Rahma is the thesis film of a team of MFA students at Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.
Our titular character, Rahma,
is a young woman who was born into a society, which shuns her and fears her
super powers. She is one of the last remaining “Birth Weepers,” a long line of
women with super powers who have died fighting for their freedom. In our story,
Rahma faces the ultimate test when she must decide between staying safely
hidden and using her powers to help those in need.
Our short film will tell Rahma's super hero origin story. It is the story of a strong woman of color. Every day more and more super hero stories are told where the hero is of diverse gender, ethnicity, and/or skin color. Rahma's story contributes to this wonderful trend.
Mood Reel
How You Can Help
It takes many individual elements working in sync to make a movie, even a short one. Your contributions will go towards:
- Hiring a casting director to help us find top-notch talent to portray the roles in this dramatic tale.
- Hiring a stunt coordinator to help us safely film our climactic scene.
- Location rentals and permit fees.
- Set dressing for authentic interiors.
- Practical effects to make Rahma's powers come to life.
- Special camera, grip, and electric equipment.
- Makeup and wardrobe.
- Transportation for cast.
- Meals for cast and crew.
- Stock footage for authentic exteriors.
- Hard drives for our footage and for visual effects.
- Film festival entry fees.
All funds we raise will go towards the making of the film, even if we do not reach our goal or if we exceed our goal.
In return for your support, we have some exciting perks to offer, including:
- T-Shirts
-
Rahma poster prints
- Behind-the-scenes Polaroids with a caption from a cast or crew member
- Hand-made, original Pyrographic artwork inspired by the movie
The Impact
We are combining our love for epic tales with our desire for more diverse representation in media. We hope to convey characters people will relate to despite the characters' extraordinary circumstances. We want to inspire our audience to research legends from all cultures.
Our movie is about empowerment. We hope to contribute to the growing amount of stories about great women and hope that female super hero popularity will continue to grow.
Risks & Challenges
We will have a limited amount of time and resources to make our movie, but that is part of the fun. Our time at Dodge and our past experience making short films have prepared us to face this challenge. We are currently preparing in earnest and look forward to sharing our journey with all of our supporters.
Other Ways You Can Help
Even if you cannot donate, you can show your support by sharing this page with people you know. Use the links below the teaser trailer video to share this campaign with others!
The Team
Rakan Sindi - Director
Rakan Sindi was born and
raised in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and has been fascinated by the art of
filmmaking ever since. He started his filmmaking journey by completing his
Bachelors of Arts degree in Visual Communications with a minor in Cinema
Studies at American University in Washington D.C. and is currently
finishing up his M.F.A at Chapman University Dodge College of Film and
Media Arts. He has made several short films, including The Yellow Attic, which was accepted into the Noor Iranian Film Festival this year. He's been inspired by super hero stories ever since seeing Batman as a child. His favorite movie is The Dark Knight. He is driven to carry the
cinematic art back to his home country to entertain,
educate and motivate the lives of millions of people.
Naomi Rivas - Producer
Naomi has been in love with stories ever since she learned to read. She is a self-proclaimed nerd, with an acute affinity toward stories with magical elements. After completing her Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication Production and minor in Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Florida, she decided to delve further into the art of storytelling through motion pictures. As an MFA Producing candidate at Chapman University, she has had numerous incredible opportunities, including producing two short films, attending the Sundance Film Festival as an audience member, and completing a TV development internship at Lionsgate. In the future, she hopes to continue telling stories about amazing female characters and the magical worlds that they inhabit.
John Manning - Cinematographer
John graduated from Mount San Jacinto College with Associate Degrees in Humanities, Social Behavioral Sciences, and Liberal Arts; and Humboldt State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre, Film and Dance. John is currently studying for his Master of Fine Arts in Cinematography at Chapman University in Orange, CA, under Bill Dill, ASC, and Johnny Jensen, ASC.
John shows stories, drawing on his social science background, depicting real characters in their real time and place.
Roger Bacon - Editor
Roger
Bacon fostered an early love for film in his home town of North
Providence, Rhode Island. He was one of eight members of the 2012
graduating class of the University of Rhode Island to triple major, a
feat accomplished in just four years. Upon graduation he moved to
Southern California and was one of 15 students selected for the Editing
Emphasis of Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Art MFA
Program. Upon gaining his masters he hopes to continue to work towards
his goal of editing feature films.
Lauren Israel - Production Designer
Lauren was
born in Long Beach, California. She graduated from UC Berkeley in May
2013, and will be receiving her MFA in Production Design at Chapman
University in 2015. Lauren hopes to combine her love of art and film in
her career in the art department in the film/animation industry.
Youning Gao - Sound Designer
Youning Gao was
born in Qingdao, China. She studied at the prestigious Communications
University of China where she got her foundation in the various disciplines of
filmmaking. She sharpened her chops working on short films, TV shows,
advertisements, and documentaries. She moved to the United States soon after,
to focus on editing and sound design.
Jon Milano - First Assistant Director
Jon Milano was
born and raised in New Jersey. He has been drawn to different cultures
and enjoys telling their stories through film. He is also a life time
member of The Women in Film Foundation. He
has been working in the Film and Television industry since 2006 and
holds a B.F.A in Film Studies and is currently a M.F.A Candidate at
Chapman University's Dodge College.