Close

A young man with terminal cancer decides to intervene to help the victim of a violent kidnapping. 

Close is a short horror thriller film set in 2000s New Zealand that tells the story of George, a man in his mid-20s who has spent his life on the outskirts of society. When he receives the news that he’s only got weeks left to live, he decides to take matters into his own hands. After travelling out to the dark depths of North Island bush, George’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with the young victim of a violent abduction. The film explores the aftermath of these two strangers being brought together by coincidence. It is a true-crime inspired story about the power of connection in the face of extreme adversity. 

The film will be shot over four days / nights in mid-May in and around Auckland with a small principal cast of three actors and a crew of around twenty. We were very fortunate to have received Kōpere Hou Fresh Shorts funding for the film from the New Zealand Film Commission in its very last round. Our dream is to have the film screened at a top-tier international film festival and ultimately begin to make our mark as emerging filmmakers.

We are crowdfunding to help meet the overall cost of production and make this film a reality.

The Team:

Director: Connor Slattery

Writer(s): Samantha J Crews and Connor Slattery

Producer: Charisse Uy
Producer’s Assistant: Kat Chung

Executive Producer: Steve Barr

DOP: Aitken Lau

First AD: Hweiling Ow                                                                                                                    

Production Designers: Glenn Blomfield and Zoe Wierzbicki

Gaffer: Lucas Baur

Costume Designer: Esther Braithwaite

Make Up / SFX: Sinead Dudley

Stunt Coordinator: Amand Weaver

Child Coordinator: Alice May Connolly

Health & Safety Officer: Isaac Chadwick                                                                                              

Sound Recordist: Joey Siasoco

Colourist: Luke Swanson

Sound Designer: Cooper Garnett
 

The funding we raise will go towards helping to cover the costs of production. This involves challenging outdoor night shoots. Our top priority on these days is to keep our young cast as well as our crew safe and comfortable.
 

Specifically, the $8,000 funding will go towards but not limited to:

• Catering, especially warm food on set on cold nights.
• Heaters, robes and blankets, wardrobe changing facilities
• Koha for volunteers
• Location permit costs
• Vehicle equipment hire and petrol costs
• Special effects makeup
• Specialist props e.g. retro cars
   

To express our thanks for your gracious contribution, we’d like to offer the following as an opportunity to be more involved in our project:

• $100 for a Special Thanks in the credits
• $500 invitation to the cast and crew premiere (NZ local, flights not included)
• $2500 Executive Producer credit (limit to 1 person)
   

"I have been working on Close for the past few years, developing and writing the story with my best friend and creative collaborator, Samantha Crews. The seed of the idea was born at the Show Me Shorts Screenwriting lab, which we both participated in at the start of 2020. Since then, the idea has gone through several iterations, including a short story prose version which I hope to publish as part of a collection one day. Both of us are incredibly passionate about telling strong, character-driven stories that deal with physical and emotional survival, and we are so excited to have the opportunity to bring Close to life on film.

Close is inspired by horror films of the 2000s that I grew up watching, such as Bryan Bertino’s The Strangers and Greg McLean’s Wolf Creek. They belong to a category of rare genre films that draw from real-life crime, combining immediacy and realism with gritty drama. This approach inspires my storytelling today and has shaped the kind of work I want to make. I think there's room in New Zealand cinema for more films like this that test the boundaries of the horror genre and create a true experience of human dread. My goal in the near future is to make a horror feature film in this vein that is set in the New Zealand bush and deals with similar themes to Close such as survival, loneliness and one’s place in the world. It is exploring these ideas within genre cinema that is my true passion and hopeful contribution to film."

- Connor Slattery, Director

Your support of this project will not only provide us with the means and resources to make this film well, but it will also be an investment in the future of New Zealand film and filmmakers. A majority of the crew are young up-and-comers who are stepping up into key creative roles on this production. This includes our Producer, Cinematographer, Editor, Costume Designer and Makeup Artist. These passionate artists are cutting their teeth on this film alongside experienced mentors and teammates. This short is also an opportunity for our talented young cast, most of whom are newcomers to the industry and will be making their screen debuts.
 

The collective vision of our team is to represent our country and do it proud on the international stage. Our goal is to show the world that we make great horror here in New Zealand. Horror that is suspenseful, scary, emotional and impactful. To have the support of our local community as we embark on this journey would be an honour for us all.

Ngā mihi nui,
Connor, Charisse, Sam