i
aM
NOt
THe
LaSt
a short science-fiction drama
alvaro donado
+
mark tenn
logline
Fearing the loss of his 60-million-year-old mother, a boy marooned by time and place refuses to believe he is alone.
story
In the depths of a natural world untouched by humankind, the impossible has emerged: a young boy and his mother living alone in a sphere.
The boy has never seen another human being — not even his father who died before he was born. And fearing the inevitable solitude should he outlive his mother, the boy spends his days searching for a second impossibility: others like them.
Could others have defied all odds to emerge from a sphere like theirs? A sphere buried deep in hibernation underground to outlast an extinction event. A 60-million-year-old catastrophe from which the planet has healed through time. Time taken to expel their sphere from the earth and into a new world. A lonely world that sends a desperate boy on a bold journey to a surprising fate beyond his own imagination.
our vision
I Am Not The Last is a tender, evocative sci-fi drama about belonging. About a child's fear of the unknown which taps humankind’s age-old question, Are we alone? This grand question intimately erupts at a liminal moment of crisis for a mother and son isolated by an alien place as diaspora — scattered people displaced by catastrophe. A cinematic expression of that unbearable weight of love and responsibility we feel at the brink of letting go and at the uncertainty of life beyond our understanding.
We love this story because it draws upon our own personal complications as diaspora and parents to share an imaginative story of familial bond, adrift. A singular experience about how vital human connection is.
The film will be created by a team whose narrative film work has been:
critically recognized by international film academies and major festivals including The Academy, AFI, Toronto and Sundance
commercially broadcast in the US on Cine Sony, HBO and Sundance Now
Principal photography will take place on natural location in Ecuador to craft a wholly immersive encounter unique to the sci-fi drama short film format.
timeline
pre-production
2 months
principal photography
10 days
post-production
completed film
festivals
&
Distribution
3 months
12 months
Principal photography to take place Fall 2023
characters
the boy
9, black
Totally naive and stubbornly curious. Is at one with the life he has, but afraid of his lonely future. Loves his mother but will resist her imperious worldview with every fibre of his being because the inevitable is too much to accept.
his mother
early 40's, black
Having already achieved the impossible, she commands her domain and the boy with a resilience and authority earned through the most devastating ordeal imaginable — loss and grief absolute. Is therefore blind to the boy’s fears driven as she is by a mother’s power to protect the only love in a solitary life: her young child.
location 1
yasuni national park, ecuador
location 2
desierto de palmira, ecuador
location 3
the milky way
thematic influences
budget summary
technical equipment
distribution & marketing
fiscal sponsorship fundraise
cast
art & wardrobe
post-production
crew
logistics
*in-kind filmmaker
$20,000
$3,900
$5,000
$7,200
$10,000
$19,000
$18,600
$10,500
$5,250
$100,000
$80,000
$20,000
total
cash
in-kind
* Value of in-kind contribution from Director, Writer and Cinematographer
for fees and travel costs waived
financing plan
I AM NOT THE LAST IS A FISCALLY-SPONSORED PROJECT OF FILM INDEPENDENT
The filmmakers have incorporated an LLC entity, Our Sphere LLC, per industry standard, and have entered into a fundraising arrangement with Film Independent — a leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that supports independent cinema.
Film Independent is housing Our Sphere LLC under their tax-exempt status in order to receive and administer grants from individual donors, foundations and government agencies on behalf of the production.
Through fiscal sponsorship, individual donors are able to offset some of their tax liability by indirectly funding the film. Contributions to Film Independent on behalf of I Am Not The Last are 100% tax deductible as allowed by law and less the amount of any goods and services received.
how things stand
With $25,000 already pledged to the project, a further $38,000 in pledges is required to greenlight principal photography and execute donations.
Thereafter, the filmmakers will continue to raise the outstanding budget to complete the film.
$80,000 Total cash budget
amount pledged to date (fiscal sponsorship)
$25,000
$5,350
marketing & distribution
$11,235
post-production
$63,000
principal photography
audience
defined niche audiences
Underserved audiences of color
Science-fiction fans
Those who care about the environment
broad audiences
All ages and genders
Anyone who enjoys emotional- and genre-fueled explorations of socially-conscious ideas
International markets where there is always room for character-driven films of distinction, especially in Latin American, larger European and English-speaking territories.
marketing & distribution
I Am Not The Last is a modern, provocative, character-driven sci-fi drama with strong, recognizable genre elements. It will reach its audiences via targeted marketing strategies:
Top tier film festivals
Niche film festivals — by genre, cultural diversity, environmental, youth
Social media + traditional publicity
Although rare, we will also invite market-specific cable TV and digital streaming distribution opportunities.
past work
2 STUDENT ACADEMY AWARDS
1 MEXICAN ACADEMY AWARD
3 SUNDANCE AWARDS
1 STUDENT EMMY AWARD
2 ACADEMY AWARD SHORTLISTS - INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
50+ INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SELECTIONS
3 MAJOR US NETWORK DISTRIBUTORS - SHORT FILM
Our team members have held creative and/or production leadership roles on numerous feature and short films that have been recognized at film festivals worldwide, garnered awards and achievements, and secured distribution.
FISCAL SPONSORSHIP
I Am Not The Last is a fiscally-sponsored project of Film Independent — a leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that supports independent cinema.
Donations for the charitable purposes of the film, I Am Not The Last, are made payable to Film Independent and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law
Film Independent provides oversight to ensure donated funds are used in accordance with grant agreements, and provides reports as required by the sponsor
Grants from Film Independent for the business purposes of I Am Not The Last, are received by the film's LLC entity, Our Sphere LLC, which uses them in accordance with grant agreements, and provides reports as required by the sponsor
individual donors
corporate donors
private foundations
government agencies
DONoR
donation $
TAX DEDUCTION receipt
sponsor
grant $
written agreement
grant request
reports
our sphere, llc
film
BUSINESS $
I
am
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MATCHING GIFTS
Many companies have matching gift programs and can help you double your donation to the film. These programs may match a donation up to a year after it was originally made. Check with your employer—if they have a matching gift program, they will provide you with instructions.
support the film
If you would like to support the film by making a tax deductible contribution via our fiscal sponsor, Film Independent, or learn more, drop us a line!
