The Weekend is a short proof of concept for a feature length, grounded, romantic work of science fiction. Showcasing the talents of an all AAPI cast with Indonesian leads, this story explores themes that resonate in the current world - otherness, feeling of not belonging, loss, and love.
The Weekend is a short proof of concept for a feature length, grounded, romantic work of science fiction. Showcasing the talents of an all AAPI cast with Indonesian leads, this story explores themes that resonate in the current world - otherness, feeling of not belonging, loss, and love.
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Story
Mission Statement
We are filmmakers passionate about telling diverse API stories. We firmly believe that an Indonesian lead, romantic, sci-fi film is well overdue.About The Project
As of August 25th, we were 100% FUNDED, as of August 27th, we hit Stretch Goal #1 THANK YOU! YOUR follows, YOUR contributions, and YOUR shares have gotten us where we are today. We could not have done this without YOU and we can not thank YOU enough.
BUT WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP! Here are our upcoming stretch goals:
STRETCH GOAL #1 - $17,000 DONE!
STRETCH GOAL #2 - $20,000 - DONE! Better lighting, better grip gear, and the drone of our dreams
STRETCH GOAL #3 - $25,000 - Compensate our composer, editors, sound mixers, and visual artists for their work
ULTRA-STRETCH GOAL #1 - $30,000 - Secure a shooting location in Joshua Tree, Professional color grading and extra VFX shotsBecause of you, we can get THE WEEKEND through production. Now let's try and clear our ultra-stretch goal!
I was born in a Balinese rice field to an Indonesian father and Polish mother. I had an international family with mixed cultures and found that a feeling of otherness or not belonging came with the territory. Growing up with Balinese fairytales fueled my imagination and has made me gravitate towards stories of the unknown, sci-fi, and fantasy. These stories may be set in far off worlds, but they tackle weighty issues that affect us here and now while immersing us in a sensory smorgasbord.
There is nothing more important to me than inclusion on our screens. Growing up, and even now as an adult, I have never seen an Indonesian lead character in mainstream, western media. THE WEEKEND changes this. I hope to do my part by bringing compelling, insightful, and most of all, entertaining stories to life on screen. I believe we can create the best of both worlds with THE WEEKEND; producing great entertainment with universal themes while also sparking a deeper conversation about identity and representation. We have a talented team, and with your help, I know we can pull off a completely original and enthralling film.
Josh, a young man still recovering from his sister’s death, reluctantly joins a weekend getaway at his friend Michelle’s house. The weekend unravels awkwardly as Josh navigates his secret feelings for Michelle and her possessive boyfriend, Mike. To make matters worse, at night, a strange Indonesian woman visits him in his dreams, forcing Josh to question his own grip on reality. It all comes to a head when Josh finds Michelle floating face down in the pool and can’t resuscitate her. Overwhelmed with the loss of his unrequited love, Josh unleashes a massive pulse of energy that takes him on a new and unexpected path.
THE WEEKEND draws inspiration from "Ragnarok", "Fast Color" and "Roswell: New Mexico". A grounded, romantic, other-wordly story. The discovery of the supernatural in everyday life.
The look of THE WEEKEND will be polished, cinematic, and rich in color, despite having a predominantly cool pallette. Wide sweeping masters to establish the environment, mixed with smooth, flowing camera moves and long lenses to give a feeling of intimacy.
There is also an element of fantasy to the visual style, evident when Josh is "visited" by the Old Woman in his dreams. These moments will be reminiscent of T'Challas visit to the Ancestral Plane in Black Panther.
We are aiming to have a diverse crew, including AAPI and genders. Passionate, hard working, talented, hailing from all across the globe, etc.
THE WEEKEND was written by award-winning, mixed Indonesian director - Soma Helmi - who has a passion for genre films, especially grounded sci-fi. She has always been drawn to telling stories of otherness while staying true to her multi-cultural roots. She was named one of the “8 Directors to Watch” by the Alliance of Women Directors and has had her work screened at Sundance, Outfest, and Tallgrass Film Festival, amongst many others.
Yoshi Sudarso is an Actor based out of Los Angeles. He moved to Southern California from Indonesia at the age of nine. He portrayed the Blue Power Ranger on the long running TV series, "Power Rangers" on several seasons. Yoshi has worked on multiple films and TV shows, including Project Power, The Maze Runner, and Agents of Shield. He debuted his film career in Indonesia as “Suwo” the lead of “Buffalo Boys,” a spaghetti western set in the East and Singapore’s 2018 entry to the Oscars.
Born in China, raised in Boston, Massachusetts. Steven Yee is the founder of Wood Island Media, a production company specializing in celebrity, branded, and social content. Clients include Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings, Kourtney Kardashian’s Poosh, Lebron James’s SpringHill Entertainment, and many more. Although Wood Island Media has primarily focused in the commercial space, Steven’s heart has always been in narrative filmmaking. When he moved out to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film production, he realized the importance of representation in media and the responsibility we carry as content creators.
Anna Levine spent the last 4 years serving as the creative architect of DUST, a brand that is the definitive taste-making source for emerging voices in the science fiction space. In partnership with Gunpowder & Sky, Levine worked to develop multiple feature and TV adaptations of DUST properties. Prior, Anna started Geek World Radio, where she served as a producer and correspondent, often lending her services to Cinefix, Anime Vice, ComicsOnline, Cox Media’s The Point, and others. In addition to her new role as Head of Creative for The Open Door Film Project, Anna is currently an independent producer, speaker, and digital consultant.
Abby Latip is a Chinese-Indonesian actor from Jakarta, Indonesia. Graduating with a degree in Sociology and never imagining she’d end up in film, Abby made a serendipitous move to LA and quickly landed leading roles in indie projects such as “The Followers” and “Heir.” She also worked on various projects with the likes of Buzzfeed, Refinery29, Warner Music, and WeTV. Recently, Abby co-produced and acted in a short that was filmed in isolation and is now under consideration at a number of festivals around the world.
The funds we aim to raise will go directly to our production costs. They will be divided and allocated to all the various, necessary, and oftentimes expensive duties and obligations that come with production, including but not limited to payment to the cast, payment to the crew, camera and lighting gear purchases and rentals, securing locations, securing transportation, ensuring quality catering and craft services are provided, locking in insurance, providing set safety, and procuring wardrobe.
And while we are grateful for your support in handling these areas of the production, this amount still means that we will be asking a lot of favors from our friends and film community. It also doesn't take into account our post production costs. Which brings us to...
STRETCH GOAL #1 - $17,000
- Cover campaign, pre-production and production costs
- Secure a Steadicam for a day of shooting
STRETCH GOAL #2 - $20,000
- Better lighting, better grip gear, and the drone of our dreams
STRETCH GOAL #3 - $25,000
- Compensate our composer, editors, sound mixers, and visual artists for their work
ULTRA-STRETCH GOAL #1 - $30,000
- Secure a shooting location in Joshua Tree
- Professional color grading and extra VFX shots
ULTRA-STRETCH GOAL #2 - $35,000
- Compensate our cast and crew with a competitive rate for their incredible work
- We’d be able to fully realize the complete vision of The Weekend with no restraints!
WHAT LIES BEYOND
- Everything beyond our second Ultra-Stretch Goal goes to funding The Weekend’s next phase – marketing, festival costs, and developing its feature-length concept!
Now more than ever, we understand if you find yourself unable to make a monetary pledge. However, there are still many ways you could offer our project your highly appreciated support. Reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any services or items that you would like to donate or loan to our production. We would be happy to reward you with credit in the film, and in some special cases, advertising.
Here is a small sample of some of the puzzles, obstacles, and goals that we would love some assistance in figuring out.
Primary Filming Location (Secluded Holiday Home)
Lodging Near Our Joshua Tree, CA Location
A Drone
A Steadicam and an Operator
An Underwater Camera
Craft Services (Snacks, Bottled Water, and Coffee. Lots of Coffee)
Ground Transportation
Production Assistants
A Medic
Last but not least, and perhaps most importantly, we would be thrilled if you would follow us on Seed & Spark and share our project on your own social media. Help us spread the word about our work. In each and every way, no matter how big or small, you are all part of THE WEEKEND team, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your time, attention, and assistance.
Want to stay updated on all things THE WEEKEND and get to know our talented creatives a bit more? You can follow them and these projects at:
Instagram: @the_weekendshort
Yoshi's socials: IG @yoshi_sudarso Twitter @yoshi_sudarso
Soma's socials: IG @somahelmi Twitter @somahelmiHere are some blurbs you can share to help spread the word:
Excited to support my talented friends @somahelmi and @yoshi_sudarso for their upcoming sci-fi short. An Indonesian director and Indonesian American leads! Hope you’ll be able to support their crowdfunding campaign! www.theweekendshort.com
Just supported @somahelmi and @yoshi_sudarso for their upcoming sci-fi short. An all AAPI cast with Indonesian American leads! Please check out their crowdfunding campaign! www.theweekendshort.com
Incentives
$5
Cherished
- Animated Phone Wallpaper
You've just become a valued contributor to The Weekend! Thank you! To show you just how much we cherish your involvement, we're going to give you an animated phone wallpaper version of our striking movie poster! LIMITED TIME ONLY so get it while it's available.
$25
Awakened
- Digital Copy of the Film
- Group Social Media Shoutout
Welcome to The Weekend team! For your support, we will send you a digital copy of our short film once it's complete for you to watch in the comfort of your own home. Not only that, we'll mention you in an upcoming group social media shoutout, singing your high praises from the heavens and letting everyone know what a valuable contributor you are to our project!
$50
Illuminated
- Digital Download of the Soundtrack
- Previous Tier Reward
You've gone above and beyond, and for that, you deserve a little something in return. Once the film is completed, we'll send you a copy of the film for you to view in the comfort of your own home as well as our amazing soundtrack by composer (name coming soon), so you can be swept away by the tones and atmosphere of The Weekend any time you want.
$50
Timely (EARLY BIRD REWARD)
- Digital Download of the Film
- Digital Download of the Soundtrack
- Digital Copy of the Script
- Digital Copy of the Movie Poster
- Special Thank You in the Credits
- All Previous Tier Rewards
You're early to the party! For that, we thought we'd reward you with our complete digital goodie package and a very special and well-deserved THANK YOU in our credits! We appreciate you being one of our first supporters to back this amazing project, and we can't wait to continue our journey with you!
Sold Out!
$100
Gifted
- Digital Copy of the Script
- Digital Copy of the Movie Poster
- Special Thank You in the Credits
- All Previous Tier Rewards
Wow! You've just signed up for the complete digital package, making your The Weekend digital goodie bag complete! And not only are you supporting our project, you have just become part of our project. Your name will be immortalized forever with a well-deserved THANK YOU in our credits. Welcome to the family!Claimed: 32 of 50
$250
Chosen
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Access to Exclusive Behind the Scenes Footage
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Digital Post Card Signed by Director and Cast
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All Previous Tier Rewards
During our production, we will record and send to you some exclusive behind the scene footage that you won't see anywhere else. Additionally, you've been chosen as the recipient of a digital post card signed on set by the director and cast. Wish you were here!
Claimed: 6 of 25
$500
Enlightened
- Live, Remote, 15 Minute Group Set Visit
- All Previous Tier Rewards
Wish you could experience the excitement of production up close and personal? Now you can while still remaining in the comfort of your own home. Tune in at a designated time, and we'll bring you live to the set of The Weekend for a quick group video conference and an inside peek into what we're cooking up!
Claimed: 4 of 5
$800
Revealed
- Director's Prep for Success Class with Director Soma Helmi
- Exclusive Reward Not Included with Higher Tiers
Surprise! For our first surprise reward, we'd like to offer up an invitation to attend a workshop with director Soma Helmi and gain access to an insider's view on how she prepares to shoot her projects. Learn what kind of planning, dedication, and skills go into a film like The Weekend so that you can begin planning out your very own project!
Claimed: 0 of 3
$1,000
Honored
- Invitation to an Online Table Read by the Cast
- Previous Tier Rewards Apart From Exclusive Rewards
We're happy to bring you even deeper into our ranks. Join the team as we review the script and see the process from the inside out as you are welcomed into a very special online table read. This is when the magic truly begins to happen, so we can't wait to bring you in on the process and have you check out how it's all coming together!
Claimed: 2 of 5
$1,250
Unleashed
- Private Group Call with Yoshi & Soma
- Previous Tier Rewards Apart From Exclusive Rewards
Craving a little more interaction with our creative leads? Say no more. Now, you can carve out some private one on one time between you, our director Soma Helmi, and our lead actor Yoshi Sudarso. We're happy to answer your questions about this production or the art of moviemaking in general. Join us. We can't wait to get to know you!
Claimed: 0 of 3
$2,500
Ascended
- Associate Producer Credit
- Previous Tier Rewards Apart From Exclusive Rewards
You've just hopped on board The Weekend Team as a valued Associate Producer! Not only will you be thanked in the credits, in accordance with a previous tier reward, you will now be highlighted as a crucial component in bringing this project together. Thanks, partner!
Claimed: 2 of 3
$5,000
Transcended
- Executive Producer Credit
- Previous Tier Rewards Apart From Exclusive Rewards
Wow! You've just joined the team at its highest level as an Executive Producer! Not only will you receive the rewards listed for all the below incentives, but your name will be prominently featured in the credits in your new role, letting everyone know how instrumental you have been towards bringing this project to life. Welcome to Hollywood!
Sold Out!
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$5
Cherished
- Animated Phone Wallpaper
You've just become a valued contributor to The Weekend! Thank you! To show you just how much we cherish your involvement, we're going to give you an animated phone wallpaper version of our striking movie poster! LIMITED TIME ONLY so get it while it's available.
$25
Awakened
- Digital Copy of the Film
- Group Social Media Shoutout
Welcome to The Weekend team! For your support, we will send you a digital copy of our short film once it's complete for you to watch in the comfort of your own home. Not only that, we'll mention you in an upcoming group social media shoutout, singing your high praises from the heavens and letting everyone know what a valuable contributor you are to our project!
$50
Illuminated
- Digital Download of the Soundtrack
- Previous Tier Reward
You've gone above and beyond, and for that, you deserve a little something in return. Once the film is completed, we'll send you a copy of the film for you to view in the comfort of your own home as well as our amazing soundtrack by composer (name coming soon), so you can be swept away by the tones and atmosphere of The Weekend any time you want.
$50
Timely (EARLY BIRD REWARD)
- Digital Download of the Film
- Digital Download of the Soundtrack
- Digital Copy of the Script
- Digital Copy of the Movie Poster
- Special Thank You in the Credits
- All Previous Tier Rewards
You're early to the party! For that, we thought we'd reward you with our complete digital goodie package and a very special and well-deserved THANK YOU in our credits! We appreciate you being one of our first supporters to back this amazing project, and we can't wait to continue our journey with you!
Sold Out!
$100
Gifted
- Digital Copy of the Script
- Digital Copy of the Movie Poster
- Special Thank You in the Credits
- All Previous Tier Rewards
Wow! You've just signed up for the complete digital package, making your The Weekend digital goodie bag complete! And not only are you supporting our project, you have just become part of our project. Your name will be immortalized forever with a well-deserved THANK YOU in our credits. Welcome to the family!Claimed: 32 of 50
$250
Chosen
-
Access to Exclusive Behind the Scenes Footage
-
Digital Post Card Signed by Director and Cast
-
All Previous Tier Rewards
During our production, we will record and send to you some exclusive behind the scene footage that you won't see anywhere else. Additionally, you've been chosen as the recipient of a digital post card signed on set by the director and cast. Wish you were here!
Claimed: 6 of 25
$500
Enlightened
- Live, Remote, 15 Minute Group Set Visit
- All Previous Tier Rewards
Wish you could experience the excitement of production up close and personal? Now you can while still remaining in the comfort of your own home. Tune in at a designated time, and we'll bring you live to the set of The Weekend for a quick group video conference and an inside peek into what we're cooking up!
Claimed: 4 of 5
$800
Revealed
- Director's Prep for Success Class with Director Soma Helmi
- Exclusive Reward Not Included with Higher Tiers
Surprise! For our first surprise reward, we'd like to offer up an invitation to attend a workshop with director Soma Helmi and gain access to an insider's view on how she prepares to shoot her projects. Learn what kind of planning, dedication, and skills go into a film like The Weekend so that you can begin planning out your very own project!
Claimed: 0 of 3
$1,000
Honored
- Invitation to an Online Table Read by the Cast
- Previous Tier Rewards Apart From Exclusive Rewards
We're happy to bring you even deeper into our ranks. Join the team as we review the script and see the process from the inside out as you are welcomed into a very special online table read. This is when the magic truly begins to happen, so we can't wait to bring you in on the process and have you check out how it's all coming together!
Claimed: 2 of 5
$1,250
Unleashed
- Private Group Call with Yoshi & Soma
- Previous Tier Rewards Apart From Exclusive Rewards
Craving a little more interaction with our creative leads? Say no more. Now, you can carve out some private one on one time between you, our director Soma Helmi, and our lead actor Yoshi Sudarso. We're happy to answer your questions about this production or the art of moviemaking in general. Join us. We can't wait to get to know you!
Claimed: 0 of 3
$2,500
Ascended
- Associate Producer Credit
- Previous Tier Rewards Apart From Exclusive Rewards
You've just hopped on board The Weekend Team as a valued Associate Producer! Not only will you be thanked in the credits, in accordance with a previous tier reward, you will now be highlighted as a crucial component in bringing this project together. Thanks, partner!
Claimed: 2 of 3
$5,000
Transcended
- Executive Producer Credit
- Previous Tier Rewards Apart From Exclusive Rewards
Wow! You've just joined the team at its highest level as an Executive Producer! Not only will you receive the rewards listed for all the below incentives, but your name will be prominently featured in the credits in your new role, letting everyone know how instrumental you have been towards bringing this project to life. Welcome to Hollywood!
Sold Out!
- Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
Born to an Indonesian father and a Polish mother, the Bali native began her career as an art director for J. Walter Thompson in Jakarta and later worked as a creative assistant for Catherine Hardwicke. Helmi directed all 20 episodes of Season 3 of Snapchat’s original series The Dead Girls Detective Agency, and her work has screened at Sundance, Outfest and Amazon’s New Voices Film Festival, among many others. Named one of the “eight directors to watch” by the Alliance of Women Directors, she was a participant in Blackmagic Collective’s Future Women of TV 2020 initiative before going on to create and become program director for Blackmagic’s Breakthrough Initiative for BIPOC TV writers and directors.
Yoshi Sudarso is an Actor based out of Los Angeles. He moved to Southern California from Indonesia at the age of nine. He portrayed the Blue Power Ranger on the long running TV series, "Power Rangers" on several seasons. Yoshi has worked on multiple films and TV shows, including Project Power, The Maze Runner, and Agents of Shield. He debuted his film career in Indonesia as “Suwo” the lead of “Buffalo Boys,” a spaghetti western set in the East, Singapore’s 2018 entry to the Oscars.
Born in China, raised in Boston, Massachusetts. Steven Yee is the founder of Wood Island Media, a production company specializing in celebrity, branded, and social content. Clients include Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings, Kourtney Kardashian’s Poosh, Lebron James’s SpringHill Entertainment, and many more. Although Wood Island Media has primarily focused in the commercial space, Steven’s heart has always been in narrative filmmaking. When he moved out to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film production, he realized the importance of representation in media and the responsibility we carry as content creators.
Anna Levine spent the last 4 years serving as the creative architect of DUST, a brand that is the definitive taste-making source for emerging voices in the science fiction space. In partnership with Gunpowder & Sky, Levine worked to develop multiple feature and TV adaptations of DUST properties. Prior, Anna started Geek World Radio, where she served as a producer and correspondent, often lending her services to Cinefix, Anime Vice, ComicsOnline, Cox Media’s The Point, and others. In addition to her new role as Head of Creative for The Open Door Film Project, Anna is currently an independent producer, speaker, and digital consultant.
Abby Latip is a Chinese-Indonesian actor from Jakarta, Indonesia. Graduating with a degree in Sociology and never imagining she’d end up in film, Abby made a serendipitous move to LA and quickly landed leading roles in indie projects such as “The Followers” and “Heir.” She also worked on various projects with the likes of Buzzfeed, Refinery29, Warner Music, and WeTV. Recently, Abby co-produced and acted in a short that was filmed in isolation and is now under consideration at a number of festivals around the world.
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