The Virgin Agenda
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, LGBTQ
On the eve of her 25th birthday, Ellie finds a letter from her 15-year-old self - full of big dreams, goals, and one unmet milestone: losing her virginity. Spiraling over the gap between who she is and who she thought she’d be, Ellie and her friends set out to cross it off her list before midnight.
The Virgin Agenda
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, LGBTQ
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $6,911 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
43 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
On the eve of her 25th birthday, Ellie finds a letter from her 15-year-old self - full of big dreams, goals, and one unmet milestone: losing her virginity. Spiraling over the gap between who she is and who she thought she’d be, Ellie and her friends set out to cross it off her list before midnight.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
On the eve of her 25th birthday, Ellie Chiu stumbles across a letter she wrote at 15 — a list of everything she hoped to have accomplished by now. Rediscovering this in the midst of a career crisis, the discovery ignites a once dormant panic about unachieved milestones, especially over one glaring unchecked box: losing her virginity. With the help of her closest friends, Ellie goes on an emotional odyssey involving failed dates with strangers, missed connections, and unresolved childhood wounds — all before the clock strikes midnight.
Growing up doesn’t always mean having it all figured out. This film captures the quiet chaos of your mid-20s—when old dreams collide with new realities. It’s about the pressure to catch up, the weight of expectations, and the tender act of redefining success on your own terms.
Tags: Coming of age, drama, comedy, LGBTQ+
Bright, playful visuals clash with the quiet dread of falling behind, capturing the messy journey into adulthood.
THEMES
This short film aims to explore:
- being in your mid-20's
- young adult milestones
- connecting with your inner child
- intimacy
- first-times
- living life at your own pace
WHY THIS STORY? WHY NOW?
The Virgin Agenda is a love letter — to myself and to those who are virgins well into our 20s. There is no shame behind that.
There is a growing conversation among Gen-Z around sex, intimacy, and the fact that many of us are having less sex than previous generations. Still, so many coming-of-age stories heavily feature sex as (a marker of personal growth) and of the main character’s “transformative” journey into adulthood. With this film, I want to challenge that narrative. Sex doesn’t have a deadline and isn’t a marker for maturity. And it’s okay if it hasn’t happened yet — or even if it never does. Everyone moves through life at their own pace and under their own circumstances.
Ellie is a reflection of my insecurities going into post-graduation adulthood. I felt ill-prepared, disappointed, and unsure of myself — a feeling I know is not uncommon for a lot of young adults in their early, mid, and even late 20’s. With the current state of the world, it’s easy to feel hopeless. It’s hard to find jobs and impossible to even conceive owning a home. Many conventional achievements for past generations now feel like a distant dream.
Through Ellie, I aim to explore those insecurities with honesty, humor, and heart. The Virgin Agenda is not just about sex, it is a film about how we measure our worth, define success, and ultimately about the importance of living life at your own pace.
I hope this film brings comfort to anyone navigating their own version of “late blooming,” and reminds us all that there’s no right way to come of age.
REFERENCES & STYLE
The film’s style features bright, flashy animation to both emulate the doodles from 15-year-old Ellie’s letter and illustrate her internal thoughts. The color palette in the film subtly shifts to reflect Ellie’s emotions, with intimate shots to make viewers feel like they’re part of her journey.
This film visually/stylistically references My Mad Fat Diary (2013), Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015), and Heartstopper (2022), and tonally references Ladybird (2017), The Half of It (2020), and My Old Ass (2024).
THE TEAM
.jpeg)
Grace Lulu Fang | Writer/Director: Grace Lulu Fang is an Asian-American writer, director, producer, and actress with a B.A. from UCLA in Psychology and Sociology and an M.S. from USC in Applied Psychology. She believes in media as a vehicle for fostering empathy and kindness, and hopes her stories will bring to life underrepresented perspectives. She is constantly inspired by coming-of-age films, the horrors of girlhood, and the beauty that is the human condition. She hopes her stories can move the audience and inspire the way so many of her idols do (Hirokazu Kore-eda, Bong Joon-Ho, Emma Seligman, and Diablo Cody)
The Virgin Agenda will be her first short-film and she’s excited to share a slightly unconventional experience!
-
Gracie Flores | Producer: Gracie is a Mexican-American writer, director, and producer from Los Angeles, California. She is the co-founder of Sonder Pictures, a community-driven production company dedicated to mutual aid, collective growth, and accessibility in independent filmmaking. Gracie is passionate about uplifting the voices of filmmakers of color and is especially drawn to stories exploring queer joy, layered family dynamics, and personal transformation. A recent graduate of Columbia University, Gracie has worked on productions for Lifetime and Hello Sunshine, and currently works as a Programs and Events Intern at the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP).
Amy Nuñez | Producer: Amy Nuñez is a Peruvian-American writer, cinematographer, and producer based in Los Angeles. She is the co-founder of Sonder Pictures and currently works at the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), an organization whose mission is to inspire diverse creatives. Driven by NALIP’s mission, Amy brings the same spirit to Sonder, aiming to create space for emerging filmmakers to find community, create freely, and thrive within independent film. With experience across development, production, and marketing, she's driven to grow and hopes to bring forth stories that inspire, empower, and help others connect to themselves and one another.
Marco Muñoz | Line Producer: As an L.A. born and raised latino artist, Marco's life's work is dedicated to bringing dreams to the screen, exploring the many facets of the subconscious and exploring the space beyond the limitations of cinema, inspired by international latinx cinema, psychology, marginalized communities, and grassroots movements throughout film history, Marco aims to bring a fresh breath of air into the modern landscape. At the moment he is ready to help bring other filmmakers projects to life as a Director, DP, and Producer.
Mandie Zamora | Director of Photography: Mandie is a Latin cinematographer with a deep passion for layered, emotionally-driven imagery. With a background in Comparative Literature from USC, her work blends theoretical insight with indie-rooted storytelling. Influenced by art, philosophy, and global cinema, she brings a painterly, intuitive approach to the frame—favoring natural light, intimate compositions, and visual symbolism. Having worked her way through the camera department, she values collaboration and experimentation, aiming to push boundaries while honoring the story. Mandie is committed to telling underrepresented narratives and crafting visuals that resonate beyond the screen.
YOUR PLEDGE IS GOING TOWARDS:
As emerging filmmakers, one of our biggest goals with this project is to create a piece that showcases our voices and opens doors for future work—for ourselves and for the talented team of up-and-coming artists we’re bringing on. Opportunities in this industry can be hard to come by, which is why we’re committed to making this a truly professional-level production on our own terms.
We’re aiming to raise the full budget through crowdfunding—and we have just 45 days to do it before we jump into official pre-production! Independent filmmaking isn’t possible without community support, and we’re so grateful to every single person who helps us bring this story to life! Thank you for being part of this with us!
That being said, our 10k budget will be used towards the following:
- Equipment to best capture the look and feel of the characters' environments and performances.
- Production Design to bring the director's vision to life.
- Wardrobe for our group of friends!
- Food + Crafty for our hardworking cast and crew. Feeding 15+ people every day for nearly a week of shooting sure adds up fast.
- Cast + Crew Stipends to thank the actors + crew who came together to bring this story together.
- Seed&Spark Fees to ensure each pledge raised actually goes towards the film! (Because, yes, crowdfunding also costs money).
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Meals & Crafty
Costs $1,000
We need to keep our hardworking cast and crew fed while they make movie magic!
Wardrobe
Costs $140
To make sure our lovely actors are camera ready!
Equipment & Gear
Costs $2,000
Lights, camera, action! All the proper tools we need to give our film the cinematic quality we envisioned!
Production Design
Costs $400
Every single detail of this story is important to capturing Ellie's unique story!
Production Staff
Costs $2,900
We can't make this film without the people! We want to properly compensate them for all their time and effort.
Seed&Spark Fees
Costs $300
We want to make sure every penny from your donations goes to this film!
Ellie's Apartment
Costs $1,800
Budget to bring Ellie's space to life!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Grace Fang | Writer/Director: Grace is an Asian-American writer, director, producer, and actress with a B.A. from UCLA in Psychology and Sociology and an M.S. from USC in Applied Psychology. She believes in media as a vehicle for fostering empathy and kindness, and hopes her stories will bring to life underrepresented perspectives. She is constantly inspired by coming-of-age films, the horrors of girlhood, and the beauty that is the human condition. She hopes her stories can move the audience and inspire the way so many of her idols do (Hirokazu Kore-eda, Bong Joon-Ho, Emma Seligman, and Diablo Cody)
The Virgin Agenda will be her first short-film and she’s excited to share a slightly unconventional experience!
Gracie Flores | Producer: Gracie is a Mexican-American writer, director, and producer from Los Angeles, California. She is the co-founder of Sonder Pictures, a community-driven production company dedicated to mutual aid, collective growth, and accessibility in independent filmmaking. Gracie is passionate about uplifting the voices of filmmakers of color and is especially drawn to stories exploring queer joy, layered family dynamics, and personal transformation. A recent graduate of Columbia University, Gracie has worked on productions for Lifetime and Hello Sunshine, and currently works as a Programs and Events Intern at the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP).
Amy Nuñez | Producer: Amy is a Peruvian-American writer, cinematographer, and producer based in Los Angeles. She is the co-founder of Sonder Pictures and currently works at the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), an organization whose mission is to inspire diverse creatives. Driven by NALIP’s mission, Amy brings the same spirit to Sonder, aiming to create space for emerging filmmakers to find community, create freely, and thrive within independent film. With experience across development, production, and marketing, she's driven to grow and hopes to bring forth stories that inspire, empower, and help others connect to themselves and one another.
.jpg)
Mandie Zamora | Director of Photography: Mandie is a Latin cinematographer with a deep passion for layered, emotionally-driven imagery. With a background in Comparative Literature from USC, her work blends theoretical insight with indie-rooted storytelling. Influenced by art, philosophy, and global cinema, she brings a painterly, intuitive approach to the frame—favoring natural light, intimate compositions, and visual symbolism. Having worked her way through the camera department, she values collaboration and experimentation, aiming to push boundaries while honoring the story. Mandie is committed to telling underrepresented narratives and crafting visuals that resonate beyond the screen.
.jpg)
Marco Muñoz | Line Producer: As an L.A. born and raised latino artist, Marco's life's work is dedicated to bringing dreams to the screen, exploring the many facets of the subconscious and exploring the space beyond the limitations of cinema, inspired by international latinx cinema, psychology, marginalized communities, and grassroots movements throughout film history, Marco aims to bring a fresh breath of air into the modern landscape. At the moment he is ready to help bring other filmmakers projects to life as a Director, DP, and Producer.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
On the eve of her 25th birthday, Ellie Chiu stumbles across a letter she wrote at 15 — a list of everything she hoped to have accomplished by now. Rediscovering this in the midst of a career crisis, the discovery ignites a once dormant panic about unachieved milestones, especially over one glaring unchecked box: losing her virginity. With the help of her closest friends, Ellie goes on an emotional odyssey involving failed dates with strangers, missed connections, and unresolved childhood wounds — all before the clock strikes midnight.
Growing up doesn’t always mean having it all figured out. This film captures the quiet chaos of your mid-20s—when old dreams collide with new realities. It’s about the pressure to catch up, the weight of expectations, and the tender act of redefining success on your own terms.
Tags: Coming of age, drama, comedy, LGBTQ+
Bright, playful visuals clash with the quiet dread of falling behind, capturing the messy journey into adulthood.
THEMES
This short film aims to explore:
- being in your mid-20's
- young adult milestones
- connecting with your inner child
- intimacy
- first-times
- living life at your own pace
WHY THIS STORY? WHY NOW?
The Virgin Agenda is a love letter — to myself and to those who are virgins well into our 20s. There is no shame behind that.
There is a growing conversation among Gen-Z around sex, intimacy, and the fact that many of us are having less sex than previous generations. Still, so many coming-of-age stories heavily feature sex as (a marker of personal growth) and of the main character’s “transformative” journey into adulthood. With this film, I want to challenge that narrative. Sex doesn’t have a deadline and isn’t a marker for maturity. And it’s okay if it hasn’t happened yet — or even if it never does. Everyone moves through life at their own pace and under their own circumstances.
Ellie is a reflection of my insecurities going into post-graduation adulthood. I felt ill-prepared, disappointed, and unsure of myself — a feeling I know is not uncommon for a lot of young adults in their early, mid, and even late 20’s. With the current state of the world, it’s easy to feel hopeless. It’s hard to find jobs and impossible to even conceive owning a home. Many conventional achievements for past generations now feel like a distant dream.
Through Ellie, I aim to explore those insecurities with honesty, humor, and heart. The Virgin Agenda is not just about sex, it is a film about how we measure our worth, define success, and ultimately about the importance of living life at your own pace.
I hope this film brings comfort to anyone navigating their own version of “late blooming,” and reminds us all that there’s no right way to come of age.
REFERENCES & STYLE
The film’s style features bright, flashy animation to both emulate the doodles from 15-year-old Ellie’s letter and illustrate her internal thoughts. The color palette in the film subtly shifts to reflect Ellie’s emotions, with intimate shots to make viewers feel like they’re part of her journey.
This film visually/stylistically references My Mad Fat Diary (2013), Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015), and Heartstopper (2022), and tonally references Ladybird (2017), The Half of It (2020), and My Old Ass (2024).
THE TEAM
Grace Lulu Fang | Writer/Director: Grace Lulu Fang is an Asian-American writer, director, producer, and actress with a B.A. from UCLA in Psychology and Sociology and an M.S. from USC in Applied Psychology. She believes in media as a vehicle for fostering empathy and kindness, and hopes her stories will bring to life underrepresented perspectives. She is constantly inspired by coming-of-age films, the horrors of girlhood, and the beauty that is the human condition. She hopes her stories can move the audience and inspire the way so many of her idols do (Hirokazu Kore-eda, Bong Joon-Ho, Emma Seligman, and Diablo Cody)
The Virgin Agenda will be her first short-film and she’s excited to share a slightly unconventional experience!
-
Gracie Flores | Producer: Gracie is a Mexican-American writer, director, and producer from Los Angeles, California. She is the co-founder of Sonder Pictures, a community-driven production company dedicated to mutual aid, collective growth, and accessibility in independent filmmaking. Gracie is passionate about uplifting the voices of filmmakers of color and is especially drawn to stories exploring queer joy, layered family dynamics, and personal transformation. A recent graduate of Columbia University, Gracie has worked on productions for Lifetime and Hello Sunshine, and currently works as a Programs and Events Intern at the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP).
Amy Nuñez | Producer: Amy Nuñez is a Peruvian-American writer, cinematographer, and producer based in Los Angeles. She is the co-founder of Sonder Pictures and currently works at the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), an organization whose mission is to inspire diverse creatives. Driven by NALIP’s mission, Amy brings the same spirit to Sonder, aiming to create space for emerging filmmakers to find community, create freely, and thrive within independent film. With experience across development, production, and marketing, she's driven to grow and hopes to bring forth stories that inspire, empower, and help others connect to themselves and one another.
Marco Muñoz | Line Producer: As an L.A. born and raised latino artist, Marco's life's work is dedicated to bringing dreams to the screen, exploring the many facets of the subconscious and exploring the space beyond the limitations of cinema, inspired by international latinx cinema, psychology, marginalized communities, and grassroots movements throughout film history, Marco aims to bring a fresh breath of air into the modern landscape. At the moment he is ready to help bring other filmmakers projects to life as a Director, DP, and Producer.
Mandie Zamora | Director of Photography: Mandie is a Latin cinematographer with a deep passion for layered, emotionally-driven imagery. With a background in Comparative Literature from USC, her work blends theoretical insight with indie-rooted storytelling. Influenced by art, philosophy, and global cinema, she brings a painterly, intuitive approach to the frame—favoring natural light, intimate compositions, and visual symbolism. Having worked her way through the camera department, she values collaboration and experimentation, aiming to push boundaries while honoring the story. Mandie is committed to telling underrepresented narratives and crafting visuals that resonate beyond the screen.
YOUR PLEDGE IS GOING TOWARDS:
As emerging filmmakers, one of our biggest goals with this project is to create a piece that showcases our voices and opens doors for future work—for ourselves and for the talented team of up-and-coming artists we’re bringing on. Opportunities in this industry can be hard to come by, which is why we’re committed to making this a truly professional-level production on our own terms.
We’re aiming to raise the full budget through crowdfunding—and we have just 45 days to do it before we jump into official pre-production! Independent filmmaking isn’t possible without community support, and we’re so grateful to every single person who helps us bring this story to life! Thank you for being part of this with us!
That being said, our 10k budget will be used towards the following:
- Equipment to best capture the look and feel of the characters' environments and performances.
- Production Design to bring the director's vision to life.
- Wardrobe for our group of friends!
- Food + Crafty for our hardworking cast and crew. Feeding 15+ people every day for nearly a week of shooting sure adds up fast.
- Cast + Crew Stipends to thank the actors + crew who came together to bring this story together.
- Seed&Spark Fees to ensure each pledge raised actually goes towards the film! (Because, yes, crowdfunding also costs money).
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Meals & Crafty
Costs $1,000
We need to keep our hardworking cast and crew fed while they make movie magic!
Wardrobe
Costs $140
To make sure our lovely actors are camera ready!
Equipment & Gear
Costs $2,000
Lights, camera, action! All the proper tools we need to give our film the cinematic quality we envisioned!
Production Design
Costs $400
Every single detail of this story is important to capturing Ellie's unique story!
Production Staff
Costs $2,900
We can't make this film without the people! We want to properly compensate them for all their time and effort.
Seed&Spark Fees
Costs $300
We want to make sure every penny from your donations goes to this film!
Ellie's Apartment
Costs $1,800
Budget to bring Ellie's space to life!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Grace Fang | Writer/Director: Grace is an Asian-American writer, director, producer, and actress with a B.A. from UCLA in Psychology and Sociology and an M.S. from USC in Applied Psychology. She believes in media as a vehicle for fostering empathy and kindness, and hopes her stories will bring to life underrepresented perspectives. She is constantly inspired by coming-of-age films, the horrors of girlhood, and the beauty that is the human condition. She hopes her stories can move the audience and inspire the way so many of her idols do (Hirokazu Kore-eda, Bong Joon-Ho, Emma Seligman, and Diablo Cody)
The Virgin Agenda will be her first short-film and she’s excited to share a slightly unconventional experience!
Gracie Flores | Producer: Gracie is a Mexican-American writer, director, and producer from Los Angeles, California. She is the co-founder of Sonder Pictures, a community-driven production company dedicated to mutual aid, collective growth, and accessibility in independent filmmaking. Gracie is passionate about uplifting the voices of filmmakers of color and is especially drawn to stories exploring queer joy, layered family dynamics, and personal transformation. A recent graduate of Columbia University, Gracie has worked on productions for Lifetime and Hello Sunshine, and currently works as a Programs and Events Intern at the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP).
Amy Nuñez | Producer: Amy is a Peruvian-American writer, cinematographer, and producer based in Los Angeles. She is the co-founder of Sonder Pictures and currently works at the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), an organization whose mission is to inspire diverse creatives. Driven by NALIP’s mission, Amy brings the same spirit to Sonder, aiming to create space for emerging filmmakers to find community, create freely, and thrive within independent film. With experience across development, production, and marketing, she's driven to grow and hopes to bring forth stories that inspire, empower, and help others connect to themselves and one another.
Mandie Zamora | Director of Photography: Mandie is a Latin cinematographer with a deep passion for layered, emotionally-driven imagery. With a background in Comparative Literature from USC, her work blends theoretical insight with indie-rooted storytelling. Influenced by art, philosophy, and global cinema, she brings a painterly, intuitive approach to the frame—favoring natural light, intimate compositions, and visual symbolism. Having worked her way through the camera department, she values collaboration and experimentation, aiming to push boundaries while honoring the story. Mandie is committed to telling underrepresented narratives and crafting visuals that resonate beyond the screen.
Marco Muñoz | Line Producer: As an L.A. born and raised latino artist, Marco's life's work is dedicated to bringing dreams to the screen, exploring the many facets of the subconscious and exploring the space beyond the limitations of cinema, inspired by international latinx cinema, psychology, marginalized communities, and grassroots movements throughout film history, Marco aims to bring a fresh breath of air into the modern landscape. At the moment he is ready to help bring other filmmakers projects to life as a Director, DP, and Producer.