Wish You Were Here
It's 2006, and Darren can’t drive a stick shift car.
Back in New York City, this wasn’t much of a problem, but now, on a cross-country road trip with his chaotic and charismatic friend Jason it’s turning into a real drag. All Jason seems to want to do is stop at strip club after strip club but that's not Darren’s scene. Plus, he’s beyond broke, and being asked if he wants to dance when he can’t even afford a gas-station burrito is downright embarrassing.
Relegated to the passenger seat; night after night, Darren sits alone at the bars sipping on one well-vodka tonic and sulking—until a glimmer of hope enters his world and changes everything. Her name is Strawberry.
Strawberry’s not like the other girls at the clubs. She doesn’t want Darren’s money. She’s authentic. She likes him for him. Sparks fly over a couple drinks and he musters the courage to ask her out for pancakes. To his utter disbelief, she actually says yes.
Now with a real reason to get into the driver's seat, at 4 am Darren manages, barely, to wrestle Jason’s car into gear, lurching the entire way back to the club. Only to find the parking lot is empty. No Strawberry. No date. Nobody at all, except a lone security guard who can offer nothing but pity; He’s been stood up.
Defeated and deflated Darren grinds the car back into gear and alone in the dark faces the greatest challenge a novice stick shifter can face; a stop light at the top of a hill.
No matter how hard he tries, he just can’t get this car up and over the hill. Again and again, he tries—stalling, slipping ever backward, inch by inch, down the hill. By the time he’s back at the bottom, right where he started, whatever ego, money for gas he had left, and his manhood, are all but eviscerated.
With nothing left to lose, he’s forced to reckon with what it means to really be a man—what he’s chasing and why—and maybe, just maybe, that there’s more to what’s holding him back than his driving skills.
63% Cast & Crew
We believe in our talented people. Compensating our cast and crew for their time and talent is the most important part of our budget. Your contribution will ensure that every member of our team is paid for every day on set. This budget does not include the producing team, our director, Liam, nor our DP, who are volunteering their time to bring Wish You Were Here to life.
24% Production Expenses
Filming is no small feat, especially during 12-hour workdays. This budget covers meals to keep our cast and crew fueled, essential equipment rentals, wardrobe to authentically capture the 2006 vibe, and all the necessary production supplies. Your contribution ensures that every day on set runs smoothly and that we maintain a professional, efficient production environment from start to finish.
8% Locations, Cars & Stunts
We’ll be filming across 4-5 days in a variety of locations. From Darren’s fateful meeting with Strawberry at a local club to an overnight shoot on a hill in New Jersey, where Darren faces off with a stickshift car. We’re anticipating the cost of permits, location rental fees transportation, picture car rentals, and a stunt coordinator for safety and precision.
5% Miscellaneous Expenses
This portion covers essential items like insurance, legal fees, and any unexpected costs that might arise during production. By accounting for these, we can protect both our cast and crew while ensuring we stay on track, no matter what surprises come our way.
Stretch Goals
Our stretch goal would allow for Carlos, Liam and Jess to receive small fees for the time, and would give us a head start on festival submissions.
Wish You Were Here isn’t just another coming-of-age story—it’s a film that challenges perceptions of masculinity, identity, and the messy process of finding your purpose. We believe this story has the power to spark meaningful dialogue and that it will resonate with a wide audience.
We also believe in sustainability in the arts. By backing this film, you’re supporting a community of diverse storytellers and artists who believe in the value of authentic, heartfelt narratives.
Whether you're drawn to the themes of vulnerability and self-discovery, or simply excited about seeing a fresh take on the early 2000s, your contribution will help make Wish You Were Here a reality.
In addition to social media shout outs, joining us on set, attending premieres and more, we have some super fun unique road trip inspired incentives for you guys!
Thank You
Every dollar makes a difference. We are so grateful to our family and friends for their support!
Liam Alexander is an artist, filmmaker, and community leader. His photographic work has been featured in galleries and art fairs across the United States, and his images have appeared in publications like Nylon and Rolling Stone. He has collaborated on film and creative projects with major brands such as Wix.com, The City of New York, Samsung, SAP, and Renaissance Hotels.
In film, Liam has contributed to various projects at Perry Street Films, including the upcoming directorial debut of Destry Allyn Spielberg, Please Don’t Feed the Children (2024).
Liam is also known for his community-focused creative projects, designed to educate, inspire, and uplift. Initiatives like IThou at the NYU Kimmel Galleries, The Exchange at Rush Arts, #StrokeofGenius, and The Bridge Program reflect his commitment to building an inclusive and thought provoking art world. Liam currently serves as the President of the American Society of Media Photographers New York Chapter.
Jessica Martinaitis is an accomplished award-winning documentary film and television producer who thrives on crafting meaningful narratives that spotlight critical social issues. She received her master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University where she focused on investigative and social justice reporting and documentary filmmaking. Her work has aired on HBO, Hulu, PBS, and other top outlets. She is especially passionate about character-driven storytelling and using her work to increase awareness, foster connections, and drive change. Jessica approaches every project with journalistic integrity, creativity, and a commitment to telling stories that connect to people’s humanity.
Carlos Cardona is an award-winning Colombian American director and cinematographer from Southampton, New York. He has worked in narrative and documentary for over a decade and has directed two feature films and has shot feature documentaries and short films. He is particularly interested in stories that deal with identity, race, and class and how they intersect with American culture.
As a cinematographer, Carlos’s recent works include the feature documentary for Paramount+ “Mixtape,” as well as the MAX Original feature documentary “Mostly Harmless”
Carlos wrote and directed, Chiqui, which had it’s world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and was cited by multiple sources as a festival highlight of their Indie Episodic Program.
