Friends Like These
Uncertainty is part of growing up.
Project type: Fiction Feature
Project status: Development
Producer: Aiden Smith
Producer: Luca Huff
Email: [email protected]
Website: aidencsmith.com
Instagram: @friendslikethesefilm
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Logline
An aimless communications major is surrounded by four friends with seemingly secured futures. As graduation rapidly approaches, they must all confront their own fears of uncertainty, expectation, love, and identity.
Synopsis
Max, an aimless communications major, is faced with the pressures and expectations of the real world. As graduation grows nearer and his friends secure their futures, Max spirals in a search for his purpose beyond college. Meanwhile, Nat, who’s figured everything out except finding “the one”, begins a romantic search pressured by family expectations and her sister’s recent wedding. Joseph, the easy-going, flirtatious best friend, finds himself falling in love for the first time with his new roommate, Codi, and fears the risk of their friendship by confessing his feelings. Meanwhile, Codi is offered a high-paying job as a data cruncher for a tech company which makes her question her dream of going to graduate school for physics. While Max’s friends move steadily toward their futures (Nat securing a broadcast internship, Reed pursuing a professional music career, Codi preparing for grad school, and Joseph having the promise of his dad’s job offer), he questions his future beyond college and begins to spiral in an aimless journey of self-discovery.

Meet the Filmmakers
Aiden Smith — Producer
Aiden Smith graduated from University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a degree in Film Producing. He is a filmmaking creative with 6+ years of experience in Producing, 1st ADing, Production Managing, and Directing projects including student films, independent features, commercial material, and international film-work. At the age of 18, he wrote, produced, & directed his first feature film Fortunate Sons where he raised $39,000 for the production. The film was screened at the Independent Picture House in Charlotte, NC. He directed an international student film Stolen Hearts shot in Berlin, Germany in 2025. He’s now developing Friends Like These, a coming of age feature about the fragile, fleeting moment between college and “real life” where friendships deepen, identity is questioned, and every choice feels like it could define the rest of your life.
Luca Huff — Producer
Luca Huff is a Filipino-American filmmaker who graduated from UNCSA with a degree in Film Producing. As the owner of production company 1716 Digital, he has built an online audience of over 360,000 followers for the brand across several platforms. Based in New York City, he is a native of Charlottesville, Virginia. Luca has amassed experience producing a diverse range of shorts, commercials, music videos, and several feature films. He has spent years learning the unique properties of content creation, specifically how it can be harnessed as a distribution platform for film and other media.
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Contact
For inquiries, please contact [email protected].

