The Stay Indie Project is a collaboration between The Lower East Side Film Festival and BFD Productions, created to give indie filmmakers real support—from development to production to getting their films onto the festival circuit. With projects currently in development, production, post-production, and premiering at festivals throughout 2025 and 2026, Stay Indie is our way of turning bold ideas into finished films.

We are not currently accepting new applicants, but sign up below to be the first to know when submissions reopen. Stay indie, stay tuned.

Current Stay Indie Projects

Narrative Features

Our Bodies and Other Shames Malka Wallick (Writer) and Jenny Lester (Director)

Starring Alysia Reiner, Micaela Diamond, Gideon Adlon, and Malka Wallick. A raw, haunting story of three childhood best friends confronting their past when one is diagnosed with breast cancer.

Project updates: COMPLETED

The Booking - Gabriella A. Moses (Writer, Director)

Inspired by true events.

After an explosive confrontation with her unfaithful partner at her best friend's wedding, Maribel finds herself thrust into a 24-hour prison ordeal. Faced with the consequences of a 911 call gone wrong, she has to navigate her way through the murky waters of truth and justice in order to find her way to freedom.

Project Updates from Gabriella: The project is in late development and has progressed with meaningful and constructive conversations and note sessions around the script; as well as, support on the pitch deck and feedback.

Gold Boy - Jeff Ayars (Writer, Director, Actor)

After a campus suicide, a college professor creates an alter-ego to connect with a struggling student--and to escape his own demons. 

Project updates from Jeff: When I came into the BFD Stay Indie incubator, Gold Boy was a completely different script. After a year of tremendously helpful feedback & development sessions, I was able to completely re-imagine and re-write the screenplay from page one. I'm currently taking my second pass at the full screenplay.

Mr. Oberbeck - Laura Oberbeck (Writer, Actor), Sebastian DiNatale (Director)

A conflict-averse woman learns her father worked as a secret assassin and must now travel with her estranged brother to carry out their dad's final wish: to tell his victim's family members the truth. 

Project updates from Laura and Sebastian: We're in full pre production mode, have some exciting actors attached to the project and are slated to shoot very soon!

Rangoli - Neal Ludevig (Producer), Vishaal Reddy (Writer), Arun Welandawe-Prematilleke (Writer)

After his father suddenly dies, Adi, a down on his luck motel employee, is stuck running his family’s business. However, he must contend with the relationship with his mother, all whilst dealing with a chaotic drag persona that refuses to leave his mind.

Projects updates: scriptwriting in progress

Documentary Features

The Ark - Jeremy Chilnick & Viacheslav Rakovsky (Co-Directors)

A young Ukrainian family, in the midst of war, transforms their farm into a refuge for 1,000 displaced animals—a testament to resilience and resistance.

Project updates: Completed.

HOOP LIKE THIS - Shubhangi Shekhar (Director)

HOOP LIKE THIS follows the best Indian basketball players from around the globe as they join forces to compete in the world's highest stakes basketball tournament on ESPN to prove to the world that brown men can jump.

Project updates: nearing picture lock and final score

Credible Fear - Gabrielle Ewing (Director), Azadeh Nikzadeh (Producer)

Two mothers, an asylum seeker from Guatemala and an energy lawyer, form an unlikely friendship while they fight a broken U.S. immigration system.

Project updates from Gabrielle and Azadeh: We are currently in production and making our way towards a fine cut. Over the last year, with the help of Stay Indie, we were able to make great strides which included completing a shoot with our main character, revising our work sample, bringing on an editor, cutting two new extended scenes, and pitching our first investor.

Just Call Me Lucki - Christina Brown Fisher (Director), Lisa Janae (Director), Richard Brookshire (Producer)

50 years after deploying to Vietnam as the U.S. Army's first Black female intelligence analyst, 95-year-old Doris Lucki Allen is breaking her silence after one of the worst military failures in modern history. Lucki works to reconcile the deaths of thousands of American soldiers when critical intel that could have saved lives is halted by bigotry and inaction.

Projects updates: early development