Our short film will bring to light the shame we feel and show the sudden and abrupt nature of suicide when trauma is not dealt with. We shot the film in November 2023 and completed post-production in March 2024. We need funds for marketing/PR support. 

We are reaching out to universities for campus screenings.

Sexual assault and suicide are not common topics spoken in households.

Every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. 33% of women who are raped contemplate suicide while 13% of women who are raped attempt suicide. (RAINN.org)

When we try to, we often get the wrong questions like:

• What were you thinking going out looking like that?
• We told you not to go out late. Why did you do that?
• There's nothing wrong with you. Why are you complaining?
• Life's hard – so what? 

Film is one of the most powerful art forms to change belief patterns and make an impact.  

Meet Our Team

Ashna Sharan is an actor-screenwriter based in Los Angeles, CA. Her credits include appearing on HBOMax's hit show, Our Flag Means Death, and on BET's show, Twenties to name a few. Her love for storytelling started when she learned how to dance on stage. During the pandemic, she also produced and wrote her own anthology quarantine web series that won several awards in film festivals and lockdown competitions all over the world.  

Sophia Cofino has been a professional working actor in theater, musicals, commercials, voiceover and film for over 25 years. She is most passionate about immersive and devised theatre for social change projects. She regularly can be seen performing with Neo Ensemble Theatre and is an avid participant in the Hollywood Fringe Festival as both an actor, producer, and director.

Kelly Lynn Warren is an established director-writer-producer with two award winning short films, 'Manipura' and 'The Dissection of Jack and Jill', as well as a youtube web-series 'Caren with a C-Unmuted'. Originally from Belton, Missouri, Warren has a BFA in Theater / Broadcast & Film from UCM. She has also successfully co-produced two other award winning shorts and has had the pleasure to act in several films and television shows, including HBO’s “Carnivale."

Wayne Jay has been an actor, voice actor, singer, songwriter, musician, and aerospace engineer on-and-off for most of his life. As a filmmaker, he has worked in a variety of departments and his recent credits include award-winning short films.

Nakiya Martinoni is a First Assistant Director, born and raised in Switzerland and currently based in LA. She completed her education with a recent graduation from the Los Angeles Film School's Film Production program. Nakiya has been actively building her career as a 1st AD, achieving significant milestones in her professional journey, such as contributing to the production of two feature films for Netflix and one for XYZ Films. 

Hussain Najam is from Karachi, Pakistan, and relocated to the U.S. after his Bachelor’s, fueled by an aspiration for advanced cinema studies. With a rich background trained under iconic Pakistani thespians, he completed his MFA in Cinematography last year. His works have garnered significant accolades within the film festival circuit. Hussain is driven by a commitment to amplify diverse voices in mainstream storytelling. 

Joanna Cabalquinto studied film production in college and has worked in art on various narrative projects including PDing a TV series starring Rosalie Chiang from Pixar's Oscar-nominated feature, "Turning Red.

Luis Manuel Peña is a Los Angeles cinematographer and producer. Originally from the Dominican Republic, moved to the US and graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2018. Since then he has worked on feature films, podcasts, commercials, television, and short films. His specialties are the camera and post production departments.

Daniella Sanfilippo is from Pennsylvania with 12 years of Beauty Makeup experience, and 7 years in Special Effects. She is a certified Pro Makeup Artist. Since graduating Cinema Makeup School back in 2016, Danielle has free lanced her way from weddings, to editorial shoots to film and tv work. While she loves to glam, she also loves to gore too.

Bailey Swierstra is a freelance video editor who recently graduated with a B.A. in Film and Television at CSULB. His mission is to work and learn from the best in the film industry, so he can mentor aspiring film students; specifically those who struggle from low-income backgrounds whose message to the world may not reach outside their area.

Deidra Kathleen is an actor-producer based in Los Angeles, CA. Originally from Toledo, Ohio, she is a SAG-eligible actress with degrees in both Theatre and Film. She is a graduate of Second City – Hollywood. Deidra has appeared in numerous projects, including acclaimed theatrical productions, music videos, and short films from such renown schools as USC, AFI, UCLA, and more. Most recently, you can catch her in the award-winning short, Birdie.

Cris Felipe is a Los Angeles-based actor, screenwriter, and director with a BA in Film Productions from Hofstra University, with 8+ years of stand up comedy experience, and a passion for stories that heal the world.

The Impact

The only way to tackle suicide and sexual assault is to talk about it and make people realize there is no shame if you need help. The more and more we talk about these important issues without judgment, the stigma will slowly disappear. 

When you contribute to our women-driven film, you are becoming part of a mission to help raise awareness about suicide and sexual assault.

Other Ways You Can Help

• Email/Share our donation page to your friends, family and colleagues
• Post on social media about our short film 
• Follow us on Instagram: @shametheshortfilm
• Like us on Facebook: @shametheshortfilm