This is a Story About a Talking Cat
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, Fantasy
This is a Story About a Talking Cat is a surreal, heartfelt dramedy about the importance of human connection in a time when most people live in insolation. Join our hero on his journey as he re-learns the value of his life and relationships from the most unsuspecting of people... a talking cat.
This is a Story About a Talking Cat
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, Fantasy
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $36,082 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
203 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
This is a Story About a Talking Cat is a surreal, heartfelt dramedy about the importance of human connection in a time when most people live in insolation. Join our hero on his journey as he re-learns the value of his life and relationships from the most unsuspecting of people... a talking cat.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Guy is lonely. He thinks he might be losing his mind too. He spends all his days working from his one bedroom apartment. He aches with the hollowness of what life seems to be even as he feels it slipping away.
One day, Guy’s neighbor, Irma, leaves a note on his door about a surgery she needs to have and her cat, which needs looking after. Guy likes the idea that he is the type of person who’d take care of their neighbor’s cat, even though he doesn't particularly like cats. He agrees to do it.
A few days after taking the cat into his apartment, Guy gets a call that Irma didn’t survive the procedure. Things take a surrealist turn when Guy says something to the cat—as he's taken to doing—and, this time, the cat says something back. Now, Guy has to grapple with his apparent insanity, and everything undergirding it, as the cat grapples with the death of its only friend. At least they get to do it together.
This is a Story About a Talking Cat is only literally about a talking cat. At its core, it is a about an existential search for purpose in a confused and lonely world, it’s about communication, it’s about grappling with mental illness, and it’s about that feeling that it’s impossible to truly be understood by anyone else, until one day, someone just might understand, and that someone just might be a cat.
This is a Story About a Talking Cat blends comedy, surrealism, and drama throughout its story. We have taken a lot of inspiration from films such as Groundhog Day, The Truman Show, Lars and the Real Girl, Stranger than Fiction, and It's a Wonderful Life to craft the humor and pathos of our short. Our intent is to create a short that feels slightly larger-than-life while also resonating deeply with our audiences.
Here's the deal: filmmaking is hard. And one of the major reasons outside of the creative aspect is the financial one. If you're in the industry, you know this to be true. If you're not, you likely don't know how quickly costs add up.
Let's take a look at the budget of a couple hit indie films from over the years: Little Miss Sunshine, Palm Springs, and Anora.
Little Miss Sunshine cost $13.6 million (adjusted for inflation) and was shot over 30 days, costing approx. $453,333 per day.
Palm Springs cost $5 million and was shot over 21 days, costing approx. $238,095 per day.
Anora cost $6 million and was shot over a lengthy 37 days, costing approx. $162,000 per day.
THIS IS A STORY ABOUT A TALKING CAT IS BUDGETED FOR $45,000 OVER 5 DAYS OF FILMING.
That's a budget of $9,000 a day.
This may sound expensive on paper but as you can see, for a film of any size this is actually incredibly cheap. It's just a bit too high for us to finance it on our own. Which is why we would love for you to join us in the making of this film!
The budget we are seeking will be going to the following:
PRODUCTION EXPENSES: The brunt of our budget. This includes a fair wage for cast and crew, especially at a time when the film industry is struggling and many people are out of work, along with budgets for production design, costumes, camera and lighting equipment, permits, insurance, locations, meals, and of course our professionally trained cats and their wranglers.
POST-PRODUCTION EXPENSES: These expenses cover the editing, coloring, sound design, and music to bring our film to the finish line once we have completed the shoot.
FILM FESTIVAL SUBMISSIONS: These will cover some of the costs for us submitting the project to film festivals upon completion.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew
Costs $26,760
This budget will allow us to pay our cast and crew a fair rate for a 5 day short film shoot!
Equipment
Costs $9,040
This will allow us to be able to cover all expenses of camera and lighting equipment!
Locations
Costs $1,000
This will help us cover any location fees needed for our shoot!
Post-Production
Costs $3,200
This will allow us to pay our editing and sound team as they piece together the short once we finish filming!
Design and Costumes
Costs $2,000
This will allow us to build out the world of our short with production design and costumes that fit our style and vision!
Permits and Insurance
Costs $3,000
This will help cover our costs for filming permits in LA along with insurance to cover our equipment rentals.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
THE CAST
RICHARD ELLIS - GUY
Richard Ellis is an actor known for his compelling performances across various platforms. He gained recognition for his role in Netflix's I Am Not Okay With This and has made notable appearances on The CW's Walker, Paramount’s NCIS: Origins and ABC's The Rookie. Richard showcased his skills as part of the ensemble cast in the upcoming film, Dead Guy, alongside industry heavyweights Michael Shannon, Eva Longoria, and Judy Greer. Additionally, he has collaborated with acclaimed writer/director David Wain, on his upcoming Sundance movie Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass.
GINA HECHT - IRMA
Gina Hecht is an actress with a distinguished career in film, television, and theater spanning more than four decades. She first gained wide recognition for her role as Jeanie DaVinci on the hit sitcom Mork & Mindy and has appeared in notable films such as Night Shift and Seven Pounds. Hecht has guest‑starred on many beloved TV series including Glee, Seinfeld, Dexter, and General Hospital. Most recently, she can be seen as Carol Burd on the acclaimed television series Dave.
OLIVER & DODGER - MORGANA
Oliver and Dodger are cats.
THE CREW
RICHIE STARZEC - DIRECTOR / CO-WRITER
Richie Starzec is a Los Angeles-based director who came to prominence as the protégé of Edgar Wright. He began as Edgar's intern before working his way up to Edgar’s assistant on Baby Driver, The Sparks Brothers, and Last Night in Soho, after which he also took on the title of Edgar's Development Executive at Complete Fiction Pictures. Prior to that, Richie had stints at Marc Platt Productions and Annapurna Pictures and attended Wesleyan University's esteemed film school. His work has gone on to screen at San Luis Obispo Film Festival, SideWalk Film Festival, Marina Del Rey Film Festival, and Catalina Film Festival.
RJ SZUBA - CO-WRITER
RJ Szuba is a writer based in Los Angeles. He wrote This is a Story About a Talking Cat as a piece of short fiction before adapting it into a screenplay with Richie. RJ is currently enrolled in the MFA Programs in Writing at University of California, Irvine, where he teaches fiction to undergraduate students and is at work on a novel and a collection of short stories.
PAUL YURICK - PRODUCER
Paul Yurick is a versatile and accomplished producer who has led the production of high-level branded experiential and content campaigns for industry-leading companies such as Interscope Records, Netflix, Warner Bros., Billionaire Boys Club, the Sundance Film Institute, Diageo, Edelman Brand Agency, and more. With a portfolio of over 20 short-form projects, including music videos, commercials, documentaries, and narrative films, Paul continues to advance his career as a Producer and Executive Producer within long form entertainment with several projects in Post Production including Lear Rex, Breeder and an Alicia Keys documentary. His focus remains on collaborating with creatives to craft impactful stories that resonate with audiences worldwide.
HAYLEY ORRANTIA - PRODUCER
Hayley Orrantia is an actress and producer best known for her decade-long portrayal of Erica Goldberg on ABC’s hit sitcom The Goldbergs. In addition to her success on screen, Hayley has cultivated a dynamic career in music, having written and independently released original music as an indie pop artist, toured nationally, performed in the Broadway musical Kinky Boots at The Hollywood Bowl, placed as runner-up on Season 6 of FOX’s The Masked Singer, and written and performed songs for films she’s starred in, including Lionsgate rom-com Christmas is Canceled and the Pureflix feature God's Not Dead 2. Hayley has gone on to produce multi-award-winning short films such as All Four One (dir. Nick Galarza) taking home Best Crime Short at the Independent Shorts Awards and Joe (dir. Greg Furman) landing Best Comedy Short at the Burbank International Film Festival. Driven by a passion for authentic storytelling and belief in the importance of supporting artists, Hayley continues to develop and champion original projects in the independent film space.
SEAN CONTE - DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Sean Conte is based in Los Angeles working as a cinematographer in commercials, films and music videos. He’s shot for world-renowned clients including Nike, Lululemon, LucasFilm, Turkish Airlines, W Hotels, Intuit, OPI, Dermalogica, UGG, Simplehuman, Ad Council and many more. Sean’s work has taken him around the globe, giving him international production experience in places like Norway, Italy, France, Jordan, Turkey, Dubai, Kauai, Mexico & Canada. Sean is a recipient of the 2020 ASC Vision Mentorship Program, paired with Oscar-nominated Robert Yeoman, ASC (Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom, Love & Mercy). One of Sean’s recent short films, Bite the Hand — a drama starring Liana Liberato (Hulu’s Light as a Feather) — was nominated for best cinematography at the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival.
ANUSHA HALWAI - 1ST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Anusha is a South Asian filmmaker brought up in India, based in LA. She hold a BFA degree in Visual and Media Arts Production from Emerson College. Her work ranges from narrative short films, illustrations, photography and 2D Animation that highlight themes of tender human relationships and the race between humans and wildlife. Her work has been selected and screened at festivals such as 34th Boston Film Festival, Oscar-qualifying Flicker's Rhode Island International Film Festival and Pebbles Underground Film and Video Art Festival. She mainly works as Writer/Director, 1st Assistant Director, Producer in the indie industry and takes immense joy and pride in making things happen while fostering a feeling of community.
TALIA LIDIA - EDITOR
Since her youth, Talia Lidia González has been passionate about storytelling and making films. Versed in a variety of genres and with a deep knowledge of VFX, she is known as a collaborative, out of the box thinker, who champions and strives to actualize the creatives vision for the project. Her credits include the critically acclaimed DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, 12 Monkeys and most recently The Company You Keep.
.png)
JAMIE EMBER - CASTING DIRECTOR
Jamie Ember was most recently the co-casting director, alongside Joseph Middleton, for Colleen Hoover's Reminders of Him for Universal; and the casting director for the feature film Thelma (2024) - for which she was nominated for an Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Studio or Independent Comedy Feature. Jamie's other recent credits include The Recruit seasons 1 and 2 for Netflix and The Instigators for Apple. She was also the co-casting director on National Anthem (2024) and Snag (2023).
DAN LIGHT - COMPOSER
Dan Light is an LA-based film and TV composer whose recent work includes CBS’s Matlock, Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and Peacock’s Twisted Metal. Dan began his career at Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Productions. He has since collaborated with composers including Zach Robinson and Leo Birenberg, contributing music to scores for Netflix’s Wrestlers, Roku’s Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and Netflix’s The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox. Dan has worked with Richie on his previous short films Young Blood and One Last Thing.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Guy is lonely. He thinks he might be losing his mind too. He spends all his days working from his one bedroom apartment. He aches with the hollowness of what life seems to be even as he feels it slipping away.
One day, Guy’s neighbor, Irma, leaves a note on his door about a surgery she needs to have and her cat, which needs looking after. Guy likes the idea that he is the type of person who’d take care of their neighbor’s cat, even though he doesn't particularly like cats. He agrees to do it.
A few days after taking the cat into his apartment, Guy gets a call that Irma didn’t survive the procedure. Things take a surrealist turn when Guy says something to the cat—as he's taken to doing—and, this time, the cat says something back. Now, Guy has to grapple with his apparent insanity, and everything undergirding it, as the cat grapples with the death of its only friend. At least they get to do it together.
This is a Story About a Talking Cat is only literally about a talking cat. At its core, it is a about an existential search for purpose in a confused and lonely world, it’s about communication, it’s about grappling with mental illness, and it’s about that feeling that it’s impossible to truly be understood by anyone else, until one day, someone just might understand, and that someone just might be a cat.
This is a Story About a Talking Cat blends comedy, surrealism, and drama throughout its story. We have taken a lot of inspiration from films such as Groundhog Day, The Truman Show, Lars and the Real Girl, Stranger than Fiction, and It's a Wonderful Life to craft the humor and pathos of our short. Our intent is to create a short that feels slightly larger-than-life while also resonating deeply with our audiences.
Here's the deal: filmmaking is hard. And one of the major reasons outside of the creative aspect is the financial one. If you're in the industry, you know this to be true. If you're not, you likely don't know how quickly costs add up.
Let's take a look at the budget of a couple hit indie films from over the years: Little Miss Sunshine, Palm Springs, and Anora.
Little Miss Sunshine cost $13.6 million (adjusted for inflation) and was shot over 30 days, costing approx. $453,333 per day.
Palm Springs cost $5 million and was shot over 21 days, costing approx. $238,095 per day.
Anora cost $6 million and was shot over a lengthy 37 days, costing approx. $162,000 per day.
THIS IS A STORY ABOUT A TALKING CAT IS BUDGETED FOR $45,000 OVER 5 DAYS OF FILMING.
That's a budget of $9,000 a day.
This may sound expensive on paper but as you can see, for a film of any size this is actually incredibly cheap. It's just a bit too high for us to finance it on our own. Which is why we would love for you to join us in the making of this film!
The budget we are seeking will be going to the following:
PRODUCTION EXPENSES: The brunt of our budget. This includes a fair wage for cast and crew, especially at a time when the film industry is struggling and many people are out of work, along with budgets for production design, costumes, camera and lighting equipment, permits, insurance, locations, meals, and of course our professionally trained cats and their wranglers.
POST-PRODUCTION EXPENSES: These expenses cover the editing, coloring, sound design, and music to bring our film to the finish line once we have completed the shoot.
FILM FESTIVAL SUBMISSIONS: These will cover some of the costs for us submitting the project to film festivals upon completion.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew
Costs $26,760
This budget will allow us to pay our cast and crew a fair rate for a 5 day short film shoot!
Equipment
Costs $9,040
This will allow us to be able to cover all expenses of camera and lighting equipment!
Locations
Costs $1,000
This will help us cover any location fees needed for our shoot!
Post-Production
Costs $3,200
This will allow us to pay our editing and sound team as they piece together the short once we finish filming!
Design and Costumes
Costs $2,000
This will allow us to build out the world of our short with production design and costumes that fit our style and vision!
Permits and Insurance
Costs $3,000
This will help cover our costs for filming permits in LA along with insurance to cover our equipment rentals.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
THE CAST
RICHARD ELLIS - GUY
Richard Ellis is an actor known for his compelling performances across various platforms. He gained recognition for his role in Netflix's I Am Not Okay With This and has made notable appearances on The CW's Walker, Paramount’s NCIS: Origins and ABC's The Rookie. Richard showcased his skills as part of the ensemble cast in the upcoming film, Dead Guy, alongside industry heavyweights Michael Shannon, Eva Longoria, and Judy Greer. Additionally, he has collaborated with acclaimed writer/director David Wain, on his upcoming Sundance movie Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass.
GINA HECHT - IRMA
Gina Hecht is an actress with a distinguished career in film, television, and theater spanning more than four decades. She first gained wide recognition for her role as Jeanie DaVinci on the hit sitcom Mork & Mindy and has appeared in notable films such as Night Shift and Seven Pounds. Hecht has guest‑starred on many beloved TV series including Glee, Seinfeld, Dexter, and General Hospital. Most recently, she can be seen as Carol Burd on the acclaimed television series Dave.
OLIVER & DODGER - MORGANA
Oliver and Dodger are cats.
THE CREW
RICHIE STARZEC - DIRECTOR / CO-WRITER
Richie Starzec is a Los Angeles-based director who came to prominence as the protégé of Edgar Wright. He began as Edgar's intern before working his way up to Edgar’s assistant on Baby Driver, The Sparks Brothers, and Last Night in Soho, after which he also took on the title of Edgar's Development Executive at Complete Fiction Pictures. Prior to that, Richie had stints at Marc Platt Productions and Annapurna Pictures and attended Wesleyan University's esteemed film school. His work has gone on to screen at San Luis Obispo Film Festival, SideWalk Film Festival, Marina Del Rey Film Festival, and Catalina Film Festival.
RJ SZUBA - CO-WRITER
RJ Szuba is a writer based in Los Angeles. He wrote This is a Story About a Talking Cat as a piece of short fiction before adapting it into a screenplay with Richie. RJ is currently enrolled in the MFA Programs in Writing at University of California, Irvine, where he teaches fiction to undergraduate students and is at work on a novel and a collection of short stories.
PAUL YURICK - PRODUCER
Paul Yurick is a versatile and accomplished producer who has led the production of high-level branded experiential and content campaigns for industry-leading companies such as Interscope Records, Netflix, Warner Bros., Billionaire Boys Club, the Sundance Film Institute, Diageo, Edelman Brand Agency, and more. With a portfolio of over 20 short-form projects, including music videos, commercials, documentaries, and narrative films, Paul continues to advance his career as a Producer and Executive Producer within long form entertainment with several projects in Post Production including Lear Rex, Breeder and an Alicia Keys documentary. His focus remains on collaborating with creatives to craft impactful stories that resonate with audiences worldwide.
HAYLEY ORRANTIA - PRODUCER
Hayley Orrantia is an actress and producer best known for her decade-long portrayal of Erica Goldberg on ABC’s hit sitcom The Goldbergs. In addition to her success on screen, Hayley has cultivated a dynamic career in music, having written and independently released original music as an indie pop artist, toured nationally, performed in the Broadway musical Kinky Boots at The Hollywood Bowl, placed as runner-up on Season 6 of FOX’s The Masked Singer, and written and performed songs for films she’s starred in, including Lionsgate rom-com Christmas is Canceled and the Pureflix feature God's Not Dead 2. Hayley has gone on to produce multi-award-winning short films such as All Four One (dir. Nick Galarza) taking home Best Crime Short at the Independent Shorts Awards and Joe (dir. Greg Furman) landing Best Comedy Short at the Burbank International Film Festival. Driven by a passion for authentic storytelling and belief in the importance of supporting artists, Hayley continues to develop and champion original projects in the independent film space.
SEAN CONTE - DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Sean Conte is based in Los Angeles working as a cinematographer in commercials, films and music videos. He’s shot for world-renowned clients including Nike, Lululemon, LucasFilm, Turkish Airlines, W Hotels, Intuit, OPI, Dermalogica, UGG, Simplehuman, Ad Council and many more. Sean’s work has taken him around the globe, giving him international production experience in places like Norway, Italy, France, Jordan, Turkey, Dubai, Kauai, Mexico & Canada. Sean is a recipient of the 2020 ASC Vision Mentorship Program, paired with Oscar-nominated Robert Yeoman, ASC (Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom, Love & Mercy). One of Sean’s recent short films, Bite the Hand — a drama starring Liana Liberato (Hulu’s Light as a Feather) — was nominated for best cinematography at the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival.
ANUSHA HALWAI - 1ST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Anusha is a South Asian filmmaker brought up in India, based in LA. She hold a BFA degree in Visual and Media Arts Production from Emerson College. Her work ranges from narrative short films, illustrations, photography and 2D Animation that highlight themes of tender human relationships and the race between humans and wildlife. Her work has been selected and screened at festivals such as 34th Boston Film Festival, Oscar-qualifying Flicker's Rhode Island International Film Festival and Pebbles Underground Film and Video Art Festival. She mainly works as Writer/Director, 1st Assistant Director, Producer in the indie industry and takes immense joy and pride in making things happen while fostering a feeling of community.
TALIA LIDIA - EDITOR
Since her youth, Talia Lidia González has been passionate about storytelling and making films. Versed in a variety of genres and with a deep knowledge of VFX, she is known as a collaborative, out of the box thinker, who champions and strives to actualize the creatives vision for the project. Her credits include the critically acclaimed DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, 12 Monkeys and most recently The Company You Keep.
JAMIE EMBER - CASTING DIRECTOR
Jamie Ember was most recently the co-casting director, alongside Joseph Middleton, for Colleen Hoover's Reminders of Him for Universal; and the casting director for the feature film Thelma (2024) - for which she was nominated for an Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Studio or Independent Comedy Feature. Jamie's other recent credits include The Recruit seasons 1 and 2 for Netflix and The Instigators for Apple. She was also the co-casting director on National Anthem (2024) and Snag (2023).
DAN LIGHT - COMPOSER
Dan Light is an LA-based film and TV composer whose recent work includes CBS’s Matlock, Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and Peacock’s Twisted Metal. Dan began his career at Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Productions. He has since collaborated with composers including Zach Robinson and Leo Birenberg, contributing music to scores for Netflix’s Wrestlers, Roku’s Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and Netflix’s The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox. Dan has worked with Richie on his previous short films Young Blood and One Last Thing.