SIGN (a silent short film)

SIGN marks the first collaboration between actor/director/bestselling author Andrew Keenan-Bolger, writer/composer Adam Wachter and actor/director Alexandria Wailes. Using only silent vignettes, a musical score and American Sign Language, SIGN tells the story of the relationship between Ben, a hearing man, and Aaron, who is deaf.

We were inspired to portray this under-explored human experience with the help and collaboration of our talented Deaf friends in the New York theatre community, combining Andrew’s passion for visual imagery with Adam’s love of musical storytelling.

The film was shot in a four-day marathon session in multiple locations across New York City, on a set staffed by actors, ASL interpreters, Deaf consultants and many passionate hearing and Deaf volunteers. 

We're Asking For Your Help

We're trying to raise $5,000 (or more!) to cover post-production costs, including:

• The orchestration and recording of the musical score. Because this is an otherwise silent film, the score is crucial for the hearing audience (most of whom do not know ASL) to enhance the dramatic narrative and the emotional impact of SIGN.
• Color correction, credits and other film processing to really make the film shine and sparkle!
• Film festival entries. Festivals are the only way a independent short film like SIGN can get noticed by producers aind distributors. Each festival entry fee costs anywhere from $30-$100, so they really add up.

The Rewards

We wouldn't ask you to give something for nothing! Be sure to check out our list of perks in exchange for your donations, including a producer credit on the film, invitations to special screenings and personalized video messages from the creators!

Join Our Team

The fact that we're able to ask for such a relatively low number to complete a very ambitious project is due to the generosity of our talent and crew thus far. Making a movie of any length is no small feat, and we couldn't have done it without the time donated by the actors, extras, interpreters, designers, and other volunteers, not to mention the donations of shooting locations, wardrobe, etc. By donating today, you join this team of very special people, and we're very grateful!

Spread The Word

We're super-appreciative of your donations, and we'd also love you to share this page and tell your friends about our project! In addition to building awareness for the project itself, it's important to show just how challenging it can be to self-finance and create art independently. Help us out by tweeting, Facebooking and otherwise spreading the word about SIGN! Thanks!