"Trauma 4 Life" is an independent feature film being made by a visionary group of recent M.F.A. graduates of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. It is a fictional but highly personal story for the writer-director, taking on issues of mental health, drug dependency, traumatic stress, bullying, toxic celebrity culture and gun culture. Its genre can be described as either a dark drama or humanist horror film.

Using the moniker "Trauma," 19-year-old Trina Tompkins vlogs about PTSD on her Youtube channel "Trauma 4 Life." Her main reason for living is to protect her 16-year-old sister Chris, who is bullied for having albinism and is addicted to codeine. While streetwalking, Trina witnesses a murder, which sets off a series of traumatic events. Trina is taught how to protect herself from predators and the sisters take on an ill-advised revenge mission.

Director's Statement:

Between my 4th and 5th USC semesters, I had a lung infection related to Cystic Fibrosis and spent a traumatic month in the hospital. The emergency surgeries, intensive care, opioid dependency, and pressure to recover to return to school gave me newfound purpose. I left the hospital needing to speak about trauma and its stigma, like the lead character in this film. I wrote "Trauma 4 Life" as a cautionary tale about young people who fail to cope when they allow themselves to suffer quietly in the shadows.

We'll need $7,000 in additional funding to achieve our initial vision for this project. This money will go towards:

- Feeding our hardworking cast and crew

- A quality camera package & gear

- Hotel costs

Because this is an ambitious feature film being made completely independently with extremely limited funds, several filming locations and one actress flying in from out of state, your contribution is needed and will forever be appreciated! No matter the size of your contribution, your name will be thanked in the credits and you will have our deepest and sincerest gratitude!

If you can't support, please share this campaign to help us get the word out and make some noise! Thank you!