Serena is a coming of age/fantasy short film, set in colourful Brighton. The story follows Serena, a teenage shape-shifting mermaid who has just been accepted to a university in America. Very much sheltered by her fearful parents, Serena has always dreamed of living a normal life and becomes conflicted between pursuing her dreams or honouring her parents.

It's a unique yet relatable story that uses metaphors of 'growing up' and 'seeking independence' along with a fun, light-hearted flare.

In order to create this fantasy story in a believable manner, the funds we raise will predominantly go towards set design and costumes - especially the fabulous mermaid tail. Thankfully we have a fantastic crew all at the ready to help us create a beautiful and realistic look. Other funds we manage to raise will go towards our actors, the locations, travel expenses and on set supplies (food & drinks for everyone etc.). We want to make this film the right way and ensure everyone involved has a safe and positive experience. With your help, we can make this happen.

Hello! I am Jemima and I'm from Germany. I came to London in 2019 and did an acting school with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in 2020. So when I'm not acting, I'm working in missions. Other than that I'm interested in all forms of art, I draw, I sing and have also danced for a while. I am incredibly excited to bring the character of Serena to life. I believe her story is an important one to tell and has the power to move people and start conversations. Especially in a time of isolation, I want people to feel understood and show that they are not alone.

I'm Besty, the writer/director of Serena. Growing up is a normal part of our life. We learn about our identity and ourselves and it can be terrifying and confusing. That's what this project "Serena" is about. It looks into the life of a teenager who's finished with her A-levels, going into university and who also happens to be a shape-shifting mermaid! That is what's so fun and intriguing about this project. I wish to tell Serena's story and bring her to life as she plans to leave the nest and embark on a new adventure. We are a creative and ambitious team that can't wait to get started and will pour our hearts into this film! We will appreciate your donations, and even if it's a small one, all will help with our project. Thank you, and I hope you will all enjoy our film.

My name is Elisa Dubignon, I'm the producer for Serena. I wanted to produce this film because it’s a very creative project and it has a unique selling point with its mermaid theme. It has a story that will be relatable to many young people in particular. The film focuses on Serena, a teenager with many ambitions, who is conflicted with honouring her parent’s views as she wants to step out of her comfort zone. The film is set in Brighton, although we intend to film in London and Kent too for logistical reasons. As the producer, I oversee every department and support the director in bringing their overall vision to life. Believability is important for fantasy films so we want to make sure that we're able to achieve this, in order to attract audiences to watch the film.

Hi, I'm Elliot an aspiring cinematographer from Kent. I'd describe myself as a pretty light-hearted guy, passionate about telling meaningful stories. It's Serena's light-hearted nature that really drew me towards the project, and I'm super excited to help illustrate Serena's world. Visually, we're going for something quite ambitious, approaching it with ingenuity, style and a more than capable team ready to bring the story to life.