THE STORY

AFTERGLOW is a dark, seductive young adult thriller about toxic friendship, queer longing, and the dangerous cost of wanting to belong.

Set during the summer of 1997 in a wealthy Southern California suburb, the film follows Logan, a closeted young man caught in a magnetic and destructive friendship with Rachel, a beautiful, manipulative force who knows exactly how to use people’s weaknesses against them. Together, they move through a world where boredom becomes cruelty, secrets become weapons, and attention can feel dangerously close to love.

Lexi wants into their world. She wants Rachel’s approval, Logan’s attention, and the power that seems to come from being close to them. But in a social circle built on status, secrets, and emotional games, wanting to belong can become its own kind of trap.

When Jason, Logan’s unresolved first love, returns, he threatens the version of himself Logan has been performing and the control Rachel has over him.

As Logan is pulled back toward Jason, Rachel begins to feel her grip slipping, and the group’s private games begin moving toward one summer that none of them can take back.

We want to make AFTERGLOW because we are drawn to stories about desire, shame, power, and the people who make us feel seen while slowly destroying us. This film takes the glossy, dangerous language of late-90s young adult thrillers and uses it to tell a more intimate queer story about identity, complicity, and the emotional violence of wanting to be chosen by the wrong people.

THE INSPIRATION

 The cruel seduction of CRUEL INTENTIONS, the dangerous games of WILD THINGS, the obsessive threat of FEAR, and the humid teen recklessness of HOT SUMMER NIGHTS. 

These films define the tonal world of AFTERGLOW: seductive, dangerous, morally slippery, and emotionally volatile. Like its comparatives, the story lives in the space where attraction becomes control, secrets become currency, and youthful freedom curdles into something darker.

THEMES 

At its core, AFTERGLOW explores:

• Self-denial
• Queer longing
• Toxic relationships
• Deception
• Obsession
• The danger of truly being seen

The central message: the people who make you feel seen can also be the people who ruin you.

STORY WORLD

Summer, 1997. A wealthy suburban neighborhood in Southern California where a group of friends has too much freedom, too much privacy, and the dangerous belief that nothing can touch them.

The film lives in the spaces they control: pools, bedrooms, backyards, parked cars, quiet streets, and the kind of house party where everyone knows each other’s business but pretends they don’t.

On the surface, everything is beautiful. The houses are quiet. The lawns are perfect. The pool lights glow after dark. But underneath that polished suburban calm is a social world built on performance, status, desire, and control.

Everyone performs.

Everyone watches.

Everyone knows more than they admit.

Secrets do not stay buried here. They slip out in drunken confessions, private conversations, cruel jokes, videotapes, and the things people say when they think no one is paying attention.

The threat is not some stranger outside the neighborhood.

It is the friend group itself — and the way privilege, boredom, shame, jealousy, and desire can mutate into something violent.

TONE 

AFTERGLOW is a emotional psychological California neo-noir which is emotionally raw, dangerously intimate and constantly bubbling with tension beneath idyllic surfaces. 

The film should feel beautiful and poisonous at the same time.

WHY NOW 

This story is rooted in the thrillers many of us grew up watching: glossy young adult worlds full of secrets, seduction, betrayal, and danger. But AFTERGLOW looks at that genre through a new lens. At the center of this film is a closeted young man caught between the person who knows how to control him and the person who might actually see him.

That emotional conflict feels painfully current.

Even though the film is set in 1997 — before smartphones and constant digital surveillance — it explores issues that are still very alive today: toxic intimacy, performative identity, queer isolation, manipulation disguised as love, and the loneliness of being watched without being understood.

The late-90s setting gives us a visually rich world of camcorder footage, cigarette smoke, summer heat, suburban privilege, and one unforgettable pool party where everything begins to crack. But the heart of the film is timeless:

How far will someone go to protect the version of themselves they want the world to see?

As independent filmmakers, we are drawn to intimate stories that can be made with focus, style, and emotional precision. AFTERGLOW is designed to be bold but contained: a character-driven thriller built around a small ensemble, practical locations, and a strong visual identity. This is the right moment for AFTERGLOW because audiences are hungry for darker, riskier, more emotionally complicated stories — especially stories that bring queer characters into genres where they have too often been sidelined, softened, or erased. We do not want to make a safe version of this story. We want to make something seductive, tragic, sharp, and unforgettable.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

AFTERGLOW is a story about the terrifying emotional instability of being young and closeted and realizing that the people closest to you may not truly know you at all.

At its core, the project explores identity, repression, guilt, manipulation, and the psychological fallout of buried secrets through the lens of a mystery thriller rooted in late-1990s suburban America.

While the film contains suspense, disappearances, and mind games, the true horror comes from emotional isolation and the fragile nature of memory itself.

THE AFTERGLOW TEAM

Trey Stevens (Director & Writer) Trey is the writer and director of Afterglow. He is a Director, producer, and writer for several passion projects close to him. Trey’s love for film began back in middle school when he created his first short film. As a writer, he has challenged himself with formats and genres, ranging from mystery short stories to horror short films. Afterglow is his first project to be produced. He’s incredibly energized by the passion of his collaborators, and can’t wait to share it with the world.

Tiff D. Ray (Producer & Writer) Tiff is a writer, editor, and creative producer, and founder of Madvo Studios. Her passion for film began at a young age and continues to shape her love for bold, emotionally driven stories with rich atmosphere, complex characters, and a strong visual point of view. She has developed and produced several independent short films and creative projects, bringing hands-on experience across storytelling, production, and post-production. As both a creative and producer, Tiff brings a strong vision and execution-driven approach, building projects that prioritize emotional honesty, cinematic impact, and stories that deserve to be seen.

Amy Patamawenu (Assistant Director & Producer) Amy is the Assistant Director and Producer for Afterglow. She is passionate about bridging communities through fictional and personal stories, as well as exploring different genres in cinematography and performing arts. On the other hand, Amy is a college student majoring in Chemistry. She connects with people through art and media and also enjoys involving herself with people through education. She is enthusiastic to be part of the production and have their vision come to life.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN AND PLAN

AFTERGLOW has a total estimated budget of $25,000.

We have already secured $10,000, which gives us a strong foundation — but we still need $15,000 to complete the film.

To make that goal more transparent, we are breaking the campaign into phases:

If we raise $5,000, we will be able to cover our most immediate production essentials, including key locations, props, wardrobe, production design, and core production supplies.

If we raise $10,000, we will be able to elevate the quality of the film with stronger camera and lighting support, expanded production design, and additional resources for our cast and crew.

If we raise the full $15,000, we will be able to fully support the film through production and post-production, including sound, color, editing, festival submissions, marketing materials, and final deliverables.

Every phase brings us closer to creating the full vision of AFTERGLOW: a seductive, dangerous, late-90s thriller about obsession, manipulation, complicity, and the cost of staying silent.

Your contribution will directly support: Cast Crew Locations Camera and lighting equipment Production design Wardrobe Meals and transportation Post-production Festival submissions Marketing and distribution materials

AFTERGLOW will be shot on location in Los Angeles, California, with local actors and crew. Because the story is built around contained locations, intimate character dynamics, and a tightly controlled visual world, every dollar raised will go directly toward what appears on screen.

Once post-production is completed, we plan to submit AFTERGLOW  to film festivals, organize private/community screenings, and pursue digital distribution opportunities so the film can reach the widest possible audience.

In addition to this campaign, we will also be hosting fundraising events in Los Angeles and near Washington, DC between now and July.

RISKS AND CHALLENGES

The biggest concern is falling short of our funding goal, which could cause a delay in production, but we are determined to make this film a reality despite what obstacles we may face. We have full confidence in crafting additional rewrites in the event this were to happen to ensure this film gets brought to the big screen without sacrificing the authenticity of the story.

OTHER WAYS TO HELP

There are three major ways to support AFTERGLOW :

Pledge
Every contribution helps us get closer to production.

Follow
Follow the campaign and our social pages to stay updated as we move from development into production.

Share
If you cannot contribute financially, sharing the campaign is still incredibly powerful.

You can help by sharing the campaign link, following the project on social media, reposting our updates, and telling friends who love indie film, thrillers, queer cinema, or late-90s nostalgia.

You can also get updates by following us on Instagram and TikTok.

Thank you for helping us make something bold, dangerous, and deeply personal.