Where Do Butterflies Go at Night

Where Do Butterflies Go At Night is an art-house coming of age short film from emerging writer-director Cassia Walton. 

It draws on a philosophical thought that each of our souls is not bound by time; in the exact moment you are born, you are at your death. To reckon with her own misunderstanding of life, a young woman is thrust into a journey of meeting herself across pivotal life timelines. 

The film is a coming home, a reconnection to oneself. 

Check out the video above to hear more from the Director, Cassia Walton, about the film.

CASSIA WALTON | WRITER, DIRECTOR, DOP

Cassia Walton (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Uru) is a filmmaker and photographer based in Pōneke. With a strong affinity for storytelling and a unique visual eye, she has directed/produced an internationally award-winning short documentary, ‘Over the Undertow’, and her photography has been featured in various Aotearoa arts magazines. Close industry mentors have given her an in-depth range of knowledge on filmmaking, storytelling, and a desire to tell her own.

MICAH WINIATA | PRODUCER

Micah Winiata (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Porou) is a film producer dedicated to working with emerging auteur writer-directors expressing their unique worldview and lived experience. Some of his produced films include River River (A Wave in the Ocean short), The Mute (Beyond the Short), Last Shot at Messenger (DocEdge, Māoriland, Lift-Off Berlin), and TAIAO (Vision Feast winner). He has contributed as an Associate Producer, Line Producer, and Pou Tikanga/Reo on feature films like Uproar (2023), Bookworm (2024), Holy Days (2026), and Lomu (2026), and serves on the Film Bay of Plenty Board.

Kate Chu | 1st Assistant Director

Ruohan Zhao | Costume Designer

Sian Ledingham | Art Director

Angus Kerr | Gaffer

Luana Winiata | Sound Recordist / Designer

Ruby Vidgen | Sound Recordist

Colette Haines | Composer

Where Do Butterflies Go at Night will be shot on a micro-short film budget. $6000 total. These funds will go towards feeding our crew and sourcing the minimal art design needed to communicate the story. Equipment and labour will be passion and talent-led.

Every dollar counts! Your generous support will go towards things such as:

• Coffee Beans for a dawn shoot - $10
• Feed a crew member - $25
• Secure us an amazing shoot location - $100
• Contribute to our costume design - $150
• Contribute to our production design - $200
• Feed the whole team for the entire shoot - $500

As a small thank-you from us, each donor will have their name in the credits at the end of our film. 

If you invest $500 or more, you will receive an Executive Producer credit, a Printed Poster, and an invitation to the Premiere.

Where Do Butterflies Go at Night follows a young woman on a journey of re-connection to herself. She meets versions of herself across different timelines of her life. In a way, each version also meets her, and each meeting subtly reveals the possibilities of life to her. 

It has taken almost 6 years to get here. I started developing this story when I was 17, just after I had left College. It came from a time when I had felt potently lost, and followed me to my early 20s, where that feeling can still be true, but in a very different way. This film is for those searching for themselves, something that I believe never ceases. 

Where Do Butterflies Go at Night is a stepping stone into my career as an auteur director. A pathway to the next funded short film, giving me the ability to express my worldview and life experience to the world. I would love for you to come on this journey with me.

‘Only time is to know, the wayward tiles of a life. Your heart will be ripped out from your chest and sewn back again. That is the joy of a life lived.’

Cassia