Me Little Me - A Film About Recovery

There is no “look” to an eating disorder. Eating disorders are a mental health issue, not a choice out of vanity. Most people with eating disorders are survivors of lifelong and childhood traumas. Many have PTSD, many have chronic depression and/or anxiety; and recovery is hard work!

THE BACK STORY 

This film "Me Little Me" is based on a short film I made about a breakthrough I had while on my own recovery journey. I realized that for me, treatment (and recovery in general) was not about a new set of rules but about taking care of and showing love to the most vulnerable part of myself. I immediately knew i wanted to make a film about this epiphany, the result was my short film  "Little Elizabeth" 

 "Little Elizabeth" went on to screen at multiple film festivals and was ultimately chosen as the winner of Art With Impact's Feb '18 film competition for mental health awareness.

Little Elizabeth is now part of Art With impact's Olive film collection and currently streaming on Artwithimpact.com https://www.artwithimpact.org/film/little-elizabeth

THE FILM - ME LITTLE ME

I call "Me Little Me" a feature length 'prequel' to Little Elizabeth. The film follows an African American woman in the early stages of eating disorder recovery who is also working a full-time job and carefully trying to balance the two worlds. 

When I first checked into treatment I was lucky enough  to have insurance that covered mental health services; I wasn't however in a place where I could leave work to check myself into full-time residential treatment. The result was being in an intensive out-patient treatment program while also working full-time. Me Little Me is not only a story about recovery and the work that goes into staying recovered, but about what happens when you can't put life on hold to get well.

THE TONE AND FEEL

I've been a fan of film my entire life, but especially the indie films of the 90's and early 2000's. 'Me little Me' will be reminiscent of films such as Getting to Know You (1999), Our Song (2000) and George Washington (2000), where it's all about people just doing their best at life.

The colors will be low contrast with a mix of extreme close ups and handheld follow doc type camera movement for a naturalistic feel.

We will be using a lot of natural light and also filming in and around some of the the 'realist' neighborhoods in Los angeles and the Valley. The grit of the city itself will definitely be a supporting character in the film.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION

There are a lot of moving parts that go into making a feature film which is why we’re asking for your help. As always my number one priority is making sure that every single member of the cast and crew gets paid a fair wage for their work.

Below is a list of some of the things that your generosity will help pay for.

Every dollar counts and is very much appreciated! As a special thank you I have included rewards at various giving levels. Some examples  below.

Hand-made wooden 24x11inch "'Love Yourself" sign in either red, yellow, blue or magenta. 

Documentary short "Luis & Fed" about Federico 'Luis' Jimenez from the campaign video. This documentary features incredible insights from Fed and his unique  perspective on mental health and eating disorder recovery as a male POC in today's society. 

MEET THE TEAM

WRITER/DIRECTOR - ELIZABETH AYIKU

I am a Filmmaker/Director currently residing in Los Angeles, CA. Filmmaking has always been my passion and I've held many jobs in the industry including, Field producer, Camera Operator, Assistant Editor and full-time Editor. I've worked for clients including iHeart Radio, Viacom, Princess Cruises, Anheuser-Busch, Smashbox Cosmetics and Buzzfeed. You can learn more about me at  elizabethayiku.com and elizabethedits.com  

CINEMATOGRAPHER  - BRYCE LANSING

Bryce is a film and commercial DP based out of LA and NY. I've worked with Bryce on several projects and when it comes to cinematography I feel like we share a brain! I couldn't be happier to have Bryce as part of our team and to be working side by side once again. Learn more about Bryce at bryceclansing.com

PRODUCER - NIKI J. CRAWFORD

Niki is a talented producer, singer and actor originally from Springhill, Louisiana. She has appeared in films such as Killer Diller (2004) He's Just Not That Into You (2009) and Love Ranch (2010) When not acting Niki is regularly on tour with her band and singing her heart out. This film would not be possible without the endless love, support and dedication from Niki J. Crawford. To learn more about Niki visit Nikijcrawford.com 

OTHER WAYS TO HELP

Some of our biggest expenses during production are going to be securing locations, feeding the crew and obtaining props. If you are not able to contribute monetarily but think you can help in any of these areas please feel free to reach out directly to [email protected]

I thank you so much for your support and hope to see you at a screening of Me Little Me.

 Xo -Elizabeth