Grassroots

Grassroots is a heartwarming short film about a 10-year-old Chinese boy, who against his mother’s wishes, must prove that he belongs on the rugby field with his peers.

The film explores self-doubt, a sense of belonging, and believing in yourself when no one else will. 

We need your help to get this film across the finish line! 

Boosted is an all-or-nothing platform. If we don’t reach our target goal, we won’t receive a cent.

Any donation you can make, big or small, will be hugely appreciated and a significant step toward finishing our film.

Every person who donates will get a thank you in the credits and a special place in our hearts.

Your donation also qualifies for a 33% tax credit, a receipt will be provided to you by The Arts Foundation.
 

We know that everyone is in a different stage of life, so if you’re not in a position to donate right now, please share this with your friends and whānau instead. We appreciate your support! 

Aaron Ly - Writer/Director

Aaron Ly’s storytelling work is deeply rooted in emotion. His decade of industry experience as a cinematographer, director and editor reads a bit like an eclectic music album filled with short films, documentaries, sketch comedy, music videos and commercials.

Aaron has created content for brands such as Three (Discovery NZ), Mediaworks Radio, KFC, All Blacks Tours and Bravo TV.  He was the co-director/writer and DOP for ‘Curated’, which won awards at the 48 Hour film festival for Best Script and Cinematography. Aaron was formerly the Video Content Lead at Mediaworks Radio for six years, mentoring the digital team to create engaging and award winning online content.  His work has taken him around the world, yet it’s the people and what makes them unique that are always at the heart of the story. 

Isaiah Tour - Producer

Isaiah Tour is a multi-disciplined filmmaker based in Tāmaki Makaurau. He achieved his first funded film, A Life Like This, as part of the 2017 Someday Stories series, which showcased at the 2018 Cambodia International Film Festival and the Māoriland Film Festival. Isaiah has worked with The Spinoff and Hex Work Productions on projects such as On the Rag, Scratched: Aotearoa’s Lost Sporting Legends, Alice Snedden’s Bad News, in various post-production roles. He also directed, edited, and animated the web series Extremely Online for Shit You Should Care About. Isaiah was the editor for season two of Takeout Kids and TikTok series Long x Xia.

Here are some of the wonderful people who have helped make Grassroots happen!

CAST:

Calvin: Martin Liew-Young
Yu Ming: Carolyn Deng
Tamati: Makea Upu
Jordan: Kael Munro-Nonoa
Tamati's Dad: Junior Payne-Smith
Extras: Manurewa Rugby Football Club

CREW:

Producer: Isaiah Tour
Director/Writer: Aaron Ly
Casting Director: Harriett Maire
Production Manager: Alyssa Medel
Unit/Craft Services: Jeff Lloyd, Alyssa Medel, Anuksha Naryan, Tina Tiller
Production Assistant: Joshua Tan
1st AD: Stella Staab
2nd AD: Billy Garratt-John
Continuity/Script Supervisor: Alexia Pauling & Tema Pua
DOP: Daryl J. Wong, Pepe de Hoyos
First AC / Additional DOP: Angie Sanchez-Villar
First AC: Kioko Wang
Second AC: Sofi Issak-Zade & Jenrong Ngov
Data Wrangler: Isaiah Tour
Sound Recordist + Boom Op: Joey Siasoco
Boom Op: Clarissa Chai
Gaffer/Grip: Henry Jiao
LX Assistant: Joshua Aschebrock
Costume Designer: Hazel Oh
Make Up Artist: Dana Wilton
Production Designer: Damian Leith
Art Director/Standby props: Kotoe Tozaki & Isaiah Tour
Food Stylist: Peter Lee
Health & Safety Officer: Pon Torthienchai & Ben Sutherland
Stunt Co-Ordinator: Karen Thompson
Rugby Coach: Junior Payne-Smith
Rugby Coordinator: Kalo Payne-Smith
Stills Photographer: John Rata
Extra photography by:  Alyssa Medel & Isaiah Tour
Editor: Isaiah Tour
Chaperone (Martin): Koreen Liew-Young
Chaperone (Kael): David Munro-Nonoa
Acting coach: Peter Feeney
Cantonese Coach: Joicy Xu

Mentors:

Stephen Kang
Abba-Rose Vaiaoga-Ioasa
Alex Lovell

Special Thanks:

Manurewa Rugby Football Club
Coffee Supreme
Ārepa
NZ Rugby
Getty Images
The Spinoff
Milon Tesiram
Pho Kitchen

We need at least $12,000 to finish this project. Anything beyond that will help lift the film through post-production and ease our financial burden.

With this money, we will be able to cover:

• Editing
• Colour grading
• Sound design and mix
• Music composition
• Entry to local and international film festivals

Grassroots is a heartwarming short film that explores self-doubt, a sense of belonging, and believing in yourself when no one else will. 

The concept is loosely based on writer/director Aaron Ly’s own experience growing up Asian in New Zealand, with dreams of one day becoming an All Black: “It’s the dream for many Kiwi boys, but it’s not what good Asian boys do. Even though I didn’t see myself as any different to my peers, I was made to feel different when it came to physical sports like rugby.” 

In Grassroots we meet Calvin, a 10-year-old Chinese boy, whose biggest aspiration is to play rugby. He wants his mum to support this dream, but he feels small under the weight of her expectations and inevitable rejection. 
 

Meanwhile, his mum sees her sweet boy turning toward a path she doesn’t understand and must learn that her own best intentions may be their biggest hurdle. This relationship forms the heart of the film – as anyone who’s felt the tug of burgeoning independence drawing them against their family expectations can understand. 

There are so few stories about Asians pursuing a dream in sports, especially such a physical sport as rugby which is so far from the typical expectations of Asian masculinity. What if this story were able to spark a conversation or a dream for another young kid who’s trying to find their place in the world? 

Grassroots has been years in the making. Aaron first approached Isaiah to be his producer in 2019, with a beautiful, personal story. Together they worked to develop Calvin’s world, fine-tuning his story and rewriting each scene over and over to get it perfect. 

In 2023, Grassroots received funding from the Pan-Asian Screen Collective, Script to Screen, and the NZ Film Commission through the Kopere Hou - Fresh Shorts programme. This came in the form of a $25,000 grant and mentorship for both Aaron and Isaiah to help bring the story to screen. 

However, we quickly realised we could never do this ambitious film – which includes multiple languages and stunt work – justice with only this grant. The story resonated strongly with our cast and crew, and we know it’ll go on to impact wider audiences once completed. 
 

We need your help to bring it to the finish line and help share it with the world.