The Patients
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Family
The Patients tells the story of a loving, yet lukewarm family learning to heal in the age of #MeToo. How do you open up when you're the type of folks that don't ask for help? They struggle to turn a trending topic into a real-life conversation; stumbling to connect in their own unique way.
The Patients
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Family
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $18,955 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
226 supporters | followers
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The Patients tells the story of a loving, yet lukewarm family learning to heal in the age of #MeToo. How do you open up when you're the type of folks that don't ask for help? They struggle to turn a trending topic into a real-life conversation; stumbling to connect in their own unique way.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
THE STORY
After a “bad fight” with her boyfriend, Regina Santos (low-achieving woman in her 30’s) ends up in the ER where her Dad works as a doctor. Upon hearing the news, her accomplished older brother, Steven, and supermom older sister, Maryann, descend upon the hospital to offer help, but find that their actions only push Regina away. In her state of trauma, all Regina wants is to see her mom for comfort. But, her mother Rose avoids her; unable to cope with the shame of the event. Regina seeks surprising virtual help that opens up her eyes to her situation, empowering her and her family to communicate and support one another in their own unique way.
THE CAST
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#METOO
This film borrows from events in my own life.
I, Tess Paras, actress/writer/filmmaker, am an intimate partner abuse and sexual assault survivor. The #MeToo movement has inspired me to share a survivors side of the story: years of therapy, the impact on relationships, on my family. When trauma happens, it affects everyone.
My vision for the film is to unpack how, in my first-generation Asian-American family, comfort doesn’t look like the way one might expect. Every family has its own unique way of operating, and nothing tests that more than when trauma happens.
We are amongst a diverse proliferation of valuable #MeToo stories and this film shines a light on a specific, underrepresented slice of life within the aftermath.
IMPACT
Nearly one in four women in the United States have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner during their lifetime (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
But for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the statistic can be higher, with 21 to 55 percent of Asian women reporting physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner during their lifetime (Asian and Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence).
My goal with The Patients is to tell the story of an AAPI survivor and her family around her, in the hopes that when folks see it, they might be able to start an important talk with their loved ones.
YOUR SUPPORT IS VITAL TO TELLING THIS STORY
This project is being produced under the SAG-AFTRA short project agreement. Funds donated will cover production AND post-production costs, including the location (our hospital standing set in Burbank, CA), film permits, production insurance, editing and visual effects, wages and meals for our cast & crew.
If you believe that representation matters, donate.
If you believe that diverse Asian Representation matters (not just the rich ones!), donate.
If you believe in inclusion behind the camera, donate.
If you believe in the arts to help break boundaries in times when people need stories of compassion, please donate.
The entire team behind The Patients thanks you for your support. Since every phase of this production is crowdfunded - from development, to production, and post-production, we hope that you’ll share our filmmaking mission with others and help us achieve our goal.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
HOSPITAL SET
Costs $2,500
Your support will sponsor the location, permit fees, and insurance for our emergency room set.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Costs $1,200
Your support will go towards our amazing post team and bring ourVFX vision for The Patients to life!
CAST
Costs $2,500
Our film is produced under the SAG Short Project agreement. Help us cover union wages for this film!
DREAM TEAM
Costs $6,500
Support our crew: camera dept, sound, production design, grip & electric, hair & makeup, and PA's!
Equipment & Data
Costs $800
Help us cover various rentals for our camera department as well as data management equipment!
Production Insurance
Costs $900
Help us with our production insurance to support the safety of our crew and equipment!
PROPS & SET DESIGN
Costs $800
Help us make create this hospital world!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Tess Paras is currently the Assistant Director of the 2019 CBS Diversity Comedy Sowcase. She recurs as “Erin” on the forthcoming season of the Amazon Studios’ series, Just Add Magic and as “Jayma Chan” on the CW’s Crazy-Ex Girlfriend (featuring the first Filipino-American family on primetime television). She is most recognized for her role as “Dana Tomas” on NBC’s hit drama, Grimm (introducing the first Filipino-American storyline on primetime television). Other notable TV credits include: Girl Meets World, White Collar, Mulaney, Wilfred, Weeds, and The Good Wife. Tess just wrapped a pilot presentation for YouTube Red entitled, “She Said Yes!” in the lead role opposite Margaret Cho. She will also be seen in the upcoming independent feature, Blackout.
As a comedy writer, her viral videos - "Trumping Makeup Tutorial" (over 3 million combined views on Facebook and YouTube), “Typecast” and “What If Catcalls Were Cheeseburgers?” - were featured on: Glamour.com, Perez Hilton, Refinery29, NBC Asian America, MTV News, Jezebel, Buzzfeed, Slate, The Wrap, Angry Asian Man, and The A.V. Club. Tess was a cast member in the 2014 CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase and performs regularly with Quick and Funny Musicals! and the Asian AF Show at The Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Theatre in Los Angeles. She graduated magna cum laude from New York University. Tess Paras is represented by Gersh (Talent & Literary).
Ludovica Isidori is an Italian cinematographer with an MFA in Cinematography from the American Film Institute. With a background in fashion photography, she has a fierce sense of style and an eye for beautiful imagery that she uses to serve her storytelling. Ludovica Isidori was selected as one of the 30 filmmakers of Project Involve and her films have screened around the world, from Cannes to Shanghai, from SXSW to the HBO short film competition. Between 2017 and 2018, Ludovica received three prizes for best cinematography, for her shorts Intercept (Dir. Jackie Stone) and Peggie, co-created with Rosario Capozzolo. For more about Ludo, check out www.ludovicaisidori.com
Teresa Lee is a stand-up comedian that has written for Good Mythical Morning, Cracked and MTV’s “Middle of the Night Show”. She’s been featured on NBC Asian America and was a semi-finalist on Standup NBC. She's also appeared in Rhea Butcher and Cameron Esposito's “Take My Wife”. She has played in festivals including the Laughing Skull Festival, Women in Comedy Festival, Bird City Comedy Festival, Brooklyn Comedy Festival, Crom Comedy Festival, and The Comedy Comedy Festival. She has also performed at notable venues and shows such as The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, Upright Citizen's Brigade, The Punchline in SF, The Comedy Store Main Room, Laugh Factory Chicago and more. She was featured on Elizabeth Banks’ emerging comedy website WhoHaha as a Funny Lady of the Week. Teresa has written comedy for Funny Or Die, College Humor 2, Reductress, and Splitsider. She graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where she received her BFA in Dramatic Writing, with a double major in French and a minor in Pre-Business Studies from Stern Business School, and currently lives in Los Angeles with a rescue dog that can see ghosts.
She has been described by others as sweet, thought provoking, smart, and unable to take a hint. Oh, wait that last one was just her ex. And he was right. (I'm outside your window, Brad.)
Natalie Blake is a coordinator and designer for film, television, and event production.
A graduate of Northeastern University with a BFA in Graphic Design, her love for crafting started at the tender age of 10, when she started a custom-beaded headband business and sold her designs to her peers. She brings her keen eye for detail and resourceful spirit to each project, infusing her designs with the Japanese aesthetic principles of wabi-sabi and shibusa.
As Leonard Koren would say, "Pare down the essence, but don't remove the poetry."
Lakan Deleon is an expert in creative and online editing for television, feature films and commercials. He is a senior editor at Digital Film Tree and has served many roles at DFT since 2002. Lakan has worked on countless hours of programming over the years on shows such as Scrubs, Everybody Hates Chris, Cougartown, Angie Tribeca and Wrecked. Lakan has also edited creative projects, including the video game documentary Moral Kombat and the screenwriter biopic Mardik: Baghdad to Hollywood. He is a Los Angeles native and a proud pinoy.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
THE STORY
After a “bad fight” with her boyfriend, Regina Santos (low-achieving woman in her 30’s) ends up in the ER where her Dad works as a doctor. Upon hearing the news, her accomplished older brother, Steven, and supermom older sister, Maryann, descend upon the hospital to offer help, but find that their actions only push Regina away. In her state of trauma, all Regina wants is to see her mom for comfort. But, her mother Rose avoids her; unable to cope with the shame of the event. Regina seeks surprising virtual help that opens up her eyes to her situation, empowering her and her family to communicate and support one another in their own unique way.
THE CAST
#METOO
This film borrows from events in my own life.
I, Tess Paras, actress/writer/filmmaker, am an intimate partner abuse and sexual assault survivor. The #MeToo movement has inspired me to share a survivors side of the story: years of therapy, the impact on relationships, on my family. When trauma happens, it affects everyone.
My vision for the film is to unpack how, in my first-generation Asian-American family, comfort doesn’t look like the way one might expect. Every family has its own unique way of operating, and nothing tests that more than when trauma happens.
We are amongst a diverse proliferation of valuable #MeToo stories and this film shines a light on a specific, underrepresented slice of life within the aftermath.
IMPACT
Nearly one in four women in the United States have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner during their lifetime (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
But for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the statistic can be higher, with 21 to 55 percent of Asian women reporting physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner during their lifetime (Asian and Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence).
My goal with The Patients is to tell the story of an AAPI survivor and her family around her, in the hopes that when folks see it, they might be able to start an important talk with their loved ones.
YOUR SUPPORT IS VITAL TO TELLING THIS STORY
This project is being produced under the SAG-AFTRA short project agreement. Funds donated will cover production AND post-production costs, including the location (our hospital standing set in Burbank, CA), film permits, production insurance, editing and visual effects, wages and meals for our cast & crew.
If you believe that representation matters, donate.
If you believe that diverse Asian Representation matters (not just the rich ones!), donate.
If you believe in inclusion behind the camera, donate.
If you believe in the arts to help break boundaries in times when people need stories of compassion, please donate.
The entire team behind The Patients thanks you for your support. Since every phase of this production is crowdfunded - from development, to production, and post-production, we hope that you’ll share our filmmaking mission with others and help us achieve our goal.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
HOSPITAL SET
Costs $2,500
Your support will sponsor the location, permit fees, and insurance for our emergency room set.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Costs $1,200
Your support will go towards our amazing post team and bring ourVFX vision for The Patients to life!
CAST
Costs $2,500
Our film is produced under the SAG Short Project agreement. Help us cover union wages for this film!
DREAM TEAM
Costs $6,500
Support our crew: camera dept, sound, production design, grip & electric, hair & makeup, and PA's!
Equipment & Data
Costs $800
Help us cover various rentals for our camera department as well as data management equipment!
Production Insurance
Costs $900
Help us with our production insurance to support the safety of our crew and equipment!
PROPS & SET DESIGN
Costs $800
Help us make create this hospital world!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Tess Paras is currently the Assistant Director of the 2019 CBS Diversity Comedy Sowcase. She recurs as “Erin” on the forthcoming season of the Amazon Studios’ series, Just Add Magic and as “Jayma Chan” on the CW’s Crazy-Ex Girlfriend (featuring the first Filipino-American family on primetime television). She is most recognized for her role as “Dana Tomas” on NBC’s hit drama, Grimm (introducing the first Filipino-American storyline on primetime television). Other notable TV credits include: Girl Meets World, White Collar, Mulaney, Wilfred, Weeds, and The Good Wife. Tess just wrapped a pilot presentation for YouTube Red entitled, “She Said Yes!” in the lead role opposite Margaret Cho. She will also be seen in the upcoming independent feature, Blackout.
As a comedy writer, her viral videos - "Trumping Makeup Tutorial" (over 3 million combined views on Facebook and YouTube), “Typecast” and “What If Catcalls Were Cheeseburgers?” - were featured on: Glamour.com, Perez Hilton, Refinery29, NBC Asian America, MTV News, Jezebel, Buzzfeed, Slate, The Wrap, Angry Asian Man, and The A.V. Club. Tess was a cast member in the 2014 CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase and performs regularly with Quick and Funny Musicals! and the Asian AF Show at The Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Theatre in Los Angeles. She graduated magna cum laude from New York University. Tess Paras is represented by Gersh (Talent & Literary).
Ludovica Isidori is an Italian cinematographer with an MFA in Cinematography from the American Film Institute. With a background in fashion photography, she has a fierce sense of style and an eye for beautiful imagery that she uses to serve her storytelling. Ludovica Isidori was selected as one of the 30 filmmakers of Project Involve and her films have screened around the world, from Cannes to Shanghai, from SXSW to the HBO short film competition. Between 2017 and 2018, Ludovica received three prizes for best cinematography, for her shorts Intercept (Dir. Jackie Stone) and Peggie, co-created with Rosario Capozzolo. For more about Ludo, check out www.ludovicaisidori.com
Teresa Lee is a stand-up comedian that has written for Good Mythical Morning, Cracked and MTV’s “Middle of the Night Show”. She’s been featured on NBC Asian America and was a semi-finalist on Standup NBC. She's also appeared in Rhea Butcher and Cameron Esposito's “Take My Wife”. She has played in festivals including the Laughing Skull Festival, Women in Comedy Festival, Bird City Comedy Festival, Brooklyn Comedy Festival, Crom Comedy Festival, and The Comedy Comedy Festival. She has also performed at notable venues and shows such as The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, Upright Citizen's Brigade, The Punchline in SF, The Comedy Store Main Room, Laugh Factory Chicago and more. She was featured on Elizabeth Banks’ emerging comedy website WhoHaha as a Funny Lady of the Week. Teresa has written comedy for Funny Or Die, College Humor 2, Reductress, and Splitsider. She graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where she received her BFA in Dramatic Writing, with a double major in French and a minor in Pre-Business Studies from Stern Business School, and currently lives in Los Angeles with a rescue dog that can see ghosts.
She has been described by others as sweet, thought provoking, smart, and unable to take a hint. Oh, wait that last one was just her ex. And he was right. (I'm outside your window, Brad.)
Natalie Blake is a coordinator and designer for film, television, and event production.
A graduate of Northeastern University with a BFA in Graphic Design, her love for crafting started at the tender age of 10, when she started a custom-beaded headband business and sold her designs to her peers. She brings her keen eye for detail and resourceful spirit to each project, infusing her designs with the Japanese aesthetic principles of wabi-sabi and shibusa.
As Leonard Koren would say, "Pare down the essence, but don't remove the poetry."
Lakan Deleon is an expert in creative and online editing for television, feature films and commercials. He is a senior editor at Digital Film Tree and has served many roles at DFT since 2002. Lakan has worked on countless hours of programming over the years on shows such as Scrubs, Everybody Hates Chris, Cougartown, Angie Tribeca and Wrecked. Lakan has also edited creative projects, including the video game documentary Moral Kombat and the screenwriter biopic Mardik: Baghdad to Hollywood. He is a Los Angeles native and a proud pinoy.