Short Summary
‘Weirdough’ is the story of 13 year old Roni who struggles to balance school, friends, puberty, her first crush, and working at her parent’s restaurant during the recession of 2009.
About the Director:
Dahlia Hamdan
Dahlia Hamdan is a Wisconsin-based filmmaker pursuing her BFA in Film, Video, Animation, and New Genres at the Peck School of the Arts. She will attend the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, California as a Producing Fellow.
One of her goals in filmmaking is to share stories from voices that aren’t often heard. Dahlia loves to create authentic stories inspired by personal experiences and influenced by her own upbringing in a small town in Wisconsin.
What We Need & What You Get
Films are expensive and collaborative! That’s why I’m asking for $3,500 to make my thesis film. Donations will help fund the following:
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Paying Actors: Actors dedicate hours of their time to bringing the characters to life from the script to the screen.
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Feeding Cast and Crew: Our crew works hard on set for hours, setting up art decorations, applying makeup, and rigging lighting setups for each shot.
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Equipment: Our team utilizes industry-level camera, lighting, and sound equipment to bring our vision to life.
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Art/Wardrobe/Set Decoration: Everything in front of the camera was placed there on purpose, including wardrobe, furniture, hairstyles, and makeup.
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Transportation: Our specific locations span across south eastern Wisconsin, bringing small town communities in on the action happening behind the scenes.
The Impact
‘Weirdough’ is a film based off of my own life, working at my family’s pizza place during the most transformative time in my life. The film explores themes of puberty, loss of innocence, and death in a recession and how these external forces affect the main character, a 13 year old girl named Roni.
Growing up in my parent’s pizza place in Oconomowoc, I discovered a love for storytelling. Whether it was playing pretend outside in our snow forts, or reading in our walk-in cooler, my imagination took control. We rarely hear about children growing up and working in their parent's restaurants in our media, but it's a story worth sharing. This film is a love letter to kids like myself who grew up in a restaurant during the most transformative time of their life.
Risks & Challenges
Filmmaking is expensive and unpredictable at times. Equipment can break. Actors don’t show up. Locations fall through last minute. We can be as prepared as possible for the unexpected with the tools and resources from a proper budget, allowing us to find the most suitable resolution to any problem that might arise.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you are unable to donate during these difficult times, no worries! There are other ways you can help get this project made. Use your platform and voice to tell your friends about this short film by sharing it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or whatever other platform you use! Thank you for getting the word out there that this project exists and...
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