The Story

A college football athlete struggles through a make-or-break scrimmage as haunting visions collide with him on the field. Rhythmic. Bodily. Evocative.

Elijah is at the top of his game, the “turning point” between mediocrity and greatness. But even with his given success the question that floats in his mind is “Are you willing to sacrifice everything for what you love?” He is overwhelmed with his desire to reap that which he has sown, because at this point how do you turn back? It is not that he has lost his love for football but an upheaval is occurring in the chrysalis of his craft. The inspiration for every ran route, spectacular catch, and successful block didn’t come from hours spent watching tape or record broken but was the outcome of moments his heart flew in the light of his family.

Directors' Statements

As a three-sport athlete, I strived for nothing more than to make the people around me feel seen and to improve my effectiveness as a member of a team. I was the teammate who prayed before every kick-off, filled in for every position on the soccer field, and sacrificed my position as a track runner to help boost our pole vaulting program.

Unlike Elijah, for me, the game was bigger than a 1 and 0, and a W in the win/loss column was a byproduct of my team's ability to come together. It was about family. The ones you’re born into and the ones you choose to gain. My ability to connect with the ambition of this film occurred when my cousin Phillip was taken from me. It made me reflect on my own ambition as a storyteller and where I felt the most love.

The only place I felt a deep sense of accountability likened to my cousin Phillip was under the floodlights, in the dead of fall, next to teammates who would do anything to make sure I was ok. "Seams" invites the audience (our teammates) to grieve and celebrate our uniqueness in community, even when the gridiron demands more. 

— Malachi dré Beasley

At first glance, "Seams" explores a world that I personally couldn’t be further from. I’m not an athlete, I grew up on the other side of the globe, and I am foreign to a worldview deeply rooted in Black masculinity. Despite all this, Malachi’s script spoke to me with a profoundly intimate and familiar voice. It tapped into a language that I knew well — a poetry of mourning. 

As the child and grandchild of genocide survivors, grief has been an everpresent resident in my home. I observe the ways it entangles itself in my family’s vocabulary — in how we speak about food and parenthood and regret, in how we remember our home, our childhood, and our communities. "Seams" investigates this plurality of grief, acknowledging that it is at once wildly catastrophic and quietly mundane.

This film is an attempt to understand grief as an atemporal experience, the tides of past, present, and future crashing into each other. It searches for an emotional truth, however disorienting and dissonant that proves to be. So I hope that everyone can find a sense of personal history and aspiration in this film that is as indiscriminate as grief itself.

— Annelise Ayuravann Ratner

The Plan

We are aiming to raise a total of $13,500 to allocate to several departments across the board - locations, catering, and equipment. With this funding, production for Seams can move forward, and plan to shoot in late April 2025. Therefore, contributions of any size are beyond appreciated as they go a long way in supporting a team of young, diverse filmmakers. If we meet our goal, production costs for Seams will be greatly alleviated.

The Team

Meet the incredibly talented and dedicated team behind this film...

Other Ways You Can Help

If you cannot make a contribution today, please spread the word! With your help, we can make this film a reality! Follow us on @Seamsfilm. Share this campaign via social media, text, or email. YOU can help us reach our goal by sharing with your network. 

Thank you for your support.