Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program opens the door to nonprofit funding for independent filmmakers and media artists. Donate today and help bring Farrin to life.
 

Logline

A Jamerican artist returns to Jamaica on a grant funded journey, where she meets a feisty college dropout who can’t get off the island fast enough. As their lives enmesh, the unlikely duo slowly realise how foreign they are– to their cultures, their families, each other, and eventually themselves.

Synopsis

Farrin follows the lives of two young women, Maya and Sheree, as they navigate identity, family, and migration. They find themselves intertwined on a journey with opposing goals.

Maya, a 25-year-old artist from New York, receives a grant to travel to Jamaica, despite her mother’s insistence on pursuing a more practical career while Sheree, a young Jamaican woman, is doing everything in her power to go to New York to be with her mother. After downloading a dating app, the two form an unlikely partnership, each trying to be whatever the other needs them to be.

However, as their lives and family histories become more entangled, their aspirations begin to conflict, unraveling their plans. Maya’s path is disrupted when her long-lost aunt reveals a buried family secret, forcing her to reconsider her place within her family and the real reason behind her journey to the island. Meanwhile, Sheree’s attempts to make it to the US spiral out of control, as she grows deeper indebted to Alrick, an ex-Work and Travel advisor turned loan shark on a mission to get his money back.

Together, both women must face a hard truth: the first person you meet isn’t always the one you should trust. As they navigate their personal desires and their families’ expectations, they are left to wrestle with a larger question—what does it truly mean to belong?
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Danielle Fuller — Writer/Director
Danielle is a filmmaker based between the vibrant city of Kingston, Jamaica, and New York. She received her BFA at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in Film and TV Production. As a creative, Danielle earned the esteemed Fulbright Research-Arts Grant in 2022, enabling her to undertake a historical-nonfiction screenwriting project in Jamaica, solidifying her dedication to storytelling and cultural exploration.

Danielle’s versatile career spans the film and marketing industry, encompassing projects with New York University’s Public Affairs Office, animation and design work for US National Science Foundation-funded research and video initiatives, and contributions to notable programming broadcasted by Television Jamaica, the country’s most viewed local station. She also worked as a Social Video Producer at WXXI, Rochester’s PBS station, where she produced, edited, and created engaging field-based content for digital platforms.

In 2022, Danielle wrote and directed her debut short film Standout, which garnered recognition from local and national (U.S.-based) festivals, including the National Black Film Festival, Rochester International Film Festival, and Charlotte Black Film Festival. As an artist, Danielle seeks to explore diverse mediums and subjects. Through her work, she aims to contribute to the movement of filmmakers using their stories to bridge gaps in the presentation of POC stories.

Denyvi Rose — Producer
Denyvi (Evie) Rose is a Filipino-American filmmaker raised in Hong Kong and Singapore, and based in New York City. She received her BFA at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, in Film and TV Production with a Minor in the Business of Entertainment, Media & Technology. Her roles have spanned between assisting Academy™ Award nominated documentarian Joshua Seftel and was a production coordinator on his most recent documentary short – in addition to roles on Tribeca Film Festival selections (Chicken dir. Josh Leong, 2022 and Crimson Ties dir. Francesca Scorsese, 2022), and more recently Overnight Water, a NFFTY 2024 festival selection, and $FREE.99, a project by Gucci Changemaker Creative Fellow Zahri Josita Jackson, now in post-production. Raised as a ‘Third Culture Kid,’ Denyvi’s work aims to elevate storytelling that blurs the line between truth and fiction, between the environment and ourselves, and between microcosms and the world at large.

Nadera Herbert-Bey — Producer
Nadera is a New York-based producer, writer, and director. Since embarking on her filmmaking journey, she has been fascinated by genre-bending and how to address societal issues in a fresh, impactful way. She creates stories that are raw, gripping, and timeless. After graduating from NYU’s Film and TV program in 2023, Nadera has worked at Good Company as an associate producer, produced shorts and music videos, and been on the festival circuit with her directorial debut film Maya, which premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival. Her notable works include Tribeca official selections, such as the narrative short Chicken (where she served as producer) and the feature documentary On the Line: The Richard Williams Story.

Zuri Marley — Executive Producer
Zuri Marley is a musician, DJ, actress, and beauty aficionado born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. Since releasing her debut single “Beg For It” in 2017, she has collaborated with notable artists such as Blood Orange (Dev Hynes), Nosaj Thing, Ziggy Marley, and Brockhampton. Most recently, she DJ’d for Paramount’s Bob Marley: One Love Premiere Tour and is currently in the studio working on her next musical project. Recognized as a rising star, Zuri has been featured in prominent publications including GQ, Vogue, V, Pitchfork, and i-D.er debut single “Beg For It” in 2017, she has collaborated with notable artists such as Blood Orange (Dev Hynes), Nosaj Thing, Ziggy Marley, and Brockhampton. Most recently, she DJ’d for Paramount’s Bob Marley: One Love Premiere Tour and is currently in the studio working on her next musical project. Recognized as a rising star, Zuri has been featured in prominent publications including GQ, Vogue, V, Pitchfork, and i-D.

Make a donation to Farrin.

Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.