Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program opens the door to nonprofit funding for independent filmmakers and media artists. Donate today and help bring Downstaged to life.
 

Logline

Downstaged is a coming-of-age drama depicting women desperately seeking love and validation from men who, in turn, can’t even love or validate themselves. These lives suddenly intersect on a fateful night, catapulting forever changes. Viscerally explore our culture’s intrinsic patterns of toxic masculinity, self-doubt, and internalized homophobia where trauma is nurtured and pain is cyclical.

Synopsis

Hurt people hurt people, and in a society like ours where basic human rights are not accepted, a lot of pain and anger is generated. Downstaged examines this pain and anger, and what it does to people by following our characters, in a story that is life, in a raw, messy, and completely relatable way.

This film shows two paralleling stories of women who live in the same apartment building in New York City as they struggle with societal and self-imposed pressures. The first, Jen, is a young adult who is slowly but surely reminded that she might not be as special as she thought she was, all while dealing with the complexities of her sexual awakening. She wants to be desired by men but also wants to be valued for much more than her outward appearance; a balancing act she hasn’t quite mastered.

The second, Val, struggles with self-love. She’s tied all of her self-worth into her lover’s opinions of her and believes she’s only as good as he tells her she is. This opens her up to a lot of emotional manipulation and physical abuse.

Lastly, we follow Patrick. He seems like he’s thoughtful and passionate, but he’s just really good at knowing how to seem that way. He imagines himself a ladies man, and while it might work for him at times, he is still frustrated by the results. In truth, he has more basic desires. At an early age, he learned how to suppress his true wants, and now he struggles to acknowledge himself, affecting the way he acknowledges others.

All of these stories interlock on one fated night, revealing true character, true feelings, and true voices that had been silenced for a long time.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Ana-Julia Cavana – Director/Producer
Ana-Julia deeply values people, and their stories, and believes through filmmaking, humans can learn what it’s like to be a human. Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Ana understands celebration and found that theater and filmmaking are ways to celebrate life.

Thus, from an early age, she dedicated her Saturdays to acting classes and took high school film where she had the opportunity to make a short that went on to win Top 10 at the Graded Film Festival.

She attended Yale Conservatory For The Actors before moving to NYC and acting in Off-Broadway Productions. She noticed the lack of representation in the industry of women, their stories, and their nuanced understanding of characters, so with a new ambition she moved to LA to work in Film.

Melding her critical eye, and understanding of narrative and technical aspects of filmmaking, she became a Local 871 Script Supervisor, having worked with Producers like Emma Koskoff (The Irishman) and Oscar Winning Actors like Hilary Swank. Simultaneously, she directed sketch comedy shows and shorts. Eventually, a Producer bestowed opportunities to direct Industrial and Creative projects for BofA.

Ana is still excited to tell real stories, focusing on unrepresented points of view, with a lot of heart, nuance, and empathy.

Valentina Martinico — Producer/Director of Photography
Originally from Italy, Valentina Martinico is an International Producer and Cinematographer in Los Angeles, CA.

After obtaining her BA in Literature & Philosophy (minoring in Media Studies and European History), Valentina moved to Puerto Rico where she worked as a Producer and AD for short and long-form productions.

Falling in love with the visual craft, Valentina furthered her education by studying Cinematography in Spain and subsequently earning her MFA at the prestigious AFI Conservatory

Now she is AFI’s Cinematography Senior Lecturer. She teaches and supervises Motion Picture Film classes, and is the Lead Educator and Program Curator for AFI’s Cinematography Intensive for Women (sponsored by Panavision). Valentina’s educational commitment includes reviewing textbook proposals and drafts for Focal Press/ Routledge Cinematography.

Member of the AIC (Associazione Italiana Cinematografia) and IMAGO (International Federation of Cinematographers), Valentina is part of the Diversity and Inclusion Committees for both Associations. In 2023, Valentina represented the AIC at the ASC International Cinematography Summit.

Valentina’s technical expertise, combined with her extensive network of excellent talent and vendors (in North America and Europe), help her navigate Production with dexterity. She is now eager to bring to life stories that touch her soul and deserve to be experienced by international audiences.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.