Short Summary

• Four friends struggling with living away from home sit down to play a mysterious board game, but once strange things start happening to them, they suddenly find themselves on the hunt for answers, and for whatever is hunting them. 
• Kalamasa’s Revenge takes the familiar “cursed board game” trope and flips it on its head by relying more on the slow burn suspense of films, where the thrills come more from what lurks beneath the surface rather than the obvious masked monster wielding a butcher’s knife. This feature film explores themes of grief, loss, letting go, and identity, all while unpacking the struggle of AAPI people living in diaspora, away from home. 
• We are passionate about storytelling with heart, giving minority groups a voice through filmmaking, and putting new and original content out into a world of remakes and sequels. All of your donations go directly to helping us fund our project. 

Who We Are

Meet our crew:

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• Kā’eo Drumright, the director, is a Kānaka Maoli (native Hawaiian) filmmaker based in Provo, Utah, who has written and directed many short films, several of which have been selected by film festivals. Since graduating with their Bachelor’s degree in Film and Media Arts, they have worked as a full-time videographer in the industry. Their vision is to tell stories that capture the physical and emotional experience of those not often seen on the silver screen, including people of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

• Eva J Hansen-Smith, the producer, specializes in low-budget indie projects, most recently an award-winning short film entitled Lover’s Retreat. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Media Arts and experience working with short films, production companies, advertisements, and genre pieces. 

• Sophie Whitaker, the DP, is a Utah-based cinematographer with experience in narrative and documentary storytelling. Some of her previous films include At the Doorway, Sundown, and Bygone.

​Meet our cast:

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• Driven by stories of resistance and romance, Mari Joy is a Chicago-based Filipino actress. Mari Joy has several credits in both theatre and film. Notably, the Narrator in the one-person show, Every Brilliant Thing (Vicariously Staged Productions), Lark in the premiere of MESTIZA, or MIXED (Plan-B Theatre), and Erica in the short film POOLSIDE INN which premiered at the AMPAS qualifying Palm Springs International Short Film Festival. In 2023, she graduated with a BFA in Acting from BYU. In her spare time, you will find her taking photos, singing, being a hopeful romantic, and eating rice.

• Jared Harrison Wailana Kamauu is a professional actor and producer based out of Utah. Recently he’s had the great opportunity of playing Lono in the short film Lono and the Pig, Juror 10 in 12 Angry Jurors at BYU, and originating the role of Oliver in a devised show entitled Full of Too Many Unnamed Things. In June 2023 he graduated with a BFA in Acting and he’s excited to continue to work with incredible artists to tell important stories outside of school. He’s very excited to work on this feature film and be able to tell this story along with other amazing artists!

• Langi Tuifua is an actor in Salt Lake City, who strives to tell stories as honestly as possible. Langi has been acting for 5 years and has been seen in plays at Hale center theater, BYU, and in upcoming films such as the Book of Mormon Videos, and Winter Spring Summer or Fall. Langi is excited to work on Kalamasa’s revenge as it will be the first feature-length film that Ka’eo and Langi have worked on together.

• Trevor Komm was born and raised in Butte, Montana. He graduated from BYU with a BFA in Acting in 2022 and has since built a career acting in both commercials and independent films. Trevor’s nephews affectionately refer to him as the uncle who’s, ‘not a real adult’ because he still ‘plays with swords and legos’. He also enjoys playing board games, and aside from Kalamasa’s Revenge, his favorite cursed board game is Monopoly.

What We Need & What You Get

• Funding will go towards paying actors and crew, putting together art and locations, and advertising and marketing the final product! Fundraising money goes directly into paying the hard working artists and creators helping to bring this project to reality- not to us as the producer/director!

• Perks for donating include tickets to our premiere screening, credits in the film, behind the scenes photos and tours, and stickers to say thanks for your contribution.
• Any amount helps! 3 dollars gets us a new prop and 500 feeds our crew for a day. We’re grateful for anything you can give, even if we don’t hit our goal. 

The Impact

• We are looking to fill a woefully empty niche in the independent film market, one that represents underrepresented communities. With a story centered around Pacific Islanders that seeks to break down stereotypes and identity, and a crew composed of mostly women and POC, we want to tell the stories that don’t often get told. The majority of the cast comes from historically underrepresented communities from Polynesia to the Hawaiian Islands and the Philippines. Their voices and stories are integral to the plot and will inspire greater representation in the future. Personal experience with the subject matter makes us the best people to tell this story. Our director and main cast all have experiences as AAPI people living in diaspora, and that experience lends to the emotions and themes of the film. 
• This project will provide invaluable opportunities for both up-and-coming filmmakers to gain invaluable experience working on set and for local artists/businesses to have their products displayed prominently in a feature film. 
• Although the film centers AAPI voices, it also speaks to the universal experiences of grieving loss and learning to take control of your life. These are important themes, that can be impactful for a wide audience. Behind the layers of action and drama, we are trying to to get an important message out to people.

Risks & Challenges

• Feature films are no easy task, but we have an incredible team of dedicated key crew, who have experience working on low-budget projects and are familiar with the territory that comes with it! We have established relationships in the area, not just with local artists and crew that are working on the project, but with local businesses and film-specific companies that know us and what we can do. From restaurants to film festivals like FilmQuest, we have support all the way through. 
• Streaming services and platforms are beginning to be incentivized to cater to smaller minority groups in order to expand their audiences and gain more subscriptions. We can use this to our advantage, filling in the gaps with our project. 
• Our operation location has plenty of built-in interest for independent films. Bigger film festivals like Sundance mean that there are always projects and interest building in Utah. And, because our story is localized, people here are excited to see the places, people, and artists they know come to life on screen. 
• We are currently gearing up for our shooting days in August, with a locked cast (a few of which you can find in our proof of concept video). However, getting the film made is just half the battle. Once it’s all said and done, our marketing and distribution strategy come into play. Using film festivals, social media, targeted advertising, we plan to work with distributors tailored to our audience, and plan to self-host many streaming options through platforms like Amazon Prime, so we can get our story out to the people who need it most. 

Other Ways You Can Help

• Follow us on instagram @kalamasas.revenge
• Share with your friends via social media or Indiegogo share tools
• Keep an eye out for the feature premiere and distribution so you can watch our finished project!
• If you are a business or angel investor interested in working with us, please reach out at hanseneva11@gmail.com