Waspringa
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, Comedy
Waspringa is a dark, wry comedy of manners set on a family sailing trip where tight quarters and forced proximity turn the weekend into unexpected chaos. Help us make a film that captures modern family friction with humor, honesty, and bite.
Waspringa
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, Comedy
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $15,070 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
115 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Waspringa is a dark, wry comedy of manners set on a family sailing trip where tight quarters and forced proximity turn the weekend into unexpected chaos. Help us make a film that captures modern family friction with humor, honesty, and bite.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
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Waspringa unfolds over one humid New England weekend, as Liv — a self-absorbed twenty-something with a talent for avoidance — reluctantly joins her volatile family on a cramped sailboat. Trapped together at sea are her image-conscious brother Angus (who’s lying about the car he drives), Shauna, freshly out of rehab and charging through recovery like a bulldozer, their patriarch Dennis, obsessed with legacy and making money, and Becks, their delicate mother whose new therapist-slash-boyfriend(?) has introduced her to self-betterment buzzwords.
Liv boards the boat hoping to survive unnoticed. But in close quarters, small humiliations accumulate: forced family games, sibling rivalry, and old dynamics that resurface like barnacles. When a sibling impulsively outs Liv during an argument, the family’s fragile civility splinters. What follows is a messy mix of denial, defensiveness, and well-meaning but graceless affection — as each member fumbles toward connection in the only ways they know how.
Industry recognitions for Waspringa
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Five live wires. One tiny boat.
LIV | THE BABY | Libra
Hobbies: People-pleasing, doom-scrolling, deleting texts, re-sending texts.
Most likely to die first in the apocalypse
ANGUS | THE UPTIGHT OLDER BROTHER | Capricorn
Hobbies: Being right, looking cool, practicing arguments in the mirror.
Most likely to hold a grudge from 2007.
SHAUNA | THE CHAOTIC HALF-SISTER | Sagittarius
Hobbies: Chain-smoking, oversharing, quitting things.
Most likely to join a cult without realizing it.
DENNIS | THE DISAPPOINTED DAD | Astrology is for weak people
Hobbies: Boat maintenance, retelling the same three stories, giving unsolicited advice.
Most likely to start a speech no one asked for.
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BECKS | THE TIGHTLY-WOUND MOM | Gemini
Hobbies: Cleaning for the cleaners, lying about her children's accomplishments, misquoting her therapist.
Most likely to have a Victorian-style flutter over nothing.
We’re in a cultural moment obsessed with performance (identity, moral, and political.) Waspringa examines what happens when those performances crack, revealing the tiny inherited beliefs that still shape us. Through humor and claustrophobic family dynamics, the film exposes those contradictions... and why authenticity feels so rare, and necessary, in this moment.
Waspringa will use light as pressure. Below deck, tight close-ups, unique light leaks through portholes, and swallowed shadows create a quiet claustrophobia. Above land, the image blows out: harsh sun, overexposure, nowhere to hide. We will favor intercepted frames and partial-view angles, suggesting how this family only ever sees slivers of one another, never the full picture. The camera mirrors the emotional experience of the weekend — too close, too bright, and impossible to escape.
Waspringa's crew is made up of New York-based filmmakers who will travel to Massachusetts for production. With your contribution, we will be able to provide our crew with the right support, materials, and equipment to achieve our desired vision. It takes a village, most importantly, a community, to make this short film a reality!
This seed and spark campaign supports the next stages of making the film. We are currently in development and have assembled most of the core creative team. In March we'll cast, and in May we will film. The $16,000 crowdfunding goal covers the main production costs, with an additional $5,000 of my (Molly here, hi!) own personal funds going into the project. If the campaign exceeds its goal (which would be super!!) the additional funds will go toward areas we’ve had to scale back, including hiring more crew, improving day rates, and expanding the art and production budget.
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Once completed, Waspringa will begin its festival run with submissions to premiere-tier and industry-facing and theme-aligned festivals like Outfest, Newfest, Hollyshorts, and more. Our goal is to secure a high-visibility premiere and 4+ total selections, building early credibility and momentum with programmers who champion smart, craft-driven films.
Following the festival window, we’ll shift to curated online platforms like Short of the Week, Film Shortage, and Omeleto to reach cine-literate audiences and generate 20K+ views in the first month. The public release will follow with a targeted push on YouTube, Vimeo, and TikTok clips directing viewers to the film, with the goal of reaching 50K+ cumulative views.
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There are three ways you can help us:
1. Follow
Please follow our campaign on Seed and Spark or on Instagram (@waspringashort) and stay up to date. The more followers on Seed and Spark we have, the more filmmaker benefits we are eligible for. And getting this page in front of more eyeballs is SUPER helpful.
2. Share
Share our Seed and Spark page to social media or to three other people who you think this may interest.
Something like: "Hey, thought you might be interested in this. My friend is making a really cool indie film. Check out their page and spread the word if you can!!! www.seedandspark.com/fund/waspringa" [Feel free to copy/paste!]
3. Contribute and pledge
If it's financially right for you, you can contribute to our film by making a pledge. We must raise 80% of our crowdfunding goal to keep our funds; meaning if we don't hit atleast $12,800 we can't make our movie.
You can choose an incentive or make a pledge to a specific wishlist item that fits your budget.
Your support means EVERYTHING. Without you, our film will not be possible.
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
House us
Costs $2,000
Housing our 10-person crew in MA costs about $2,000. Help us keep everyone rested, nearby, and ready to make the film!
Equiptment rentals
Costs $5,000
Cameras, sound, and lights to make this film look and sound incredible. Help us capture every moment right.
Fuel us
Costs $4,000
This covers cast & crew transport to and from our shooting location in Massachusetts.
Locations
Costs $1,000
Your support helps us secure locations that ground the story and set the tone.
Feed us
Costs $2,500
This covers meals for our cast and crew — Low-budget but full bellies. Showbiz baby!
Art & Production design
Costs $1,000
The details matter. Wardrobe, props, and design that make the world feel lived-in and the characters feel real.
Additional Production Materials
Costs $500
This covers the unglamorous production essentials such as batteries, crafty utensils, printed materials... You know the fun stuff!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer, Co-director, Actor | Molly Greville is a Brooklyn-based writer, actor, comic, and filmmaker making her directorial debut with Waspringa. Originally from Massachusetts, she holds a BFA in Theatre from Boston University and began her career at Scott Rudin Productions, where she worked across film and theatre development, including The Music Man with Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster. As a playwright, her work Unmentionables was produced at two regional theatres and earned nine regional theatre award nominations, including Best New Play (Arizona). As an actor, Molly has appeared on Investigation Discovery, in ReelShort dramas, in national commercials, and across independent films, including Twenty-Nine and The Tour Guide. Her writing centers female and queer stories, using humor to critique the quiet absurdities of power, privilege, and the self.
Co-director | Tara Donnelly is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker who began her career working on major studio productions, including Spider-Man: Far From Home and Avengers: Endgame. She went on to work as 2nd AD on Dustin Guy Defa’s The Adults, which premiered at the 2023 Berlinale Film Festival. Her short film It’s Not Me, It’s You won Best Comedy Short at the Bloodstained Indie Film Festival and Best Humor at the Top Indie Film Awards, where it was also nominated for Best Student Film. Her most recent project, Sad Girls Die Last, premiered at the Lambertville Halloween Film Festival. A graduate of Montana State University’s film program, Tara grew up captivated by behind-the-scenes DVD featurettes that inspired her to pursue filmmaking. She specializes in comedy and horror and enjoys exploring the challenges of everyday life through a humorous and offbeat lens.
Producer | Jordan Vescio is a Kentucky-born, Brooklyn-based producer with a BFA in Film Production and a minor in Dramatic Writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Passionate about amplifying female-led stories and crews, she focuses on telling honest, layered narratives about women’s lives—from adolescence through adulthood. Her short films Pink Flamingos Everywhere and Sugar Baby have garnered recognition and screened at festivals including NFFTY, SCAD Savannah Film Festival, and Mammoth Film Festival. Jordan is Associate Producer of Our Side, a Student Academy Award-nominated short shot in Palermo, Italy. She has worked as a production assistant on major productions for Disney+, Netflix, AMC, and NBCUniversal.
Director of Photography | Yuuki Shimizu is a Brooklyn-based Director of Photography from Tokyo, Japan, known for his striking visual storytelling and cross-cultural perspective. Over the past five years, he has built a dynamic body of work across commercial, narrative, and documentary filmmaking. His clients/publications include Vogue, Nowness Asia, Nike, Panasonic, Land’s End, David Yurman, and Warner Music Japan. His work on the short documentary Just Jacob was nominated by the Television Academy Foundation and won Best Documentary at the Savannah Film Festival, with additional recognition from NFFTY, the Beverly Hills Film Festival, Los Angeles Cinematography Awards, and The One Club for Creativity.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Waspringa unfolds over one humid New England weekend, as Liv — a self-absorbed twenty-something with a talent for avoidance — reluctantly joins her volatile family on a cramped sailboat. Trapped together at sea are her image-conscious brother Angus (who’s lying about the car he drives), Shauna, freshly out of rehab and charging through recovery like a bulldozer, their patriarch Dennis, obsessed with legacy and making money, and Becks, their delicate mother whose new therapist-slash-boyfriend(?) has introduced her to self-betterment buzzwords.
Liv boards the boat hoping to survive unnoticed. But in close quarters, small humiliations accumulate: forced family games, sibling rivalry, and old dynamics that resurface like barnacles. When a sibling impulsively outs Liv during an argument, the family’s fragile civility splinters. What follows is a messy mix of denial, defensiveness, and well-meaning but graceless affection — as each member fumbles toward connection in the only ways they know how.
Industry recognitions for Waspringa
Five live wires. One tiny boat.
LIV | THE BABY | Libra
Hobbies: People-pleasing, doom-scrolling, deleting texts, re-sending texts.
Most likely to die first in the apocalypse
ANGUS | THE UPTIGHT OLDER BROTHER | Capricorn
Hobbies: Being right, looking cool, practicing arguments in the mirror.
Most likely to hold a grudge from 2007.
SHAUNA | THE CHAOTIC HALF-SISTER | Sagittarius
Hobbies: Chain-smoking, oversharing, quitting things.
Most likely to join a cult without realizing it.
DENNIS | THE DISAPPOINTED DAD | Astrology is for weak people
Hobbies: Boat maintenance, retelling the same three stories, giving unsolicited advice.
Most likely to start a speech no one asked for.
BECKS | THE TIGHTLY-WOUND MOM | Gemini
Hobbies: Cleaning for the cleaners, lying about her children's accomplishments, misquoting her therapist.
Most likely to have a Victorian-style flutter over nothing.
We’re in a cultural moment obsessed with performance (identity, moral, and political.) Waspringa examines what happens when those performances crack, revealing the tiny inherited beliefs that still shape us. Through humor and claustrophobic family dynamics, the film exposes those contradictions... and why authenticity feels so rare, and necessary, in this moment.
Waspringa will use light as pressure. Below deck, tight close-ups, unique light leaks through portholes, and swallowed shadows create a quiet claustrophobia. Above land, the image blows out: harsh sun, overexposure, nowhere to hide. We will favor intercepted frames and partial-view angles, suggesting how this family only ever sees slivers of one another, never the full picture. The camera mirrors the emotional experience of the weekend — too close, too bright, and impossible to escape.
Waspringa's crew is made up of New York-based filmmakers who will travel to Massachusetts for production. With your contribution, we will be able to provide our crew with the right support, materials, and equipment to achieve our desired vision. It takes a village, most importantly, a community, to make this short film a reality!
This seed and spark campaign supports the next stages of making the film. We are currently in development and have assembled most of the core creative team. In March we'll cast, and in May we will film. The $16,000 crowdfunding goal covers the main production costs, with an additional $5,000 of my (Molly here, hi!) own personal funds going into the project. If the campaign exceeds its goal (which would be super!!) the additional funds will go toward areas we’ve had to scale back, including hiring more crew, improving day rates, and expanding the art and production budget.
Once completed, Waspringa will begin its festival run with submissions to premiere-tier and industry-facing and theme-aligned festivals like Outfest, Newfest, Hollyshorts, and more. Our goal is to secure a high-visibility premiere and 4+ total selections, building early credibility and momentum with programmers who champion smart, craft-driven films.
Following the festival window, we’ll shift to curated online platforms like Short of the Week, Film Shortage, and Omeleto to reach cine-literate audiences and generate 20K+ views in the first month. The public release will follow with a targeted push on YouTube, Vimeo, and TikTok clips directing viewers to the film, with the goal of reaching 50K+ cumulative views.
There are three ways you can help us:
1. Follow
Please follow our campaign on Seed and Spark or on Instagram (@waspringashort) and stay up to date. The more followers on Seed and Spark we have, the more filmmaker benefits we are eligible for. And getting this page in front of more eyeballs is SUPER helpful.
2. Share
Share our Seed and Spark page to social media or to three other people who you think this may interest.
Something like: "Hey, thought you might be interested in this. My friend is making a really cool indie film. Check out their page and spread the word if you can!!! www.seedandspark.com/fund/waspringa" [Feel free to copy/paste!]
3. Contribute and pledge
If it's financially right for you, you can contribute to our film by making a pledge. We must raise 80% of our crowdfunding goal to keep our funds; meaning if we don't hit atleast $12,800 we can't make our movie.
You can choose an incentive or make a pledge to a specific wishlist item that fits your budget.
Your support means EVERYTHING. Without you, our film will not be possible.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
House us
Costs $2,000
Housing our 10-person crew in MA costs about $2,000. Help us keep everyone rested, nearby, and ready to make the film!
Equiptment rentals
Costs $5,000
Cameras, sound, and lights to make this film look and sound incredible. Help us capture every moment right.
Fuel us
Costs $4,000
This covers cast & crew transport to and from our shooting location in Massachusetts.
Locations
Costs $1,000
Your support helps us secure locations that ground the story and set the tone.
Feed us
Costs $2,500
This covers meals for our cast and crew — Low-budget but full bellies. Showbiz baby!
Art & Production design
Costs $1,000
The details matter. Wardrobe, props, and design that make the world feel lived-in and the characters feel real.
Additional Production Materials
Costs $500
This covers the unglamorous production essentials such as batteries, crafty utensils, printed materials... You know the fun stuff!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer, Co-director, Actor | Molly Greville is a Brooklyn-based writer, actor, comic, and filmmaker making her directorial debut with Waspringa. Originally from Massachusetts, she holds a BFA in Theatre from Boston University and began her career at Scott Rudin Productions, where she worked across film and theatre development, including The Music Man with Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster. As a playwright, her work Unmentionables was produced at two regional theatres and earned nine regional theatre award nominations, including Best New Play (Arizona). As an actor, Molly has appeared on Investigation Discovery, in ReelShort dramas, in national commercials, and across independent films, including Twenty-Nine and The Tour Guide. Her writing centers female and queer stories, using humor to critique the quiet absurdities of power, privilege, and the self.
Co-director | Tara Donnelly is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker who began her career working on major studio productions, including Spider-Man: Far From Home and Avengers: Endgame. She went on to work as 2nd AD on Dustin Guy Defa’s The Adults, which premiered at the 2023 Berlinale Film Festival. Her short film It’s Not Me, It’s You won Best Comedy Short at the Bloodstained Indie Film Festival and Best Humor at the Top Indie Film Awards, where it was also nominated for Best Student Film. Her most recent project, Sad Girls Die Last, premiered at the Lambertville Halloween Film Festival. A graduate of Montana State University’s film program, Tara grew up captivated by behind-the-scenes DVD featurettes that inspired her to pursue filmmaking. She specializes in comedy and horror and enjoys exploring the challenges of everyday life through a humorous and offbeat lens.
Producer | Jordan Vescio is a Kentucky-born, Brooklyn-based producer with a BFA in Film Production and a minor in Dramatic Writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Passionate about amplifying female-led stories and crews, she focuses on telling honest, layered narratives about women’s lives—from adolescence through adulthood. Her short films Pink Flamingos Everywhere and Sugar Baby have garnered recognition and screened at festivals including NFFTY, SCAD Savannah Film Festival, and Mammoth Film Festival. Jordan is Associate Producer of Our Side, a Student Academy Award-nominated short shot in Palermo, Italy. She has worked as a production assistant on major productions for Disney+, Netflix, AMC, and NBCUniversal.
Director of Photography | Yuuki Shimizu is a Brooklyn-based Director of Photography from Tokyo, Japan, known for his striking visual storytelling and cross-cultural perspective. Over the past five years, he has built a dynamic body of work across commercial, narrative, and documentary filmmaking. His clients/publications include Vogue, Nowness Asia, Nike, Panasonic, Land’s End, David Yurman, and Warner Music Japan. His work on the short documentary Just Jacob was nominated by the Television Academy Foundation and won Best Documentary at the Savannah Film Festival, with additional recognition from NFFTY, the Beverly Hills Film Festival, Los Angeles Cinematography Awards, and The One Club for Creativity.