By Nisa Dari
Making a movie is hard – but making a movie when you are funding it yourself is much more difficult, especially if it’s your first time.
The producer and director of the short film Until Tomorrow,
Kade Kelly, the producer, director and bankroller of the short film Until Tomorrow, is just 22 but has been dabbling in making videos since he was a kid. Ever since high school, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in films, as it was something that came naturally to him.
It took him nearly five years from start to finish – but this year, finally, his dream came true. On October 1, 2024, Until Tomorrow had its first official screening at a Showcase cinema.
Kade first started writing the film in 2021, and then the production of it was completed in 2024. The writing process was quite long.
The movie follows two siblings, one of them committing suicide, and the story explores the reasons why. The brother’s storyline is about his mental health journey that begins due to his grief for his sister and how it acted as a catalyst for his deteriorating mental health.
The movie is a psychological drama and shows us how he falls on the same path as his sister and his struggles with blame.
“It started off just as this story about mental health, and then it was about mental health and grief, which is why I had to figure out how to make it work,” says Kade, who lives in Leicester.
The grief aspect of the story was introduced after Kade suffered from a loss in the family halfway through writing the script. It was so powerful, so all-consuming, he wrote it into the film.
That’s how it filtered into the story, a dual narrative about how one person dealt with mental health issues, and the other dealt with mental health issues caused by the grief of losing a sibling.
This is the reason why the counselling system is touched upon in the story and how beneficial it is for people to seek it.
“When I was in high school, I saw a counsellor, and it benefitted me so well,” says Kade.
“In schools stuff like self-harm can become an extreme cry for help.”
The movie also highlights the low funding that more deprived areas in the UK get towards mental health, and, because of this, the waiting list becomes longer, meaning counsellors struggle to do their jobs.
“It’s a horrible and vicious cycle that isn’t spoken about enough,” says Kade.
Filming the movie took a month altogether, including the re-shoots.
“I was happy to produce it since it was something that I completely created on my own,” says Kade.
Learning the steps it takes to make a film was interesting and fascinating for Kade.
Being able to hire a cast and direct them was fun. As well as managing a crew, it was a new and great experience.
“A lot of people came out of the woodwork that I wasn’t expecting,” says Kade.
Having to manage budgeting, getting locations, and scheduling actors was overwhelming since it was a non-paid project.
“In the end, watching it all come together and being there made it all worth it,” says Kade.
Having to rely on the actors to show up when you have a specific time for a location you can’t secure again was a common worry, especially since it was a unpaid project.
The movie was made solely with Kade’s earnings, and he hopes that in the future they will receive funding for their movies so that they can offer pay to their hard-working actors.
During those years he was writing the film, Kade had to work to raise money to fund the film.
They got lucky with the locations and were allowed to do it for free.
“It was really kind and helpful since they wanted to support the message,” says Kade.
Along with everything else, having to learn how to use the equipment for the first time was also very challenging for the crew.
Most of the budget was spent on the equipment and festivals they attended. They were quite pricey, but that was to be expected.
“When you don’t have funding to be able to make something to the quality you desire, with a lack of money, it is very difficult,” says Kade.
They were very lucky with the casting process, and it all came together well in the end.
Auditions were put out, and one of the cast members, Sierra, did the self-tape for one of the scenes.
“After I saw the first take, I cast her. She was brilliant and exactly what I was looking for,” says Kade.
It was tougher to cast Jasper. Several actors were auditioned but weren’t quite right.
The final choice was someone they saw while helping another person’s film set. Kade approached him, and he was interested in the role, so he was immediately cast.
“I would say promoting the movie is one of the toughest parts,” says Kade.
Advertising costs money and, sometimes, it’s more difficult to get yourself out there.
TikTok and Instagram were the main platforms for promoting the movie, and getting as many people as possible to share it was also important for the success of the film.
Crowdfunding and having a screening at the Showcase Cinema helped with marketing.
The Leicester Mercury and BBC Radio Leicester also reached out to do a story, and that helped spread news about the film and to reach more people.
The feedback to the film was great, and Kade was very pleased with it. Many found the film educational and emotional, he said.
“I think the message was delivered the way I intended it to, which I was the most stressed about,” says Kade.
Along with all this, winning an award for best script at the Athens Film Festival wasn’t on Kade’s bingo card but was a rewarding achievement.
“It was the best award I could ever receive because the script was my favourite part and something I held close to my heart,” says Kade.
One harsh truth Kade learnt was that most film festivals are in it for the money and, in the end, aren’t that beneficial.
The only advice he would give to anyone who wants to get into filmmaking is that even if you’re from an area that doesn’t have a major film industry, but you have a story to tell, then make it even if it’s on your iPhone.
“Don’t wait for the right person to come along and help you. Just make it,” says Kade.
