Synopsis
18-YEAR OLD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT NICO is in love with three things: New York, music, and his best friend, Jonathan. But nobody knows about that last part.
Nico has been thinking of skipping prom, but he didn’t think he’d actually do it. He has instead spent the night thinking if he should finally confess his feelings for his best friend. His evening, however, gets interrupted by an SOS text from a drunk Jonathan. The next thing you know, Nico is flooring the gas down the streets of Jersey City for a late-night rescue mission. Two teenage boys and tipsy talk end up being the perfect formula for a night of big decisions and big secrets, which all unravel as Nico and Jonathan try to make their way home before sunrise.
Homebound is a short film dedicated to the search for home—whether it’s a place, a thing, or even a person—lensed through the eyes of a young gay Filipino immigrant living in Jersey City.
Behind the film
ANJELICA FLORENDO (Co-Director | Producer) moved to the US in 2017 to pursue her dreams of making it big in the creative industry, where she produces work as a filmmaker, photographer, and an independent musician. She is currently a post-production producer and has worked on brands such as Louis Vuitton, Tory Burch, Pantene, Carolina Herrera, and L’Oreal.
MARTIN DIEGOR (Co-Director | Writer) immigrated to the US with his mom in 2016. He is an art director focusing on luxury, fashion, and lifestyle, and has worked on projects for Tiffany & Co., Salvatore Ferragamo, Tommy Hilfiger, Topshop, and Vera Wang.
AKIN (Producing Partners) is a creative platform whose purpose is to showcase the works of artists of color and celebrate culture in a way that is more than exclusive. AKIN's mission is to increase the representation of artists of color in the entertainment, music, film, studio art, literary, and media industries by sharing works of art that communicate cultural stories on various forms of media.
Our experiences as Filipinos in America have always revolved around the idea of home—whether it’s longing for the one you left, searching for it in a foreign land, or finding it in the welcome of newfound friends—which led us to the story of Nico and Jonathan, two friends who found home in one another, whose secrets might affect the future of their friendship.
Why do we want to make this film?
In 2016, there are roughly 1.9 million Filipinos in the US (migrationpolicy.org, 2018) and yet our stories are hard to come by in the media. This short film aims to tackle the issues of uprooting and settling in a new country, the cultural differences between US-born and Philippine-born Filipinos, and the modern layers of identity, love, family, and friendship.
Exploring layers of queer identity, love, and friendship, Homebound is a film that tackles the modern issues of uprooting and settling in a new country and the cultural nuances between Filipinos and Filipino-Americans.
Where will the money go?
Our goal is to produce Homebound in the same production quality as the shows and movies that you’ve loved and enjoyed before. Think along the lines of Perks of Being A Wallflower or even the recent Netflix hit To All The Boys I Loved Before.
To do this, your contributions will go to:
- Camera, light, and sound equipment rental
- Talent fees for cast and crew
- Location permits
- Post-production
- Marketing and screening the film
Risks & Challenges
A possible delay in production is unavoidable if we don’t get enough funds to shoot. The film happens on prom night, which generally happens in between the months of March and June. And because a majority of the film will be shot outdoors, it may not be a good idea to subject our actors and actresses to cold Fall winds in prom dresses and swanky PJs.
We have managed to lock down a talented and versatile team, and in the small amount of time that we’ve been here, we have built a network of extremely talented creatives from all sorts of backgrounds that we can tap, for any production needs.
But we want this film to happen. It’s a long overdue story we both have been working on since 2017, so we are determined to overcome any obstacle that comes our way, despite delay.