Director's Statement

Hi! I'm Amanda Gomez-Rivera.

BAD HABITS, at the end of the day, is a coming-of-age story. And that makes sense as I feel I’ve truly grown up writing it. This film has been my baby for about seven years now. It’s evolved and changed so much over that period, as have I. The only thing that hasn’t changed is my dedication to this story.

But, it’s not just about the time spent; the opportunity to take something that people use as a source of fear and turn it into a female-led comedy is not only cathartic for us but for our audience. It’s about breaking out of your mold, despite what those who molded you may think. And why not have some fun doing it? If watching our heroine piss outside a convenience store makes our audience laugh AND feel understood - win, win.

The story of Bad Habits

Nora Walsh seems to be the most promising nun-in-training, but she has a secret eating her alive: her one-night stand with Bible study rival, Julian.

Compelled to become a postulant to erase her sin, and accompanied by the ever-present Voice of God reminding her what a terrible person she is, Nora soon discovers that her secret will get out... in about 9 months.

When her fellow postulant, hyper-devout Theresa, discovers the positive pregnancy test, Nora, in a moment of desperation, claims immaculate conception. Supported by her uber-Catholic parents, their morally questionable priest Father Terry, and the dubious but ambitious Mother Superior, Nora begins a hair-brained grift as “Secondary Mary”.

After finding her “Joseph” and selling out for a Christian Mingle knockoff, a few fake miracles, and a heaping plate of existential crisis, Nora just might be able to make it through if she can keep her ego in check.

Meet all of our messy, absurd, and lively characters:

Why are we a smart investment?

Here are some examples of films with comparable budgets, our target audience, and similar themes to show that we are on the right track.

Our script has already started to make waves before production has even begun.

The little details:

We really only care about making this movie, which means as creators, we’re not seeing a dime from this WeFunder campaign. What you invest goes straight to paying our cast, crew, and production expenses. So your investment will help provide jobs and support freelancers, which is our top priority – besides making this movie of course.

However, creators and investors alike stand to gain through the distribution of the film, which means we’ll work extra hard to strike the best deals. We’ve structured our Net Profits Waterfall so that you have the preferred ROI, which means all our investors will receive 120% of their initial investment – 132% if you’re feeling eager and want to invest early (you know what they say about the bird and the worm…) PLUS 30% Net Profits. So we won’t get any monies until you’ve received your return in full!

Distribution is where we shine!

Once we’re ready to send the film out into the world, there are many distribution avenues to consider. Though we intend to submit to festivals and have connections at the major markets (Sundance, SXSW), we understand that film festivals aren’t always where the best deals are made. Luckily, we have experience in both traditional and creative distribution, having worked on projects distributed by NEON, Decal Releasing, and PBS’ Independent Lens. We also have relationships with sales agents like XYZ Films and Submarine Entertainment, industry influencers that will help us get in front of the right people and strike the best deals.

‘Traditional distribution,' also known as ‘all-rights,' is what most people aim for. This is when you sell the ‘full rights to distribute’ to a distribution company that handles everything for a certain period (typically 5-10 years) in exchange for a Minimum Guarantee (MG), which is a flat rate that the distribution company has to recoup before we see any returns. However, there are many ways to distribute a film: Theatrical, SVOD (Streaming), TVOD (Pay-per-view), Physical (DVD and Blu-ray), Educational (libraries, universities), Ancillary (airlines, cruise ships, prisons), etc., as well as territories to consider, domestic and international. Each film deserves a unique distribution approach based on the content and target audience.

Though all-rights distribution is common, it is not always what is best for the film. If we need to, we will also consider ‘creative distribution,' also known as ‘carved out’ or ‘split-rights.' This takes more time and effort as it requires making multiple deals with individual territories or platforms but can sometimes maximize profits with the right strategy. With experience working with distribution companies and sales agents based across Europe, we already have a network started to pursue international deals. By understanding each facet of distribution, we can confidently walk into these negotiations making it more likely that our investors will see a return.

Our wonderful perks:

1. Two tickets to the Bad Habits premiere of your choice.
2. Unlimited access to set for visits (travel/lodging not included)
3. An official poster signed by cast and crew
4. Executive Producer credit both in the movie and on IMDb
5. A private link to the final film
6. A physical copy of the exclusive look book complete with storyboards and stills
7. A special thank you card from the team
8. Special shout out on the Bad Habits social media
9. Your company logo in the film!

1. Two tickets to the Bad Habits premiere of your choice
2. A one-day visit to set (travel/lodging not included)
3. An official poster signed by cast and crew
4. Co-Producer credit both in the movie and on IMDb
5. A private link to the final film
6. A physical copy of the exclusive look book complete with storyboards and stills
7. A special thank you card from the team
8. Special shout out on the Bad Habits social media

1. A ticket to the premiere of Bad Habits
2. A one-day visit to set (travel/lodging not included)
3. A copy of our official poster signed by cast and crew
4. Associate Producer credit both in the movie and on IMDb
5. A private link to the final film
6. A physical copy of the exclusive look book complete with storyboards and stills
7. A special thank you card from the team
8. Special shout out on the Bad Habits social media

1. A “Special Thanks” credit both in the movie and on IMDb
2. A private link to the final film
3. A digital copy of the exclusive look book complete with storyboards and stills
4. Special shout out on the Bad Habits social media

1. Special shout out on the Bad Habits social media
2. A private link to the final film
3. Our eternal gratitude

1. Special shout out on the Bad Habits social media
2. Good karma for you

1. Special shout out on the Bad Habits social media
2. No promises for your karma

The End (Meet with us!)

Thank you so much for reading about our film, we hope you can support us and tag along for the journey. Below you can find our contact details. Follow us on Instagram, send us an email, or schedule a meeting with us (https://calendly.com/badhabitsfilm/30min), we look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you for supporting women in film!

Meet with us: https://calendly.com/badhabitsfilm/30min

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Instagram: instagram.com/badhabits_film