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Milkweed - UT Undergraduate Thesis Film

Milkweed - UT Undergraduate Thesis Film

Milkweed - UT Undergraduate Thesis Film

Milkweed - UT Undergraduate Thesis Film

Milkweed - UT Undergraduate Thesis Film

An inexperienced caretaker, struggles to break through to her newly assigned patient.

An inexperienced caretaker, struggles to break through to her newly assigned patient.

An inexperienced caretaker, struggles to break through to her newly assigned patient.

An inexperienced caretaker, struggles to break through to her newly assigned patient.

Yatziry Nava
Yatziry Nava
Yatziry Nava
Yatziry Nava
1 Campaign |
Austin, United States
$788 USD 14 backers
15% of $5,050 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
12 days left

Milkweed - UT Undergraduate Thesis Film

Milkweed delves deep into the intricacies of chronic illness and the therapeutic power of people. Central to the film is the exploration of how an illness can take over a person’s life, isolating them physically and emotionally, quieting the zest of one’s livelihood. Through our main character’s evolving relationship, the film touches on themes of hopelessness, resilience, and acceptance. 

Keep reading to find out more about our team!

Estela Riera-Vales, Writer/Director

Estela Riera-Vales, Writer/DirectorEstela is a fourth year Radio-Television-Film student, with a concentration in Directing and Cinematography. She has directed 4 projects thus far in college, and Milkweed will be her 5th. Some of her recent projects include the narrative shorts Curita, and Dejame Volar, which won 3rd place at the Texas Union Film Festival and earned the EMA Green Seal for Production. As this is her final semester at UT before graduating, she is super excited to take on this last undergrad project with her incredible team.

Yatziry Nava, Producer

Yatziry NavaYatziry Nava is a graduating RTF senior at the University of Texas at Austin. Her interests lie in the intersection of music and visual storytelling with a concentration in Audio Engineering and Cinematography. She hopes to continue creating stories that center the inner self through the use of rasquachismo techniques. Having starred in two of Estela’s films, she is no stranger to the dedication and care poured into these projects. Producing Milkweed is a special honor to her as it brings a close to her collaboration with Estela in their undergrad journey. She is thrilled to work with such a talented cast and crew to bring this cathartic film to life. 

Kacey Perez-Foss, Director of Photography

Kacey Perez-Foss, Director of PhotographyKacey Perez-Foss is a filmmaker from San Antonio, Texas, and a graduate from University of Texas at Austin’s Radio-Television-Film program. Starting with an interest in photography as a kid, her curiosity and passion for filmmaking developed throughout high school and continues to grow in her time as a freelance filmmaker. With every set she’s a part of, she intends to implement environmentally friendly filmmaking practices that will hopefully become standard in the near future. She believes filmmaking is an art form, a mode of communication and education, a space for innovation and above all, a collective effort.

Sophia Rossetti, Assistant Director

Sophia Rossetti, Assistant Director

Sophia Rossetti is a senior RTF student at the University of Texas at Austin. Over the past 4 years, she has been able to direct several films, her most recent being Virginia. She has collaborated with Estela countless of times and is so excited for what will unfold with Milkweed.

Karla Villegas, Production Designer

Karla Villegas is a latina filmmaker from McAllen Texas. Her heart lies in narratives with a whimsical/magical element that really let her imagination run wild! Her specialty lies in production design and documentary production. 

Jane Nam is a second year Radio-Television-Film major at the University of Texas at Austin. 
She is an aspiring production designer, and loves designing the worlds where characters truly come to life!

Budget Breakdown

What We Need:

We're looking to raise $5,050 for our film to cover location costs, production design, craft services and meals for our crew, and any other expenses that come up while under production. We want to make sure our cast and crew have the best of what is available, and we can't do that without your help! 

Here's a breakdown of our estimated costs:

Equipment & Transportation ($680): While the school will provide most of our equipment, there are some things we'll need to rent out to help this film look the best it can. We're allocating part of our budget for rentals to make sure we can get everything that our crew needs for this film!

Locations ($1,500): We have a specific look in mind for this film and the heart of it takes place in rural Texas in a farm which means we will be renting out our location for the 4 days of shooting. 

Meals & Crafty ($1,300): This is the most important part of any production! We want to make sure our cast and crew are properly fed and energized while filming. We're looking to provide one meal a day, as well as snacks throughout our shoot. We're also implementing as many sustainability initiatives as we can to make this a green set. This includes compostable plates and utensils as well as a communal water dispenser for the cast and crew!

Art Department ($870): Visuals are one of the most important parts of filmmaking, and we want to make sure our vision is realized without compromise. This fund will cover any props our production designers will need to buy or make in order to create the home our characters live in. It also includes the SFX MU that will be needed to accurately portray the scars our character has.

Contingency ($250): Something you learn through the filmmaking process is that things go wrong! Our contingency fund will cover anything that might be out of our control and other costs that might've been missed. 

Distribution ($200): Any leftover funds will go towards distributing the film and festival runs!

 

Director's Note

The idea for Milkweed was inspired by my abuela Rosa, who lived with a heart condition for most of her life. I wanted to create a story that encapsulates the experience of living with a chronic illness and the profound impact it has on both the individual and their caretaker. I was particularly drawn to exploring the dynamic between a caregiver and their patient—what it means to step into someone else's world, to intimately understand a life shaped by illness, and to bear witness to their struggles and resilience.

With this film, I wanted to offer a glimpse into that reality—the complexities, the hardships, and the profound emotional shifts that occur when someone lives for a long time without being at their best. Over time, this kind of experience changes not only the person enduring it but also the people who care for them.

I was never able to see my abuelita near the time of her passing, so Milkweed serves as a heartfelt letter to her—a way to honor, commemorate, and remember her life and legacy.

 

Other Ways You Can Help

Below are some of the ways you can help support Milkweed if you are unable to contribute financially:

Follow us on Instagram: Stay updated with our project by following @milkweed.film and share our campaign with your friends, family, and followers! The more people who know about our project, the more likely we are to reach our fundraising goal.

Engage with our Instagram posts: Like, comment on, and share our Instagram posts about the film. Engaging with our content helps boost its visibility and reach a wider audience.

Offer resources or services (In-kind): If you have access to resources or services that could benefit our film, such as equipment, locations, or catering, consider reaching out to us at milkweedfilm@gmail.com !

Use the Indiegogo share tools: Help us spread the word about our campaign by using the Indiegogo share tools to reach more people and generate more support.

We appreciate it all. It truly does take a team- and that includes you!

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Choose your Perk

Social Media Thanks

$5 USD
Estimated Shipping
May 2025
1 claimed

Special Thanks in the Credits

$10 USD
8 claimed

Signed Script

$25 USD
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May 2025
2 claimed

Thank You Video

$50 USD
Estimated Shipping
May 2025
1 claimed

BTS Photo Album

$75 USD
0 claimed
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Signed Set Piece

$150 USD
Estimated Shipping
May 2025
0 claimed
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Associate Producer Credit

$200 USD
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"Making of Milkweed" Video

$350 USD
Estimated Shipping
June 2025
0 claimed
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Executive Producer Credit

$1,000 USD
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A Day at the Lake

$5,000 USD
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