $4,000
Finishing funds to complete the final stages of the film, including but not limited to Voice Acting, Sound Design/Mix, and Color.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Alex Z. Avila
Writer/Director
Alex is a first-gen Mexican-American filmmaker who enjoys a Decaf coffee
and loves workshopping story across all mediums.
Carlo Padilla
Producer
Carlo is a first-gen Mexican-American producer of animation who
enjoys coffee and organizing 2D animated shows/films.
Rachel Meng
Co-Director/Story Artist
Rachel is a story artist based in Southern California who enjoys immersing herself
in characters and worlds through video games, DND, and animation.
Cheng Guo
Art Director
Cheng is an artist based in LA who loves spending time
with friends and discovering new films.
Pascal Horn
Composer
Pascal is a German composer, orchestrator, and music theorist
with a passion for classical music, video games, coffee, and cooking.
Israel Vasquez
Editor
Israel is a Salvadoran-American editor from LA who has worked as an AE and Editor
on various documentaries and feature films, including
The Fight, The Underground Railroad, and the upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King.
Francisco Gonzalez
Story Artist
Francisco is a Mexican story artist and screenplay writer based in Guadalajara
who loves cinema, animation, and literature.
Ben Steele
Animatic Editor
Ben is a lifelong fan of animation who enjoys
role-playing games, writing, and drawing.
Jesse Soto
Layout Artist
Jesse is a first-gen Mexican-American storyboard artist in LA
who enjoys dogs, animating 2D short films, and dodgeball.
Artie Rodriguez
Color Key Artist
Artie is a Mexican artist based in Mexico who enjoys
painting, coffee, board games, TCGs, music, and creative challenges.
Erik Cruz
Background Designer
Erik is a Brazilian artist based in the UK who loves
cooking, going to the beach, and storytelling.
Ben Kim
Background Designer
Ben is a coffee-loving LA-based artist who enjoys
outdoor painting with friends and adventuring.
Jose D Hernandez
Background Designer
Jose is a first-gen Salvadoran-American who loves
pro wrestling, rock music, and playing guitar.
Sydney Kosgard
Color Designer
Sydney is a Midwest native living in LA who loves
gouache painting, thrift stores, and playing video games.
Jailine Ramirez
Visual Development Artist
Jailine is a first-gen Mexican-American who enjoys
hiking, thrifting, and watercolor painting.
Zamir Ramirez
Production Coordinator
Zamir is a first-gen LA-born production coordinator, fan of all things film,
analog media collector, and aspiring home chef.