Greetings, my name is Alana I. Smith, I am a graduating senior Television & Film major and Business Administration minor attending Howard University. I’m very excited to announce the launch of my latest project and I respectfully ask for your support for my upcoming senior thesis film, WITHERED. This film is a sci-fi drama coming-of-age story with themes rooted in heritage, revolution, cynicism, and supernatural surprises.

Logline: When a clairvoyant on the run from the government steals a highly valued photo, he uses his supernatural abilities to find his family before a lunar eclipse erases everything in his memory.

In the early 2000s-2015 era, there was a rise of young adult dystopian fiction movies which shifted cinema culture. These enigmatic films displayed worlds of destruction centered around “political impact, connections, love, and loss.” In this digital age, I want to tell a story highlighting the ideas of race and technology. Since this genre lacks minority representation, a story crafted in the future from an urban lens will grow a futuristic perspective about embracing how smart and strong we are as a people. Aaron Brown is the star who shows that being intelligent in STEM does not have limitations based on your background. He thrives in science and math, which ranks him as the top student in society. By making this movie, Withered will break barriers by embracing our roots and culture in order to progress toward a promising future where we have abundant resources.

As a young writer-director, I strive to change the narrative and produce a range of stories depicting Black life in various stages and worlds that can be reflective of all backgrounds. Through the art of storytelling, it is important to display different walks of life, and the problems plaguing our society, as well as inspiring.

Would you join me in helping me raise $3000 to cover my production budget? As a valued supporter, this will give you access to a welcome package including social media shoutouts, behind-the-scenes photography, signed posters, handwritten letters, and more!

Your investment in this cinematic venture will champion Black stories and creativity. Every click, share, and donation will bring me and my production team a step closer to making this vision come to life. 100% of the proceeds will be used towards the following:

transportation, locations, set design, VFX effects, and equipment rental.

Together we can make changes in the type of stories being made. I want to THANK YOU in advance for your support! It has always been my mission to educate the masses, elevate our differences, and embrace our connectedness.