THE CALF

We made it!! Thanks to all of you - and with two whole days to go. This gives us the opportunity to try and reach our STRETCH GOAL of $32,000. The $30,000 we have raised so far means we have now paid for our edit, colour grade, sound mix and score. The additional $2,000 we're seeking will mean that we can make sure our film meets the technical requirements to actually screen in New Zealand (and New Zealandly!) Not to mention, the costs of getting into festivals... The cost of quality filmmaking adds up very quickly and every little bit will help us get the finished film out into the big wide festival world.

Traumatic and complex emotions are so difficult to process in youth and so often misunderstood. THE CALF seeks to challenge and surprise the audience with their own attitudes towards our young protagonist, Kyle. We are immersed in the sound and fury of his day, and yet we have no idea that he's trying to escape the grief, loss and confusion that overwhelms him as his world falls apart. We invite you to support THE CALF so we can finish our short film and bring Kyle's journey to the big screen.

THE CALF is written and directed by Simon London and Matthew Sunderland and produced by Emma Mortimer. It has a very personal heart, seeded in elements from Matt's own life and we think it has something important to say. This is a story about a boy forced to look death in the eye, and come out the other side. It shines a light on how we perceive vulnerable kids struggling to deal as tectonic forces of life shift beneath their feet.

Thanks to our fabulous cast and crew and the support of the New Zealand Film Commission, we have undertaken a challenging and ambitious shoot in the Waikato. Think kids on bikes, newborn calves and a 1-tonne bull!

Now we are asking for your help to get our film across the finish line.

Any money you're able to donate will be matched dollar for dollar by the New Zealand Film Commission (up to $15,000). The $30,000 raised here will see us through post-production and festival entry so we can take THE CALF to the world.

We're blown away by the talent and dedication of our production team, and cannot wait to work with the incredible professionals joining us for the post-production leg, including: editor Cushla Dillon (THIS WAY OF LIFE, AFTER THE WATERFALL), composer Dana Lund (THE DARK HORSE) and sound designer Vedat Kiyici of Envy (MOANA, HARROW).

Thank you for getting behind us and supporting this project. We are excited to have you along for the journey!

And remember - all donations made by NZ income earners are tax deductable.

All our thanks,
Matthew, Simon and Emma.

Thank you to the New Zealand Film Commission, and of course our wonderful cast, crew and cheerleaders (too many to name here) for their support and generosity.