Little low - short film

As Lee, a struggling solo mother, unravels under the weight of postnatal anxiety and exhaustion; she must find the strength to change for the sake of her son.

Emotional, nuanced and visceral, Little low is an intimate and ragged short film starring Michelle Blundell as a sleep-deprived, solo mother struggling to find balance between her identity as a parent and as a woman. 

This is a relatable, raw story that we really want to tell. It explores the confines and loneliness of new motherhood, and the exhaustion and overwhelm that contributes to postnatal anxiety. 

The gritty intensity of Wasp meets the emotional depth of The Lost Daughter with its caffeinated edge dialled all the way up. We are a dedicated, experienced filmmaking team that aims to create an impacting and brave short film that delivers a punch to the heart.

Come on in, we would love you to join us on our journey to make Little low!

THE TEAM

The Little low team is us - director Kate McGill, producer Rachael Blampied, and actor Michelle Blundell playing Lee, supported by an incredible cast of local actors. Sophie Henderson oversees the production as our Executive Producer. We will be joined by long-time collaborators Abraham Kunin (Homebrew, Teeks) and Jonathan Burgess (Demons of Noon, Stud Farm) who will carefully curate the music and original sound design.

Michelle Blundell - Lead actor / Writer of Little low

Michelle is a New Zealand actor with nearly two decades experience working extensively in film, television and theatre. Her recent projects include A Minecraft Movie directed by Jared Hess, award-winning short film I See You and the NZ premiere of Three Little Words. Michelle received critical acclaim for her performance in Rob Sarkies’ award-winning Consent - The Louise Nicholas Story. Little low is Michelle’s first screenwriting project, and was mentored by Sophie Henderson (Workmates, Baby Done, Fantail) and Jodie Hillock (Blood and Gold). 

Kate McGill - Director

Kate studied acting at Toi Whakaari and has worked consistently in the film industry ever since. She is a professional actor and sought-after casting director, who made her directorial debut with the award-winning television series Raised by Refugees by Pax Assadi. Kate wrote and directed her first short film Farm in 2024, which had its world premiere at the Show Me Shorts festival in October 2025. Little low is a part of a cinematic style Kate is cultivating through her work with the ultimate goal: a feature film that is female-led in story and in vision.

Rachael Blampied - Producer

An accomplished producer, actor and voice artist, Rachael has over 12 years of experience working on big-budget TVCs, content, short films, telefeatures and music videos. She is currently a freelance producer, after three years as head of production at Flying Fish. With a razor-sharp attention to detail, Rachael thrives under pressure. Her performance background and wealth of screen experience fuels her storytelling eye. Rachael’s ultimate goal is to produce feature films.

Sophie Henderson - Executive Producer

Sophie Henderson is an award-winning New Zealand screenwriter and actor. Her first screenplay, Fantail premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival and picked up a People's Choice Award at Melbourne International Film Festival. Sophie is also known for her films Baby Done, The Justice of Bunny King and most recently, Workmates. Sophie’s on-screen roles include Outrageous Fortune and New Zealand films Fantail, Human Traces and Workmates. Sophie is the newly appointed Artistic Director of Silo Theatre.

FUNDING = FILMMAKING

Your invaluable donation to our project will help with:

• Koha for our brilliant cast and crew who are generously sharing their time and skills with us
• Catering for our three day shoot in Avondale, early 2026
• Essential film production costs (equipment, locations, bus hire etc)
• Sound design and mixing, editing and colour grading for the film
• Insurance (super boring but super essential)

EVERY DONATION COUNTS

We would love you to be a part of bringing this short film to life, and appreciate anything you can give towards making this dream come true! All donations are eligible for a 33% tax credit, and seriously, every donation counts.

Boosted is an all-or-nothing fundraising platform - meaning if we don’t reach our target in time we won’t get a cent. The stakes are high friends.

Big goals need a solid squad, and every single one of our donors will be acknowledged in our film credits, and immortalised in our hearts. We can’t do it without you!

It is our hope that our film will authentically capture both the magic and messiness of new motherhood, with a relatable, meaningful story that shines a light on the often isolating and challenging days of early parenting. We hope to spark conversation about how we can better support new parents, with a compassionate and honest portrayal that offers an insight into the experience of postnatal anxiety. We want Little low to go beyond the often stereotypical depictions of on-screen mothers, bringing awareness to the unpaid, unseen work of women, and the complicated impacts of motherhood that affect a woman’s identity. 

Please share our campaign far and wide. We appreciate your support + can’t wait to make this film.

Much love,

Michelle, Kate and Rachael