Andie Morgenlander (she/they) and Julia Christgau (she/her) met in 2017 at a female filmmaker meetup in Asheville, North Carolina. Andie distinctly remembers Julia’s mellow energy and dyed-green hair, while Julia zoned in on their complementary wide-brimmed hats. They scheduled their first coffee date at Liberty Coffee House, where Julia pitched Andie the heartfelt short film concept of WHISTLE DOWN WIND. Andie immediately responded with, “Let’s do this!” With that, their overly-caffeinated creative partnership was born! 

After the short version of WHISTLE DOWN WIND had a successful run in the Southeastern festival circuit, Andie and Julia spent 2020 and 2021 expanding the story into a feature-length script. As they wrote, they connected on their distinctive experiences of queerness and living in the South. They’ve produced short and low-budget feature films that have screened at festivals like the Atlanta Underground Film Festival, Indie Grits Film Festival, Portland Comedy Film Festival, OutSouth Queer Film Festival, and more. 

WHISTLE DOWN WIND would be one of the first Western North Carolina-based independent feature films to magnify LBGT+ relationships in the early 2000s. This queer-led project centers the lived experiences of the cast and crew, creating both a powerful narrative of queer visibility and a community-forward filmmaking experience.

When a drunken teenage kiss propels Janie and Alex’s quirky friendship into a hidden love affair, the conservative ideologies of their hometown force them to confront the truth about their sexualities, and the future of their relationship.  

After her Mother passes away, Janie, an introverted artist, has a difficult time navigating the constricting social dynamics of adolescence. Alex, an outgoing people pleaser, searches for acceptance from her boyfriend and conservative family. The film follows our two protagonists into adulthood, where their teenage dilemmas deepen. The story culminates in the boiling point of Alex and Janie’s tumultuous friendship turned romance. 

Shying away from southern stereotypes, WHISTLE DOWN WIND explores the impact of conservative ideology, family and grief on sexuality.

We will shoot on-location, grounding the visual language in the rusty yet mystical nature of our home, the rural Blue Ridge Mountains. The color palette features blues and oranges, with textural elements like fog, dappled light, and low-hanging clouds. 

The fading, rural town of Hartsville, North Carolina is characterized by an old strip mall, blue-collar jobs and bonfires. When Janie and Alex are together, first as friends and later as lovers, their worlds brighten. The vividness of their romantic relationship is characterized by dreamy environments and focused close-ups, highlighting how the restrictive societal pressures of their hometown fall away when they’re together.

We believe our stories matter, and we need YOUR support to shift our dream into a reality!

We plan to shoot over a three-week period in June of 2022. To equip our crew with the gear they need to execute their creative visions and thrive on-set, our goal is to raise $40,000 of our budget on Indiegogo. One hundred percent of these funds will go towards our production budget, paying for artist salaries, equipment rental, and living necessities. 

Our film will be shot at an ultra low-budget level. In addition to this campaign, we’ll continue searching for investments through individuals or organizations, so that we can make WHISTLE DOWN WIND in a way that honors the complexity of the script and the experiences of our creative team. 

By backing this project, you'll be supporting the creative careers of many NC-based artists. We also have some EPIC INCENTIVES to send your way. From social media shoutouts to personalized yoga classes to watch party invites and even a role in the film, we want to thank you for your incredible contributions.

In order to create an environment of mutual care on-set, we’re shooting WHISTLE DOWN WIND through an ethical filmmaking framework, which we have been developing over the past few years. The framework encompasses on-set culture and mental/physical/emotional well-being. 

Historically, the film industry has been riddled with harmful practices, placing crew members’ human needs last on the priority list. We believe those at the forefront of the filmmaking process should be treated as sacred human artists. 

There are so many ways to exist as an LGBT+ person in Southern Appalachia. Many of these experiences aren’t currently reflected in film. Our vision is for WHISTLE DOWN WIND to be a bright thread in the tapestry of queer cinema, as it continues to be woven. We hope this narrative reminds anyone who struggles with their sexuality or gender identity that they are whole and that their existence is valid.

What we do have is the filmmaking experience and passion to create WHISTLE DOWN WIND! To be honest, financing the film is our biggest challenge. It’s extremely difficult to get narrative feature films funded, especially as a first-time queer/gender-fluid director. 

The funding we’re seeking helps us to schedule shorter days, bring in mental health resources, and have time/space to directly address conflict on set. With added challenges such as COVID19 protocols, financing doesn’t just make the project possible, it helps us keep each other safe. 

We’ve been applying for grants throughout the year, and while we did not win, we were grateful to be picked as one of six finalists for the Warner Media Narrative South Pitch. The invaluable feedback we received during this pitch has greatly influenced our script rewrites and our current production trajectory.

Scroll up, click “BACK IT” and make a pledge! 

Share our social media images/campaign to Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Myspace…wherever you hang out online. Text or email five of your best film-loving friends with the campaign link! It truly does take a village, so spreading the word about WHISTLE DOWN WIND is invaluable. 

Tag @justicefilmcollective and/or @whistledownwindfilm so that we can uplift your posts! You can also follow either of these accounts on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for updates on the project. 

Made with a cast and crew who understand the narrative on a soul level, this one-of-a-kind project is profoundly important for our Asheville filmmaking community. Thank you so much for supporting WHISTLE DOWN WIND…we are overjoyed to be on this journey with you!