J.A.F.A. Episode Two: 20 Questions

In a post-apocalyptic Aotearoa, two survivors sit down for their final conversation as one of them slowly begins to turn. 

'20 Questions' is the second installment in the Just Another F***ing Apocalypse short film anthology series. This story will explore the dark curiosities that come with the end of the world, and force us to ask ourselves, in our final moments, what's more important: what we choose to do, or what we choose to say?

We are seeking crowdfunding to bring J.A.F.A. Episode 2 to life. We've done this once before: you can help us do it again, and better. 

J.A.F.A. Episode 2 is a joint effort between Someone WIll Productions and Kiwi Americano Productions. Someone Will Productions (@someone_will_productions) is known for the short films Cream Donuts and J.A.F.A. Episode 1, which is currently on the circuit of being entered into festivals. Kiwi Americano Productions (@kiwiamericanoproductions) is behind the short film Adventure's End, currently in post-production.

The J.A.F.A. Episode 2 personnel roll call is:

• Directors - Amy Workman and Benjamin "Red" Forrester
• Writer - Benjamin "Red" Forrester and Amy Workman
• Producers - Jessica Bennett and Lauren Wilson
• Assistant Producer - Shannon Freeman
• Someone Will Associate Producers - Ella Blake Brislen and Luke Weerdenburg
• Director of Photography - Daryl Wong
• Production Designer - Meggy Laguda
• 1st Assistant Director - Louise Spraggon
• Stunt Choreographer - Daniel Hunt
• Fundraising Manager - Claire Hiria Ahuriri-Dunning

Cast: 

Introducing Karlton Laing as Joey and Jessica Bennett as Cara

And many more cast and crew members who we look forward to introducing to you.

Stay tuned to our updates as we interview many of these key personnel on their prior work and their role in this production.

As this is an all-or-nothing campaign, we will need to achieve our goal in order to get anything. So, please back us and spread the word if you want to see J.A.F.A. Episode 2 on your screen in the future.

Many of the aspects of the project have already been funded by the production team, as it was for Episode 1. We figure we can go bigger on Episode 2 and show you what we can do with more resources behind us.

We need funds for all the parts that go in to make a film production robust and safe for all involved:

• DOP equipment (cameras, lenses etc.)
• Lighting equipment
• Sound equipment
• Costumes and makeup
• Set dressing and props
• Health and Safety equipment
• Editing software
• Transport and location costs
• Contingency costs - rain or illness requiring extra shoot days, unexpected set dressing requirements, or (touch wood) broken gear
• Food for cast and crew - seriously! Kai is too often overlooked on sets, but since many of our people are volunteers and are working super hard, we want to make sure they are well taken care of and have the energy to do the mahi

On August 9th, we will film Episode 2 of Just Another F***ing Apocalypse: '20 Questions'. In this installment of the anthology series, we move away from the light-hearted and romantic tone of the first episode, to a platonic higher-stakes end-of-life story. We are interested in exploring the question "what would you do or say if you knew you only had 10 minutes left to live?" 

Throughout the history of the genre, from George Romero to The Last of Us, zombie media has been used to dive into social commentary. That is no exception here, though our flavour of exploration is decidedly more Kiwi. One theme that comes up often in both zombie films and tales of Kiwi blokes is the over-glorification of masculine martyrdom. What if, instead of death being dramatic and noble, it was small, quiet, and only one other person was there to witness it? 

J.A.F.A. has always been, from its inception, a lens through which to look at the world and people around us. In Episode 1, what started off as a romantic comedy script was heightened by setting it in a zombie apocalypse. Now in Episode 2, we're exploring the smaller, personal scale of tragedy, in the final moments of a dying person talking to the last person they'll ever see. While we'll still have the trappings of the genre (note the inclusion of stunt personnel in our line-up!), J.A.F.A. Episode 2 is a story which will drag you deep into the questions that keep us awake at night, whether you're living in the zombie apocalypse or not.

Keep updated with us as we go along. We'll have interviews with key personnel, profiles of the world and characters of J.A.F.A, and more insider news as we gear up for shooting and beyond.

For our audience: 

This is the zombie apocalypse done Kiwi-style. Things which might be taken as staples of the genre in other countries just aren't true here (e.g. guns are not ubiquitously available!). So audiences can look forward to a grounded and humanistic approach to the genre with a fresh local flavour. With this film specifically, many people have been in that very human moment of saying goodbye to a loved one. It's a very hard moment, and is often filled with mixed and complex emotions. We want to make space for that, even within the heightened world of J.A.F.A.

For our cast and crew: 

Beyond the impact for audiences, this project is an opportunity for the cast and crew, many of whom are young and diverse volunteers, to build up their portfolios in this deeply competitive industry. These early professionals will be working with a range of emerging and established industry rising stars, receiving mentorship and live set experience (on a set with greater latitude for forgiving mistakes than some of the foreign studio productions which come into the country). Working with experts in their field will provide the less-experienced amongst us with a safe and supportive environment to grow and network. For those who have never worked on a professional film set before, this will be a great entry-level introduction, with all the expected tikanga (e.g. call sheets, proper health and safety), rather than just throwing together a film with some mates on a weekend.

For our craft: 

Finally, we want to learn. We started these companies as a way to be able to make projects that challenge us and our abilities in ways we might not get on other sets, and also be able to have full creative control of our own stories. Within this kaupapa, we want to give back to the wider film community - we've worked with and taken inspiration time and time again from other short film makers in Aotearoa. We want to feed back into that cycle by inviting those collaborators to join us on our sets too, to also learn, gain experience, and get their fantastic ideas out into the world.