The Script
Big news on this front: we’re on the seventh draft, and it’s in a really strong place. The story has tightened up considerably from where it started, morphing into a lean, quiet road film that takes place almost entirely over the course of two days on the island. Cole arrives carrying his father’s ashes, hires a local driver named González, and together they move across the Isla de la Juventud searching for any trace of Cole’s grandfather, an American who lived and fished there decades ago.
We’re of course still refining, as you always are at this stage, but the bones are solid and we know what the film is. Meilín has been deeply involved in the development of this draft, and her notes have pushed the story in really meaningful directions. There’s a texture and specificity to the island that I don’t think I could have found on my own.
As part of that process, we’ve submitted the script to Shore Scripts for professional coverage — an independent read from an experienced script analyst that will give us a structured set of notes to work from. We’ll be receiving that feedback soon, and whatever comes back, we’ll use it to make the script as strong as it can be before we move into production. We’ll share what we learn from that process in a future update.
Grants
We’ve submitted two grant applications so far, and I want to be honest with you about what that process looks like, because I think it’s worth sharing.
Grant applications are a lot of work. Most require a full package — synopsis, script, budget, supporting materials, crew bios, distribution strategy, and more. We spent a significant amount of time putting these together carefully, and regardless of outcome, that work has forced us to articulate the project more clearly than we ever had before.
And I’ll be honest — putting these applications together with two filmmakers at the table isn’t always a smooth process. Meilín and I don’t always see things the same way, and there have been moments of real back and forth. But that friction is valuable. When two people with different perspectives have to agree on how to present a story, what comes out the other side is sharper and more considered than what either one of us would have produced alone.
The two we’ve submitted to are:
Shore Scripts Short Film Fund — a $15,000 production grant. Shore Scripts is a well-regarded UK-based organization that has supported a number of independent short films that have gone on to festival success. Getting through their process required a polished, submission-ready script — which was its own discipline.
The Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant — $3,000 cash plus over $20,000 in services. This one is run by From the Heart Productions, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting films that make a contribution to society. It felt like a genuine fit for what we’re trying to do with this story.
We’ll hear back in time and will share updates when we do. In the meantime, we’re researching the next round of opportunities and continuing to build out the funding picture. There are a handful of other grants on our radar, and the plan is to keep applying steadily as deadlines come up.
What’s Next
Right now we’re focused on a few things in parallel: continuing to pursue grants, reaching out to potential sponsors and community partners, working through the logistics of production insurance — filming in Cuba comes with its own set of complications, as you might imagine — and starting to think seriously about the shoot itself. Locations, schedule, crew, all of it is starting to come into focus.
On the creative side, we’re also working on a short video reel — a brief, personal introduction to the project for anyone who wants to get a quick sense of what we’re doing and why. Keep an eye out for that soon.
A Note on Your Support
We’re still early. The budget is real, the challenges are real, and every contribution here on Ko‑fi — no matter the size — genuinely matters. It goes toward the costs of development: grant fees, research, pre-production work, and the ongoing effort of keeping this project moving forward.
But I also want to say this clearly: you don’t have to spend money to help us. Sharing this page, mentioning the project to someone who might connect with it, posting about it, sending it to a friend who loves independent film or Cuban history or stories about family — that kind of support is worth more than most people realize. Independent films live and die by word of mouth, especially at this stage. Every new person who finds out this project exists is a potential donor, a potential audience member, a potential connection we couldn’t have predicted. So if you believe in what we’re doing here, please tell someone. It genuinely makes a difference.
And If you have donated, thank you. If you haven’t but want to, even a small amount means someone out there believed in this thing before it existed. That counts for a lot.
More soon. Thanks for being here.
— Robert
Enjoying the journey? You can support El Pinero directly on Ko-fi.