Shuttered

“What’s your meaning of life? What’s your reason to live?”

Shuttered is a character driven short film about Eva, an astronomer with a passion for life, pulls Ryan back from the brink of suicide, a photographer who thinks life is meaningless. The film revolves around their philosophical journey as Eva helps Ryan seek a reason to live.

In "Shuttered," our goal is to approach the topic of mental health with sensitivity and empathy. We want our audience to feel seen, understood, and encouraged.

We want to explore the topic of finding meaning in life, portrayed through Ryan and Eva’s story. If you are suffering or have ever suffered from not finding the point to live, this film is for you. Please help support us so we can make a meaningful film about something we all have felt in some capacity. 

About us:

"Shuttered" is created by a diverse key crew of filmmakers at Massey university, representing Maori, Samoan, Niuean, and Chinese backgrounds. Our director Nianyi Liu's last solo film Cacophony has been selected and won many international film festival awards. One of the key themes is Whanaungatanga (connection), which embodies the importance of connections and relationships between people—a central element in the story of "Shuttered." 

Meet the main crew!

• Writer Director: Nianyi Liu
• Producer: Mikayla-Mihitiria Robinson 
• Cinematographer: Lenuasi Tamapeau Su’a
• 1st AD: George Kenward Parker
• 1st AC: Eva Juriss
• Gaffer: Jayden J.C. Layton 
• Sound Recordist: Daniel Chater
• Composer: Ursula & Neco
• Art Department: Anja Lukic
• Head Editor: Shanay Rossiter

Meet the Actors!

• Aroha Morrison - Eva
• William Thompson - Ryan

Aroha and William are talented Toi whakaari actors, who have had experience in many projects on and off screen. 

Benefits of funding us!

Not only will you be helping us make this film, but because boosted is an Arts foundation you can claim 33% of your donation as tax credit. 

We are grateful for any contribution, even one dollar would be appreciated! We understand that without you we can’t make this happen so anyone who donates will be credited in our film. 

Where your donations will go:

• Fair pay for our actors 
• Transportation
• Catering on set 
• Props & Makeup 
• Safety coordinators
• Location  

Any additional funds will go towards Festival entries further on.