Where Currents Meet - Short Romance Film

Aim

A 2024 Screen Academy Scotland Grad Film that follows the story of two women who find an innate connection with each other at the beach.

The Story 

Meet Iris, a 24-year-old trapped in the monotony of work, writing, and sleepless nights. Her uninspiring job at a quiet seaside tourist shop pushes her to seek solace in the waves. One night, unable to sleep, she rediscovers her surfboard and heads to the beach.

There, she encounters Kallie, a free-spirited woman on a morning walk. Their chance meeting leads to laughter and a spontaneous decision to explore the beach together. 

The two decide to spend an afternoon in nature together the next day. As they traverse through a forest and reach a riverbank, the two form a deeper connection. Playful splashes and candid conversation build a bond that seems to fade away as they part ways near a bridge. In a moment of courage, Iris calls out to Kallie, promising to meet again.

They meet again at dawn on the beach, opening with discussions of the future. The pair's spontaneous decision to enter the water reveals a new connection between them. The sunrise witnesses their hands intertwining, marking the beginning of a promising journey.

Our supporters screen it first!

We will have the film finished by the start of May 2024, to meet the deadline for our university. But it won’t start playing in festivals until around summer 2024.

So instead of waiting for a chance to see it at a festival, every backer will screen the film at the same time as we screen it for ourselves in May. In addition, every backer (no matter the amount) will have their name in the credits, because this film wouldn't be possible without you!

What you get for supporting us!

£8 - Early bird screening + your name in the credits! 

£10 - A shoutout on our Instagram story (optional) + early bird screening + name in credits!

£20 - High resolution photo of the production + Instagram story shoutout (optional) + early bird screening + name in credits!

£25 - Access to our Instagram ‘Close Friends’ list; the only place to see behind the scenes in real-time + high-resolution image of the production + Instagram story shoutout (optional) + early bird screening + name in credits!

£40 - A signed photo from the production by the team + access to our Instagram ‘Close Friends’ list; the only place to see behind the scenes in real-time + high-resolution image of the production + Instagram story shoutout (optional) + early bird screening + name in credits!

£100 - Early access to behind-the-scenes videos + signed photo from the production by the team + access to our Instagram ‘Close Friends’ list; the only place to see behind the scenes in real-time + high-resolution image of the production + Instagram story shoutout + early bird screening + name in credits!

£150 - Personal thank you video from the team + early access to behind-the-scenes videos + signed photo from the production by the team + access to our Instagram ‘Close Friends’ list; the only place to see behind the scenes in real-time + high-resolution image of the production + Instagram story shoutout (optional) + early bird screening + name in credits!

£250 - Associate Producer credit + personal thank you video from the team + early access to behind-the-scenes videos + signed photo from the production by the team + access to our Instagram ‘Close Friends’ list; the only place to see behind the scenes in real-time + high-resolution image of the production + Instagram story shoutout (optional) + early bird screening + name in credits!

£550 - Executive Producer credit + personal thank you video from the team + early access to behind-the-scenes videos + signed photo from the production by the team + access to our Instagram ‘Close Friends’ list; the only place to see behind the scenes in real-time + high-resolution image of the production + Instagram story shoutout (optional) + early bird screening + name in credits!

Why get involved?

Where Currents Meet (WCM) approaches the subject of romance and relationship between two women in a realistic way, one that audiences can relate to and find hope in.

We’re bringing a modern, tactful approach that has seldom been seen in film even to this day. We are not focusing on grandiose expressions of love, rather, for us, it’s all the little shared moments that mean the most in a relationship. This goes hand in hand with our intent to make a film to correct the current media portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters and stories. Most of what exists already appears to be extremely forced or it is included just for the sake of having some form of representation. It means so much to us as filmmakers, that this film is not going to be branded as a ‘gay film’ or ‘gay romance’, it is simply just romance. These characters will not be closeted, face homophobia or even have to worry about whether the other character is gay, they will just naturally develop feelings for each other like anyone else.

Your financial support for this project directly impacts the quality and the ability for an independent graduation film to be made. Any contribution you can make, big or small, will allow us emerging filmmakers to continue to bring stories like this one to life well into the future.

Where the money goes

Whilst this is a student production, there are still a few things we cannot make happen for free. Your contributions will go directly towards everything in our preliminary budget, listed below. We are going to have to be clever and make strategic decisions about what areas of production we allocate funds towards. Our primary objective, other than telling a relatable and meaningful story, is safety. Both of our crew and actors. As we will be filming in and near water for this film, being safe and responsible is a major priority. Ensuring that qualified professionals, like lifeguards, are on the set to minimise the chance of a tragedy should something go wrong, is where a large portion of our budget will be allocated. This is reflected in sections 9 and 10.

Since we are students and so are our actors, we will all be volunteering our time to this production, this saves a significant amount of the budget for logistical expenses like fuel, catering for 7 days of on-set production and transport. 

On a creative level, the ability to craft a realistic and believable world is vital for our film, which centres around realism. That’s why we are putting as much financial support behind the production design department as we can. 

Who are we?

Hi! My name is Bethany Isles and I am a student writer, director, and editor from North-East Scotland.

Over the past few years studying film, I have worked on a large variety of short films from documentaries, to sci-fi to action-horror, mainly specialising in editing. However, I also have a love for writing screenplays, with my favourite genres to write being a mix of romance, thriller, and psychological horror.

 This year I wanted to tell a love story that presented very real characters that an audience could relate to. I also love writing romance, so I wanted to write a slow-burn story that allows the audience to follow along closely with the characters’ feelings for each other as they develop throughout the film. I love romance stories that focus on the small aspects of an interaction that cause someone to develop feelings for someone else rather than a story that is filled with hurried, superficial confessions.

I am super excited to be working on Where Currents Meet this following year and I hope you’ll stay to support us throughout production and creating the final film!

G’day! I’m Sam Tabotta and I’m a producer and cinematographer from South Australia.

I came to Edinburgh to make films at university. Since day one, I have taken on the producer role on all the projects I’ve done as part of my degree. The breadth of these films spans from thrillers and dramas to comedies and experimental documentaries and everything in between. Producing is my bread and butter, so much so that it’s officially been my job (part-time) for the past two years for a small firm based in Edinburgh.  

I’ve worked with all the Heads of Departments (HODs) attached to WCM, on films previously. It was on the most recent film, that I first began discussing this film concept with Bethany. Her connection and earnest approach to the story is what made me believe in this project and convinced me that I needed to be a part of making it a reality.

This film is going to be a real showstopper and I truly hope you can help us bring it to life!

Peer is a fellow student on the course, specialising in cinematography and sound design.

He’s a keen swimmer and outdoors enthusiast, going as far as making a documentary about wild swimming. His interest in water cinematography fits perfectly with WCM and he is looking forward to imparting his expertise and artistic vision into the film through his role as the director of photography.

James is a specialist in production design and has been refining his craft at university alongside the rest of our team. 

His most recent film saw, a monumental amount of care, work and attention put into the production design and costumes. The learning from this has set him up perfectly for WCM and he is motivated by the depth and richness that his area of this production will bring to the overall film. 

Tom is another fellow student studying film at university and has chosen to specialise in editing.

His understanding and ability to piece together and weave complex visual storylines together, throughout a film has been put on display for many years. This artistic approach is well suited to the slower-moving and flowing feel of WCM.

Alex is a highly capable specialist in both sound design and cinematography, two areas he has explored during his time at university. 

He takes a boundary-pushing approach to sound design, one which experiments with the musicality of the mundane sounds of the world and focuses on building out a fully immersive audio world for the audience. For WCM, his ability to elevate delicate and intimate moments that the characters experience is going to prove crucial to the emotion and tone of this film.

We can’t thank you enough!

We cannot wait to make this film and show it to you all! Hopefully, you’re just as excited as we are to see it. Thank you for taking the time to read through our crowdfunding page and getting to know the story of WCM and us filmmakers behind it. If you have anything you think would help us out or just want to share ideas, please don’t hesitate to email our producer Sam - [email protected]

Stay connected

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Quick Links: linktr.ee/WCMfilm  

This project successfully funded on 15th January 2024