Grief is a deeply personal and individual experience, one that few people ever really get to explain to others. With her new short “That Day,” Austin filmmaker Stephanie Mishelle Ard will draw on her own time of loss to illuminate that inner turmoil.
Ard’s father passed away in 2003 when she was a sophomore in high school, and “That Day” is a fictionalized account of how a teenager like herself processes the almost unfathomable loss. In this time that seems dominated by adult concerns and practicalities, Ard’s script finds a way for the young Mishelle (actress Chloe Clark) to deal with her loss on her own terms.
Ard explains, “I want to explore grief and how it manifests in every person differently – this film is just one moment in time of one girl’s experience with grief, but I think that many people who have experienced loss will be able to relate. And secondly, I want to honor my 15-year-old self. I want to allow Mishelle to do what I didn’t do that day – leave the house, get some air, and express her grief in her own way.”
To start production in late August, Ard is hoping to raise $12,000 by July 30. This being a Kickstarter appeal, unless she hits that target, she’ll get none of the funds offered. Back the film now via her Kickstarter page, and find out more about the project at www.thatdaythefilm.com.
You can also keep up with filming on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
One in a Crowd is a series intended to showcase Texas film and tech projects that are crowdfunding their way to a goal, be it distribution, a prototype, or production costs. If you have a project that we should know about, email us at filmflam@austinchronicle.com.
This article appears in July 17 • 2015.
