Nearly one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage. And yet, for something so common, it remains remarkably difficult to talk about.

Miscarriage is often treated as a private sorrow, but its impact reaches into marriages, friendships, faith communities, and families. It reshapes futures. It changes the way people see themselves and each other.

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE exists because we've seen—and personally experienced—how many people carry this grief silently.

We've spoken with mothers and fathers who still remember due dates years later. We've met couples who never learned how to talk about their loss because no one around them knew how to talk about it either.

This film is for them.

Not to provide answers or an easy resolution.

But to create space for honesty.

To remind people that grief is not something to "get over," and that hope does not arrive by forgetting what was lost.

Let's get into the story.

Joe and Francis are ready to become parents.

Their lives are filled with the small, beautiful moments that come before a child arrives: late-night conversations in the kitchen, ultrasound photos taped to the fridge, arguments over baby names, quiet dreams about the future. For the first time in a long time, everything feels certain.

Then, in an instant, it’s gone.

After a devastating miscarriage, the world they built begins to fracture. Joe buries himself in silence, unable to face the weight of the loss. Francis tries desperately to hold onto hope while grieving a future she already loved. Their home grows quieter. Their conversations become shorter. The distance between them feels impossible to cross.

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE is an intimate, emotionally raw portrait of grief, love, and the quiet ways people fall apart when they don’t know how to heal. Told through restrained performances, naturalistic imagery, and deeply human moments, the film explores what happens after the casseroles stop arriving, after the sympathy texts fade away, after life expects you to move on.

But beneath the heartbreak is something else: hope.

This is not just a film about miscarriage. It’s a film about finding hope after loss, learning how to carry grief together, and discovering that even after heartbreak, there can still be a future worth reaching for.

Our approach to the film.

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE belongs to a tradition of film that trusts its audience. That understands a long pause can hold more than a monologue. That two people who love each other can be the source of each other's loneliness. We are interested in two people who wanted the same thing, lost it together, and are now navigating the grief in completely different languages—while still sharing a bed, a kitchen, a faith, a life.

We are not interested in melodrama. We are interested in truth.

Because grief is rarely loud. Most often, it looks like making coffee for someone you're angry with.

It looks like folding baby clothes you never got to use.

It looks like sitting beside someone you love and feeling impossibly far away.

Those are the moments this film is built to capture. That tension, which is quiet, specific, achingly recognizable, is where our story lives. 

We are filmmakers who desire to tell honest, raw stories about grief, love, and hope after loss.

If you want to invest in next-gen storytelling, YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE is for you.

Let's remember the ones we never met.

Backers are invited to submit the name of the ones they never met. All names will be written into Francis' journal and used as a working prop in the film.

How We'll Use Your Support

Independent films are built on the generosity of people who believe stories matter. Every contribution to YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE helps us create a film that treats grief, love, and hope with the care and honesty they deserve. Our goal is not simply to make a short film, but to create a meaningful piece of storytelling that can reach audiences who may see their own experiences reflected on screen.

Here's how your support will be used:

Crew & Production Team — $4,000

Great stories require great collaborators. A significant portion of our budget is dedicated to compensating the talented crew members helping bring this film to life. From cinematography and production support to sound, lighting, and on-set logistics, these artists and technicians are the foundation of the film.

Independent filmmaking often relies on people sacrificing time, resources, and energy because they believe in the story. We want to honor that commitment by ensuring our team is fairly compensated for their work.

Production & Post-Production — $5,000

This portion of the budget covers the practical costs of creating the film itself. Production expenses include locations, equipment, art direction, wardrobe, meals, transportation, insurance, and the countless details required to bring a story from script to screen.

Once filming is complete, post-production begins. This includes editing, sound design, color correction, music, and final finishing work that shape the emotional experience of the film. Much of the story's intimacy and impact will be crafted during this stage.

These investments ensure the film looks and sounds as polished and professional as the story deserves.

Distribution & Film Festivals — $6,000

Making the film is only the beginning. We want YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE to reach audiences around the world through film festivals, screenings, and distribution opportunities.

Festival submission fees, marketing materials, promotional assets, travel costs, screening expenses, and distribution preparation all require significant resources. This portion of the budget allows us to give the film the strongest possible life after production wraps.

Our hope is that the film will not only find success on the festival circuit, but also spark meaningful conversations about grief, miscarriage, marriage, and healing in communities that need them.

Beyond the Numbers

Every dollar helps transform a deeply human story into something that can connect with audiences long after the credits roll.

When you support YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE, you're not simply funding a film. You're helping create space for conversations that are often left unspoken. You're helping honor the memories of children who were deeply loved, even if they were never met. And you're helping bring a story of loss, resilience, and hope into the world.

Thank you for believing in this project and in the power of storytelling.