Hollywood studios are focused on mega-budget epics, but independent filmmakers can make a movie for thousands rather than millions — and use crowdfunding to finance it. A trio of San Diego filmmakers is doing just that and is in the final days of their Kickstarter.
Daniel Figueroa leads me into a space where he has spent a lot of time.
"This is The Rehearsal Room Acting Studio, and this place is my second home," Figueroa said. "This is where I was inspired to pursue writing and to really focus on my craft as an actor."
Figueroa began coming to Carey Scott’s Rehearsal Room in 2023 and has kept coming back because it’s a safe place to create.
"It's a place where you take chances, you take risks, and sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, but that's what's encouraged here," Figueroa said. "That's what I love about it the most."
It gave him the confidence to launch a Kickstarter campaign to finance a film he wrote.
"So my project is 'The Last Favor.' It is a neo-Western crime thriller that follows two childhood best friends turned criminals who are on the run after an arms deal goes violently, violently wrong," Figueroa explained.
Figueroa points to "No Country for Old Men," "Hell or High Water" and "Breaking Bad" as key inspirations.
"However, at the heart of it, it's actually about family and brotherhood, and a big element of this story comes from the relationships with these two childhood friends, but also our main character's relationship with his abuela," Figueroa said. "For me, it was really important to bring a part of my life into this. And the emotional stakes in this come from that connection, that sense of responsibility to family."
The importance of relationships plays out on screen and off. Figueroa and Derek Vaudry play the best friends in the film and became friends at The Rehearsal Room.
"And Derek was one of those people too that also kind of pushed me to be like, hey, let's create something special," Figueroa noted.
The third member of the creative team is also a friend, Caitlin Weis. While Weis has a master’s degree in producing film and television, Figueroa confessed he never went to film school.
"I didn’t go to film school," Figueroa said. "I believe it was Tarantino who said, 'I didn't go to film school, I went to films.' And that's exactly what I've done."
But he’s also gotten an education by acting in other people’s films.
"I did one in 2024 called 'Séance for the 'Gram.' It's a very fun horror comedy short film," Figueroa said. "And just this past year, I was part of a very, very special project called 'Décima.' It's a Puerto Rican-based short film, and it was my first time that I booked a lead role."
But right now, all his attention is focused on getting "The Last Favor" funded and made. Down the road, he hopes to screen it at film festivals and maybe even turn it into a feature. But first things first.
"I'm just focused on creating a compelling story that's really character-driven, that gives you chills, thrills, that moves people and inspires," Figueroa said. "That's a big thing for me, too. We want to put it at such a scale where it inspires other indie filmmakers, other creators to be like, wait, we can go for this — this idea that we've had for so long, let's make it happen. What's limiting us? I really want to be a testament that independent filmmaking can be what you want it to be."
Currently, the project has raised just over $13,000 of its $20,000, goal with 15 days to go.
"And it is no easy feat," Figueroa said. "I mean, every day we are posting new content. We are thanking our backers because, again, we want to show how grateful we are for the support. We're showing things like our locations. We're showing things like different still shots from our proof of concept. It is a job. It is a job, but it is very rewarding."
Rewarding, and maybe even life-changing.
"This is my first Kickstarter campaign," Figueroa said. "And man, I don't think it'll be my last because, wow, it's really changed how I approach bringing these things to life."
You can help bring "The Last Favor" to life for as little as $15 for a social media shoutout, or for $5,000 you can get credit as an executive producer and enjoy a special VIP experience. But act fast, the Kickstarter campaign ends April 23.
