Why I Embarked on This Project
We often see breakups in film as dramatic, explosive events, slamming doors, thrown objects, and final, decisive goodbyes. But the reality of a relationship's end is often quieter, more complex, and infinitely more painful. I wanted to tell a story that lives in that aching, quiet space. "Break" is about the love that lingers in the silence after the words "it's over" have been said. It's about the unbearable tension between wanting to hold on and knowing you have to let go. This story is deeply personal to me, exploring the raw humanity of two people navigating a loss that isn't about a lack of love, but a painful misalignment of needs. I hope to create a narrative that resonates on a deep emotional level, showing that sometimes the most heroic thing you can do is simply survive the quietest moments of heartbreak.
Description of the Project
"Break" is a proof-of-concept short film that captures the final, fragile hours of a relationship between Asiris, and Tabitha. The story unfolds during one last, bittersweet trip to the grocery store, a mundane errand that becomes the backdrop for their unspoken hurt, lingering care, and difficult conversations. We follow them through painfully familiar aisles as they try to navigate the impossible transition from partners to something undefined.
This isn't a story of villains or heroes; it's a nuanced portrait of two good people who love each other but can't make it work. The short film is the essential first chapter of the feature screenplay, "Fragments of Us," which expands to explore the aftermath of this breakup. Asiris throws themself into the chaotic world of a New York film set, sleeping in their car and grappling with loneliness, while Tabitha is forced to lean on Asiris again when a devastating family tragedy strikes. "Break" sets the stage for this larger story about grief, healing, and the messy, imperfect work of moving on.
Why I Need to Crowdfund
Crowdfunding is essential for this project because authentic, quiet stories rarely get the greenlit without proving their emotional and artistic merit first. This isn't a story that relies on high concepts or big twists; its power lives in the subtlety of its performances, the authenticity of its locations, and the careful crafting of its intimate tone. Your contributions will help fund the key aspects needed to do this story justice: casting talented, nuanced actors who can convey a universe of emotion in a single glance, securing the crucial locations that ground the story in reality, and ensuring a post-production process that polishes every frame to a professional standard. This short will serve as the calling card for the feature, "Fragments of Us," and your support will directly help us attract the producers and investors needed to tell the entire story.
How the Funds Will Be Used
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Casting and Crew: To hire actors who can embody the deep complexity of Asiris and Tabitha, and a sensitive, skilled crew capable of capturing intimate, emotional storytelling.
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Locations: Securing the perfect grocery store, driveway, and car interiors that feel lived-in and authentic, serving as silent characters in the story.
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Production Design & Wardrobe: Creating a grounded, realistic world, from the products on the shelves to the clothes the characters wear, which inform their personalities and history.
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Post-Production: High-quality editing, sound design (where silence is as important as dialogue), and color grading to create a polished, atmospheric final product that supports the film's emotional weight.
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Festival Fees & Marketing: To ensure "Break" reaches audiences at film festivals around the world, building the audience and industry buzz needed to launch "Fragments of Us."
Supporters as the Heroes
By supporting "Break," you're doing more than just helping me bring this short film to life—you’re becoming a vital part of a movement to create more diverse, meaningful stories about love and loss in a real human way. You are championing a narrative that values emotional truth over spectacle and gives a voice to experiences that are often overlooked. This project is the first step in a much larger journey for these characters, and with your help, we can prove there is a powerful audience for stories this honest and heartfelt. You are the heroes in this journey, and with your support, we can create something truly beautiful and impactful together.
Perks
Highlights
See all activity1The Team
Meet The Director
Aaron Scharon Knight (They/Them) is a filmmaker from Philadelphia dedicated to crafting intimate, character-driven stories that explore the raw complexities of the human experience. Their journey into film is one of resilience, rising from a Production Assistant in 2022 to a Script Supervisor on indie features like The Block and Woozy in just two years—a rapid ascent fueled by a profound understanding of story structure and human emotion, honed through navigating childhood domestic violence and chronic illness.
Aaron's directorial work focuses on underrepresented narratives, giving voice to the nuanced lives of queer and nonbinary characters. Their upcoming short film, Break , is a quiet, aching portrait of a relationship's end, serving as a proof of concept for the feature Fragments of Us . This project exemplifies their signature style: leveraging naturalistic dialogue and visceral performance to explore how love transforms, lingers, and hurts.
Drawing from their lived adversity and script supervision expertise, Aaron specializes in stories where the drama lies in what is unspoken. They believe film is a window into the human subconscious, a tool to expose universal truths by focusing on specific, authentic moments. Whether through the genre lens of their debut short Rot or the stark realism of Break , Aaron’s mission is unwavering: to champion narratives that assure audiences, You are not broken. You are human.
Meet The Producer
Gigi Boyle (She/Her) is a seasoned professional in producing and Unit Production Management. With a diverse portfolio spanning indie films and studio projects—including Dogman, Pony Boy, and The Block , where she was recently credited as Co-Producer. Gigi brings expertise, adaptability, and creative vision to every production.
A tenacious and resourceful producer, she thrives under pressure, solving problems and making the impossible happen on set. In recent years, Gigi has shifted focus toward writing and producing, championing indie filmmakers and first-time directors close to her heart. Her mission? To help cultivate fresh talent and build a vibrant new Hollywood in New Jersey.
Meet
The DP
Meet
The DP Jorg Steins (He/Him) is an indie filmmaker renowned for his work in horror films, with expertise spanning various crafts, including SFX artistry, prop making, costume fabrication, set design, music composition, and lighting.
Over the past few years, he has focused primarily on professional cinematography and Steadicam operation. A passionate filmmaker and creative freelancer at heart, Jorg consistently seeks opportunities to refine and expand his techniques. His versatile skills brought a unique blend of humor and mystery to Organized, making it stand out through his lens.
Story Pitch & Beyond
Story Pitch: "Break"
Logline: On the night of their breakup, Asiris and their ex-partner Tabitha navigate the painful, loving, and complex space between being partners and becoming strangers during one last, bittersweet trip to the grocery store.
"Break" is an intimate and raw slice-of-life short film that finds profound emotion in the mundane. We follow Asiris and Tabitha as they attempt the simple task of buying groceries. The familiar, fluorescent-lit aisles become a heartbreaking backdrop for their final conversations, where unspoken hurt, lingering love, and difficult truths float between the shelves. This is not a story of dramatic confrontation, but of quiet devastation, the aching reality of a love that hasn't vanished but must painfully transform. "Break" is a nuanced exploration of modern heartbreak, prioritizing authentic dialogue and emotional performance to tell a deeply relatable story about the end of a relationship, the struggle to let go, and the fragile hope of remaining in each other's lives.
The Larger Vision: "Fragments of Us"
Supporting the short film "Break" is the crucial first step in realizing the feature-length project, "Fragments of Us." This short serves as the emotional and narrative cornerstone of the larger story, introducing us to Asiris and Tabitha at the precise moment their world fractures. The feature film will expand on this foundation, exploring the arduous aftermath of their breakup as they attempt to navigate a new reality as "just friends." We will follow Asiris as they throw themselves into the chaotic, demanding world of a NYC film set, seeking distraction and purpose while sleeping in their car and grappling with profound loneliness. Simultaneously, we will follow Tabitha as she contends with a devastating family tragedy, forcing her to lean on the very person she asked to leave. "Fragments of Us" is a dual character study that asks whether love can truly morph into friendship when life's most brutal challenges intercede, and whether some breaks are too deep to ever truly mend.
Beyond the central relationship, the feature delves into the specific, underrepresented worlds of its characters. We explore Asiris's experience as a nonbinary Puerto Rican individual navigating a high-stress industry, and Tabitha's journey as a Jewish queer woman dealing with grief and self-discovery. The film is also a love letter and a critique of the independent film industry, showcasing the frantic, found-family nature of a film set, a world that becomes Asiris's refuge and prison. The feature will interweave fragmented memories of their relationship with the stark reality of their present, painting a mosaic of a love that was, and the fractured individuals left in its wake.
By funding "Break," you are not just helping create a standalone short film; you are investing in the proof of concept necessary to attract producers, distributors, and larger investors for the feature. This short will demonstrate our ability to handle sensitive material with authenticity, direct nuanced performances, and create a visually compelling and emotionally resonant world. Your support will provide the essential materials for a high-quality proof of concept, key art, and a sizzle reel. That will prove the viability and profound potential of "Fragments of Us." This is the first chapter of a much larger, more ambitious story about love, loss, and the pieces we pick up to build ourselves anew.
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