Dance battle at the centre of Boosted campaign

Posted Tuesday 01 Nov 2022

Dance battle at the centre of Boosted campaign

Dance is also bringing people together in Ave Marie, a short film also in the midst of a Boosted campaign.

Sabina Wallis and Celestina Sumby are raising money for their NZFC Fresh 15-funded short film, written/ directed by Celestina and executive produced by Francesca Carney and Thomas Coppell.

The team need to raise $15,000 so that the New Zealand Film Commission match them dollar for dollar and  reach their $30,000 target. They want to build an epic '80s dance battle on the suburban streets of Paekakariki Aotearoa.

Here's a bit about the film:

Set in 1984 suburban Aotearoa, Ave Marie is about adopted siblings Marie and Xavier who use dance as a way to escape the day-to-day reality of their mother’s religious rants and the neighbourhood bullies. While tough and unforgiving Xavier insists on putting himself front and centre of every dance routine and fighting the local BMX gang for his right to wear spandex, Marie decides she wants her chance to shine too. When their staunchly Catholic mother leaves the kids home alone again, Marie finally gets her chance.

With the help of a little faith and a kick-arse soundtrack, Marie sets out to help her brother take the BMX gang head on in a dance battle that will bring their ongoing fights to a climatic end, and unite where fists couldn’t through the power of dance.

Click here to give Ave Marie a financial boost!