fine.

Meet Liam Duvall

The moment everyone celebrates is the moment he starts sinking.

Liam Duvall is a 16-year-old high school basketball star who appears to be living the dream. He has friends, a dedicated family, natural talent, and a future that seems full of possibility.

At the opening playoff game, Liam sinks the game-winning shot at the buzzer. It should be one of the greatest moments of his young life.

Instead, as the gym erupts around him, Liam looks into the stands and realizes his father has come up short on yet another promise.

He looks down at the necklace his dad gave him more than a decade ago: Persevere.

His father’s absence follows him from the basketball court into school and home. His mother, Aiyanna, works multiple jobs to keep the family afloat financially. She is struggling, but does everything she can to keep her children from seeing it.

Liam sees it anyway. Instead of understanding that these circumstances are not his responsibility, he begins to internalize them as something he is causing.

His older sister, Ava, is caught between building a life of her own and helping hold the family together. At school, tension with a teammate escalates into a fight that puts Liam’s basketball future and college plans in jeopardy. Teachers try to reach him. His mother sees his behavior as acting out. Liam insists none of it is that serious.

Whenever someone asks if he is okay, the answer is the same: He’s fine.

But beneath the jokes, aggression, basketball highlights, and indifference, Liam’s anxiety is growing. He begins to believe that he is not simply struggling. He is a burden.

Because he does not have the words to explain what is happening inside of him, he keeps holding it in until one night forces everything he has buried to the surface.

When carrying everything alone has almost cost you everything, can you finally let someone in before it’s too late?

This film is a love letter to every young person who feels misunderstood, alone, or like the world is caving in on them. You matter. Hope exists. Help is available. And asking for it is always okay.

Why Now?

This is not a story about a problem that might happen someday.

Young people are navigating these struggles right now. And what they are carrying does not always look the way adults expect.

#2

In 2023, suicide was the second-leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34.

~4×

Among young men ages 15 to 24, the suicide rate was nearly four times higher than it was for young women the same age.

Source: National Institute of Mental Health, 2023 suicide statistics.

About the Film

fine. is not a lecture. It is a mirror.

fine. is a feature-length youth mental-health drama about the distance between the person everyone sees and the person quietly falling apart underneath.

Public Liam

Basketball. Friends. Jokes. School hallways. Noise. Movement. The version of Liam that knows how to look okay.

Private Liam

Quieter. Heavier. Anxiety, isolation, anger, and thoughts that become increasingly difficult to hide.

Visually, we are inspired by the emotional intimacy of Moonlight, the grounded family and community world of Akeelah and the Bee, and the observational surrealism of Atlanta.

Our Characters

The people who shape Liam’s world.

Official cast announcements have not been made. These visual boards represent the characters and the types of performers we are considering.

No picture for Elijah. That’s intentional. Liam experiences his father in fragments: memories of who he was, followed by the reality that he isn’t there, an absence that increasingly feels intentional. We want you to feel that missing space before you ever meet him.

Why We Made This Film

The story is personal.

Producer’s Statement

My parents divorced when I was around six years old, and my mom predominantly raised me and my siblings. Growing up, I don’t think I fully understood what my father’s distance meant to me.

As far as I was concerned, I was fine.

My mom raised us to be strong and determined. It wasn’t until I got older, especially after losing her in 2017, that I began to recognize some of the gaps I had spent years pretending weren’t there.

When we began developing fine., I couldn’t help pulling pieces of my own life into Liam. In many ways, Liam represents young men who grew up without a father, with an inconsistent father, or without the tools to understand what they were feeling. Being the funny guy. Being the nonchalant guy. Believing strength means handling everything alone.

We founded Finding Inspiration Foundation in 2025, two years after I reached a hard point in my own mental health journey. Since then, we have used film to create conversations people do not always know how to begin themselves.

This film exists to create a mirror moment. A moment where a young person sees themselves. Where a parent sees their child differently. Where a caregiver realizes that “I’m fine” is probably masking more than simply not feeling like talking.

If fine. can create even one of those moments, then this story will have done something worthwhile.

Andrew Smith | Producer / Co-Writer | Founder & Executive Director, Finding Inspiration Foundation

Austin’s Perspective

Austin Joseph, Co-Writer and Co-Producer, is a cancer survivor and disabled artist who understands what it means to carry invisible struggles while the world expects you to keep moving.

That lived experience informs the emotional honesty behind fine., especially the parts of Liam’s story that are easy to miss from the outside.

For Austin, the goal is not to make struggle look dramatic. It is to make the quiet, complicated parts recognizable enough that someone watching can finally say, “That’s me.”

Kickstarter Recognition

Kickstarter is already helping us start.

fine. has been selected to receive support through the Kickstarter Culture Fund, helping validate the creative and community impact behind this project. Kickstarter has also named fine. a Project We Love.

That support gives us meaningful momentum. But Kickstarter cannot bring Liam’s story to the screen alone. That’s where our community comes in.

Visit the Kickstarter

Funding the Film

How far can we take fine.?

Our official Kickstarter goal is $10,000. The minimum plan to take the project from pre-production through a completed feature and begin putting it in front of audiences is approximately $75,000.

$10K

Production-Ready

Lock key locations, finalize casting and rehearsals, cover insurance and setup, strengthen youth and on-set safety planning, and prepare the logistical pieces needed for principal photography.

$25K

Cameras Start Rolling

Begin principal photography and cover our first block of shoot days, including cast and crew, equipment, locations, meals, transportation, wardrobe, props, and production design.

$45K

Power Through Principal Photography

Fund a substantial majority of our lean production plan and continue covering the people, locations, equipment, and shoot days required to keep production moving.

$55K

Close the Production Gap

Move close to covering our full lean pre-production and production plan, creating more stability around scheduling, locations, cast and crew availability, and the overall production process.

$75K

Complete Our Minimum Full-Film Plan

Reach the minimum funding level we believe is necessary to take fine. from pre-production through a completed film and begin putting it in front of audiences.

$60K Pre-Production + Production $5K Post-Production $10K Initial Marketing, Distribution + Community Impact

Beyond

Make the Production Stronger

$75,000 is still an extremely lean micro-budget for a feature film. Additional funding allows us to increase cast and crew compensation, reduce reliance on discounted or deferred rates, secure more specialized locations and crew, add production flexibility, strengthen post-production, build a healthier contingency, and expand the film’s festival, accessibility, distribution, and community impact plans.

More Than a Film

Screen. Talk. Connect.

The film is the doorway. The work continues after the credits.

Screen

Bring fine. into theaters, schools, community organizations, festivals, and facilitated events.

Talk

Use Liam’s story as an entry point into honest conversations around youth mental health, family, identity, emotional wellness, vulnerability, and asking for help.

Connect

Point young people, parents, caregivers, teachers, coaches, and others toward trusted organizations and real mental health resources.

When someone sees themselves in Liam, we want there to be somewhere for them to turn next.

Community Support

Our current partner organizations and supporters.

These organizations and community partners are helping us build a stronger pathway from story to conversation to support.

Click the partner graphic to visit the Kickstarter pre-launch page. Pursuit of Excellence and Daryl Williams Jr. represent the same partner entity.

Meet the Team

The people bringing fine. to life.

Andrew Smith

Creator, Writer, Producer

Andrew Smith is a filmmaker, writer, producer, and Founder & Executive Director of Finding Inspiration Foundation, a nonprofit impact-media organization using film to spark conversations around mental health and connect communities to resources and support. A graduate of Johnson C. Smith University with a B.A. in Visual & Performing Arts with a concentration in Film, Andrew has worked across narrative film, documentary, branded content, production sound, editing, and sound design. Through Finding Inspiration Foundation, he has produced films and community screenings centered on mental health, including the award-winning short The Vow. Andrew leads the creative development, fundraising, partnerships, and impact strategy for fine.

Fred Forte Jr.

Director

Fred Forte Jr. is a Charlotte-based filmmaker with more than 16 years of experience in storytelling and film production. He is the CEO of 3rd Day Films and has created multiple award-winning short films centered on thought-provoking, emotionally grounded storytelling. A graduate of York Technical College, Fred brings years of directing experience, a strong commitment to character-driven stories, and a deeply personal perspective as a father and grandfather to fine.

Austin Joseph

Co-Writer, Co-Producer

Austin Joseph is an actor, produced screenwriter, and filmmaker with a passion for grounded, character-driven storytelling. As a cancer survivor and disabled artist, Austin brings lived experience and a particular sensitivity to stories about invisible struggles, resilience, and perspectives that are often overlooked. As Co-Writer and Co-Producer of fine., Austin helps shape the film’s characters, emotional world, and exploration of youth mental health.

Amber Quattlebaum

Producer, 2nd AD

Amber Quattlebaum is a filmmaker, communications professional, and nonprofit leader with a B.A. in Communication Arts from Johnson C. Smith University and an M.F.A. in Film and Television from the Savannah College of Art and Design. As Communications Director for Finding Inspiration Foundation, Amber supports the organization’s storytelling, community engagement, and mental health advocacy. She previously served as 1st AD on the award-winning short The Vow and now serves as Producer and 2nd AD on fine., supporting production coordination, cast communication, scheduling, and on-set logistics.

Stella Williams

1st AD

Stella Williams is a theatre educator, actor, and filmmaker with more than 20 years of acting experience and a decade of experience teaching theatre. She holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from UNC Charlotte and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Performing Arts/Theatre from the College of Charleston. Her work spans performance, arts education, and independent film production, including experience as a 1st Assistant Director. Stella brings strong communication, organization, and an actor-centered perspective to her role as 1st AD on fine.

Ellie Bates Chappell

Co-Producer, Outreach & Production Coordination

Ellie Bates Chappell is a communications professional, producer, and production coordinator with experience across public broadcasting, film and television production, nonprofit organizations, and community-based projects. Her background includes work with Houston PBS/Houston Public Media, professional film crew roles on NBC and ABC productions, and more recent work in nonprofit communications, mental health advocacy, and event logistics. Ellie has also supported Finding Inspiration Foundation as Stage Manager and Logistics Coordinator for Where Stories Live. As Co-Producer of fine., she supports partnerships, sponsorship outreach, production logistics, and coordination.

What Happens Next?

Our path from campaign to audience.

01

Fall 2026

Kickstarter campaign and deeper pre-production.

02

Winter 2026–27

Casting, locations, rehearsals, and production preparation.

03

Spring 2027

Principal photography in Charlotte, North Carolina.

04

Summer / Fall 2027

Editing, sound, color, music, graphics, and final delivery.

05

Late 2027 + Beyond

Festivals, community screenings, schools, partner events, and wider distribution.

The Vision

When the lights come up, something can shift.

A parent may think about the conversation they have been putting off. A teenager may recognize something in Liam they have never had the words to explain. A teacher, coach, sibling, or friend may decide to ask one more question.

Your support for fine. is not just helping fund a film. It is helping create an opportunity for an honest conversation that might not happen otherwise.

The film cannot decide what someone does with that moment. But we can make sure that when the conversation begins, trusted support is within reach.

About Finding Inspiration Foundation

Story → Community → Action.

Finding Inspiration Foundation is a North Carolina-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit impact-media organization that uses film as a doorway to deeper conversations around mental health and connects audiences with real resources and support.

Our approach

Story: Create emotionally grounded narrative films centered on real mental-health experiences.

Community: Bring those stories into theaters, schools, facilitated events, and community spaces.

Action: Connect audiences to trusted mental-health organizations, resources, and next steps.