Agápē, a shortfilm

What is agápē?

It is an intimate and emotional film, told as a tale or fantastic fable and shot in real natural locations. It is aimed at a broad audience, being a universal story that we can all relate to. Although approved for all audiences, it is ideal to be enjoyed and interpreted by a young and/or adult audience, who may feel touched by the emotional weight of love and heartbreak.

It will be shot in Spanish, with some parts in Catalan, being the native languages of most of the team. It will also include subtitles in several languages upon release, including English. The runtime will be around 20 minutes, so the piece can be submitted to festivals.

Why are we launching this Crowdfunding?

The idea behind this campaign is to make our final degree project a reality, after completing three years at ESCAC (Cinema and Audiovisual School of Catalonia). This is a beautiful story about loving, as well as the difficulty of doing it right.

We have an initial budget provided by the university itself, but it’s insufficient for what we ideally need. With contributions from different people, whether involved or not in the project, we could have more budget for better resources and professional human resources, in complex areas like makeup, art, or VFX. Furthermore, the goal of the campaign is to secure funding for a higher production value, which will allow us to travel to Northern Spain to shoot the short in real locations; something that excites everyone involved.

What does the short film propose?

Two lovers from the past, completely distant from each other, feel called to reunite through a magical melody, to discover whether their bond was true love or an idealized illusion.

Night falls over the city, and a grandfather tells his granddaughter the story of Alma and Luca, two friends and lovers who created a melody that only they could interpret. However, due to both of their insecurities, they end up drifting apart.

Time later, when Alma hears piano notes coming from a distant place, she decides to follow the trail through the wind. She does so by crossing a dark forest, guided by a mystical animal spirit in the shape of a wolf.

On her journey, full of dangers and unexpected obstacles, she discovers that she is not alone, as other people also entered the place, seeking what they lost in the past. Alma will find out that the song she hears is being played by Luca, who, after staying isolated in a coastal lighthouse, has something to say to her; though this time, in a language different from words.

The sheet music he composes is called "agápē", a Greek term that means love and is described as a pure feeling for the well-being of the loved one.

Key Points of the Proposal

• Fairytale: The entire story is told as a bedtime story by the grandfather to his granddaughter.

• Set design, sound, and light: The camera will float between the locations where Alma is, capturing her face and deeper emotions. We will stay close to her, following her journey both inwardly and outwardly, connecting it on a psychological level. The spaces will be real exteriors, but we will use magical, atmospheric lighting. The sound will be immersive, with a special focus on the small expressive details: the wind, the leaves, or the creaks of the tree bark.

• Unrequited love: Both Luca and Alma feel trapped by their own demons during the story, but they share a sense of melancholy that fluctuates between them: the loss and absence of the one they wanted, with fear, and now have lost.

• Music: The characters of this world communicate through the musical language; Luca composes and plays a score that resonates in Alma’s heart, and which we, as viewers, also hear. The soundtrack of the film consists of several original songs played on the piano, and one at the end that involves voice and string instruments. Each piece has been carefully created to emotionally narrate what the characters experience throughout the story, and it will be published on digital platforms as an album.

• Anxiety and the subconscious: During the journey through the forest or the isolation at the lighthouse, cinematographic resources will be used to convey the strange nature of both places. On one hand, a living place where dark emotions come to light, and on the other, a gray and apathetic, circular space. The spaces are a manifestation of the mental health of our protagonists, lost, anxious, or trapped.

Who is the project aimed at, and why is it being made?

Main objectives:

• We seek to create a very atmospheric experience, both sonically and visually, made to be seen in cinemas or the best conditions.

• To explore romantic love that approaches poetic language, but using a more accessible channel like storytelling in children's fairytales.

• To give voice to young filmmakers and workers in the Spanish independent film industry, through a genre film, blending the fantastic with the intimate.

• To portray symbolically and spatially the emotional dilemmas of new generations, as well as represent mental health in a metaphorical way.

• To bring the story to a broader audience, through national and international festivals.

Strengths and Advantages

• Magical narrative: The project is based on a story with an accessible approach to the general public, without overlooking less conventional and innovative set design decisions.

• Team: Behind agápē, there are various people forming the technical team, trained in the audiovisual and musical fields, with previous experience, and motivated to carry out the project.

• Filming in natural environments: Both the cliffs facing the sea and the forest are real locations. This results in immense visual richness, full of flora and fauna.

• Support from a production company and financing: ESCAC provides professional cinema equipment as a starting point, along with an initial budget.

• Authorship: A personal take on the difficulty of miscommunication and painful love; themes with which many of us feel a deep connection. The execution and direction are based on this proximity and/or distance with the characters.

• References: Behind the nature of the story, there are various literary, cinematic, and musical inspirations; ranging from the independent to the commercial. From animated Disney classics like Peter Pan or Fantasia, through tales like Little Red Riding Hood or poetic collections like Letters to Milena, to modern stories about complex relationships, like Normal People, La La Land, Past Lives, or Her; all of these influence agápē's DNA. The music of Novo Amor, Patrick Watson, Lana Del Rey, and Bon Iver, as well as their visual iconography, directly influence the short's imagery.

Why support us through Verkami?

We believe that an independent film short, truly ambitious, can be made with the collective help of other passionate individuals who seek to create and watch stories that resonate and captivate them. Through every contribution, big or small, you are:

• Supporting an independent work that promotes the involvement of young people in cultural audiovisual projects.

• Encouraging new proposals that combine the musical and cinematic worlds, through fresh young voices offering different perspectives on themes like love or mental health.

• Participating in the creative process and opening doors to better production and promotion of the project.

• Promoting that the project does not remain anecdotal, but becomes something that can transcend and be seen in theaters and festivals, as a love letter to anyone who has ever been capable of loving.

Who are we?

As we mentioned before, most of us are film or audiovisual students. We've studied at ESCAC and other film schools in Barcelona, ​​such as ECIB and Bande à Part. The point is that we're passionate about what we love and believe in our projects.

Direction

• Director and Original Story: Víctor Vila

• Screenplay: Marta Aiza, Àlex Martínez, Rebecca Tolosa, and Víctor Vila

• Assistant Director: Margot Arroyo

• 2nd Assistant Director: Marco Delso

• Script: Jules Prat

• Casting Consulting: Arnau Viejo

Production

• Production Manager: Elias El Jorfi

• Production Director: Malena Murillo

Cinematography

• Cinematographer: Oliver Johnson

• Operator: Nils O`Lantern

• Focus Puller: Ona Tusell

• 2AC:

• Gaffer: Noa Valencia

• Best Girl: Candela Jiménez

• Spark: Mar de Molina

Sound

• Creative Sound Direction: Arnau Quintana

• Direct Sound: Marc Loscertales and Pablo Rodríguez

• Sound Post: Arnau Quintana

Music

• Musical Direction and Original Soundtrack: Marc Domènech

• Musical Mixing: Arnau Quintana

• Backing Vocals: Noemi Gallardo

Art

• Art Direction: Paula Rabassa

• Art Assistant: Rebecca Rubio

• Art Assistants: Mireia Inglada and Daniela Leich

• Construction Management: Cecile Dallaglio

• Construction Assistants:

Costume Design, Makeup, and Hairstyling

• Costume Design: Elena Carballo

• Wardrobe Assistant: Luba Klimova

• Makeup: Mar Vila and Ariadna López

• Prosthetic Makeup: Ángela Felix

• Practical Effects:

Post-production

• Editing: Alex Buján

• VFX Supervisor:

• VFX Assistant: Tania Pastor

Furthermore, the first scenes of the short, filmed during the month of April, were directed by a crew that won't be able to appear in the final short. Likewise, most of the teaser you've seen was directed by a previous crew, with some names changed or added relative to scenes in the final short. We'll thank these individuals in the end credits for their collaboration in their respective roles.

First Scenes

• Assistant Director: Olga Carrasco / Dúnia de Miguel

• Production Management: Marina Melero

• Production Assistant: Joana Vosseler

• On-Set Costume Design: Genis Roige and Iris Navarro

• Camera Operator: Rodrigo Pérez

• AC: Lucía Jorba

Teaser

• Assistant Director: Lluc Guardiola

• 2nd Assistant Director: Dániel Cselenyi
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• Production: Alba Miro

• Focus Puller: Benjamín Lucas Marques

• Gaffer: Nils O'Lantern

• Sparks: Daniel Ulloa, Nürz, and Sergi Collado
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• Creative Sound Direction: Sebastián Orueta

• Direct Sound: Sebastián Orueta, Miranda Gener, and Xavier González

• Creative Sound Post-production: Sebastián Orueta / Xavier González / Miranda Gener

Rewards

With every donation, you receive a reward (more or less substantial) and a title that represents you:

• €5: Symbolic Contribution

No specific reward.

• €10: Acknowledgements

You can watch the short film online when it's finished, and your name will appear in the final credits.

• €25: Forest Wanderer

In addition to the mention and the link to watch the short, you will receive another link to download a signed poster dedicated to you, as well as exclusive photos of the Forest of Forgetfulness.

• €50: Forest Creature

All previous rewards, plus exclusive early material from the Making-Off and the filming, revealing secrets about the internal narrative of the story.

• €75: Guiding Spirit

In addition to everything above, you will receive a copy of the script, bound and signed by the three screenwriters and the director.

• €125: Storyteller

You will also get a physical high-quality copy of the Poster, signed by everyone involved.

• €200: Love

Two major new rewards: not only do we thank your contribution, but you also become the executive producer of the project. Moreover, we will create a personalized instrumental song for you, and you will get early access to watch the film.

• €500: Agápē

The highest contribution includes everything above, of course. The most important new feature: you are invited to a filming day, and later, you will receive part of the art and costume used in the project. This reward is limited to 5 contributors.

Symbolic and Economic Value of the Rewards

As you can see, although the rewards are not large until a certain amount (since we don’t have much budget), these are a symbolic gesture of gratitude and appreciation to our backers who have decided to trust the project. Anyone who donates any amount will appear in the final credits, and the value of the donation rises until it reaches the final one; the biggest and most exclusive for one person: the costume and art created for the short.

All rewards will be delivered and shipped in January of the following year, once the project has been 100% completed.

Destination of the Contributions

100% of the funds raised through Verkami will be fully allocated to this project. The requested budget will be distributed as follows:

• 20% Locations.

• 10% Subsistence allowances: Crew + extras.

• 20% Paid positions.

• 15% Photography equipment and practical effects.

• 20% Transportation: Van rental for equipment + crew transportation.

• 10% Set decoration and props.

• 5% Costumes.

In this first phase, the funds raised will cover the short film, with filming scheduled for the last week of July.

The post-production phase, which includes editing, sound design, color correction, and mastering of the original soundtrack, will take place during August, September, October, November, December and January.

Once these phases are completed, the distribution of the short film will begin.

The rewards will be delivered to backers during this final stage of the project.

Timeline

Currently, we are actively working on the preproduction of the project, preparing for the filming.

Filming of the short film will take place from July 22 to 28, 2025. During this period, we will shoot most of the story, as in April we had the opportunity to film the beginning of the film, financed by the director’s savings.

Once the filming is complete, post-production will begin, expected to last until January of the following year, when there is a public screening of ESCAC Films, where the final year short films are presented.

Contact Information

Contact us for any questions via our email:

• [email protected]

Follow the project on our social media:

• Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/agape.corto?igsh=enVsZTUzZjMyNnVr

• YouTube:

https://youtube.com/@agapecortometraje?si=vjGhkM4gTu1Z8cd8