the story

APRICOT, a short black comedy, is a snapshot into the life of 8-year old Margaret Mary and her struggles to accept the Clump of Dentureless Fat (her grandmother) that has taken over her life. And her parents' attention. 

APRICOT is a simple story - one setting, four characters - but one that is filled with heart and hilarity.

the inspiration

My grandmother, Barbara Roumanous (or, Barbs as we commonly called her) loved chicken. She also loved Greek yoghurt. But above all she loved slurping on them ripened apricots. She was funny and eccentric and had beautiful hands and was the glue that kept our family together.

This movie is for her. I want to capture her spirit in a form that will exist for the rest of time. 

This movie is also for my extended family, who so selflessly devoted their time to care for Barbs - a task that proved to be a little harder as age (and dementia) begun to wear her down. 

This movie is for all families; for the love they give, and for the sacrifices they make.  

the team

Nisrine Amine / Writer

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6562564/

https://www.facebook.com/nizamine

Gia Frino / Producer

http://www.giafrino.com/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm7050755/

Our goal is to raise $15,000 - a seemingly insurmountable feat, but one that we will happily take on because we know we have a story with heart, characters with courage and a team that will use that money respectully. 

You donations will go directly towards:

• The wages of 4 cast members and crew members including Director, DOP, Production Manager, Camera, Camera Assist, Grip, Grip Assist, Gaffer, Gaffer Assist, Sound, Set/Costume Designer, Hair Stylist, and Make-Up Artist
• Equipment hire
• Catering for the day of shooting
• Post-production: Editor, Grade, Music
• Festival submission fees
• Pozible rewards and fees

One of the main challenges is finding an actress that can subtly portray the spirit of Barbs in a way that is engaging and honest.

The other is to create a movie that makes you all proud to have come on board.

PFAQ (Potential Frequently Asked Questions)

• Why $15,000? That's a lot of money. 

The bulk of the money will go towards paying the cast and crew above-award rates. Why not just ask for favours? Well, people who work on art - whether it be a short film, novel, stage show - deserve to be paid for their efforts, for the years of training they've put themselves through and for the stories that they so courageously share. The stories that make us recognise ourselves in the other; the stories that incite discussion. And sometimes, the stories that make us forget.

By donating to our project, you will be supporting these artists and acknoweldging the work they do. Although we could have very well asked for favours, there's no reason that these artists - like any other profession - shouldn't be paid for their work. 

• What happens if you don't reach your target of $15,000?

Pozible is an all-or-nothing platform. This means that if we get a combined pledge amount of LESS THAN $15,000, we don't get anything at all. We MUST hit our target in order to get the money you've pledged.

• What will you do once the film is made?

The goal is to submit APRICOT to a national film festival. And then from there, international festivals perhaps?

• What happened to Barbs?

Barbs passed away in 2014 after suffering a stroke. She was 94. But we can assure you, her spirit lives on! (Can I tell you, I'm sitting here in this cafe up at the Central Coast writing this campaign page and just as I finished writing that previous sentence about Barbs' spirit, the song 'Valerie' by Amy Whinehouse and Mark Ronson came on over the cafe loudspeakers. That was the actual song Barbs was dancing to in the video you saw earlier! Her spirit lives on indeed!!!! Barbs, you cheeky ole gal, you!)