This campaign is now closed! Thank you for donating!

This campaign for "Ennui" managed to meet its fundraising goal within the first 24 hours that it was live. We are so grateful for the massive amount of support we have received! Because of this, we have decided to end the run of the campaign earlier than scheduled. 

While you are more than welcome to read all about our production plans below, we request that you please do not donate anything else! 

Thank you so much,
The "Ennui" Team

Logline:
After receiving unfortunate news about her mother’s health, a desensitized girl speaks to a friend about her family’s declining state.

Equipment – $600 

We are very lucky to have crew members with access to their own equipment, but with this being a summer production, we can’t rely on UT’s Moody Equipment Checkout for equipment rentals. Thus, the majority of our budget will be reserved for equipment rentals since we aren’t able to check-out essentials such as C-stands, flags, clamps, etc. from UT. 

Location Fee – $100 

We plan on shooting on location at some College Station classics like Laynes or Koppe Bridge. 

Gas – $100 

Our crew resides mostly in Austin and will need to make the trip to and from College Station. It is our hope to cover some of the costs for gas for the few crew members who will be making the commute.

Meals – $250 

Our shoot will last approximately two days, and since this is a small crew we are planning on putting a greater emphasis on our meals rather than crafty since we will be out and about frequently and unable to set up elaborate craft services

Crafty – $100 

A fed crew is a happy crew and we aspire to keep our crew happy and hydrated! You know it, hydrate or diedrate, and since we are shooting a majority of our scenes outdoors in the hot Texas sun we are planning on having copious amounts of water and a decent portion of nutritious snacks to make sure our crew is comfortable and satiated.

Film Festival Submissions ~$50 

We have high hopes for this production and would love to submit our work to a few festivals in the upcoming year. Festival fee’s aren’t exceptionally high but they are not free, so would like to allocate a small portion of our budget to this.

TOTAL: $1,200

Director/Cinematographer – Athená Polymenis
A fourth year Radio-Television-Film student at the University of Texas at Austin, Athená owns a small business, Polymenis Photography which has expanded her knowledge and interest in cinematography and camera work. She has contributed to many short films primarily through producing and assistant directing roles, such as her work on award winning “I’m New” by Marlon Rubio Smith. Athená has had many varied experiences as a child of immigrants and intends to share her stories of ethnic dysphoria, but first she wants to share her stories and experiences as a child of a terminally ill parent.

Producer – Avery Gann
A fourth year Radio-Television-Film student at the University of Texas at Austin, Avery has worked on several student projects and recently directed and produced her own short film, “Before It Buries You.” She has done freelance videography through the University Co-op for national conventions and intends on becoming a full time editor after graduation. Her cinematic voice derives from her experiences with disability and medical crises at a young age.

Assistant Camera and Gaffer – Sofia Leal
A fourth year Radio-Television-Film student at the University of Texas at Austin, Sofia has interest in all things cinematography related. A vibrant voice in the RTF community, Sofia has been involved in various short film productions in a multitude of roles. We are so excited to welcome her to our crew as such a valued member!

With regards to this specific production, Athená wishes to spread awareness on the isolation and numbing effects of terminal illness on family members. Most media focuses on the diagnosed member and not the effects a diagnoses has on a whole family unit, and we are intent on creating a piece of work that highlights these struggles and this unique pain. We also want to shed some light on the frustrating and almost dooming nature of healthcare in the United States. It takes an unfortunate amount of privilege to navigate terminal illnesses and most are not so lucky to have the knowledge or support to make it through.

Making a short film during the summer without the resources or support of our university is no joke. The costs are higher, the physical conditions are tougher, and as most students are off during the summer - the challenge to find crew is real. With that being said we aren’t going to let our situation stop us. As a female led and mostly female crew/production, both Athená and Avery strive to create equitable productions where a variety of peoples are present as we are intent on supporting and increasing the multitude of voices in indie filmmaking.

Your help is invaluable! Any amount you are able to donate is extremely appreciated. If you aren’t in a position to donate anything please consider spreading the word, this link, or any of the social media posts regarding this information! All and any help makes such a difference for a small production like ours, and we are so grateful for anything you can offer us!

If you want to keep up with our film's progress or continue supporting us, feel free to follow us on our Production Company's Instagram @oniriosfilms for more!