Kid King - May 2024

A punk as fuck coming of age sci-fi fantasy about a kid who holds the universe inside them as ancient forces work in opposition to destroy it.

WATCH THE TRAILER: HERE

The Origin of Kid King

The first short film to be released under STARCHLD. A journey that began over a decade ago with writer/director Christina Morales. This project is a collaboration spanning four generations of artists including a crew of 17 film and photography students from Seattle University, a handful of local talent and an experienced post production team. What started with humble beginnings has quickly turned into a beloved product of hard work and dedication.

At the heart of this film and perhaps cleverly disguised is a lesson on multiverse theory, anti-facism and finding that we all have the capacity for extraordinary or destructive things. There are many devices at play such as turning the local universe into a physical object that has to be protected. In this film, we also played with gender roles by giving the task of carrying life to a young queer boy. The concept of packaging big picture ideals into an easier to digest fantasy genre was something of a personal mission.

Pulling from a new wave where feminism meets allyship and where racism will never be an excuse for bigoted ideals, this film gives back what it takes.

Challenges with adapting the short

This short was adapted from a feature length script with a careful attempt to preserve most of the characters and features of the story. Due to budget and time constraints, several details and storylines were simplified out of necessity. The original setting of Kid King takes place in the more rural area of Eastern, WA to represent this could be taking place in any small town. The Kid friend group is primarily chicano and there is a trans character that we had trouble casting.

This is a story that aims to be as inclusive as possible, shedding a light on the dark underside of American culture that categorizes groups of people as subhuman. This is ultimately a story about universal human rights and the unbalanced hardship we are leaving to future generations.

Meet The Crew

Christina Morales-Writer, Director, Producer

Christina is a writer, director, producer and CEO of film company STARCHLD. Kid King is her debut short film, adapted from one of five feature length films that comprise her master works.

Kanoa Wong- Producer

Kanoa Wong is an innovative creative professional based in Seattle, WA. He brings nearly a decade of experience to the table and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Media, complemented by a minor in Marketing. Currently, he is pursuing an MBA with a specialization in sports and entertainment. Known for his passion for storytelling and unorthodox thinking, Kanoa excels at the intersection of art and business.

Peiran "Raphael" Liu- Cinematography

My name is Peiran, and I am based in the Seattle area. My heart and mind thrive on crafting authentic media that captures the very essence of fleeting moments. I am deeply drawn to sincere human connections, finding inspiration in the authenticity of people and the stories they share. Finding a way to merge creativity and a deep desire to connect led me to become a photographer and filmmaker.

Jordie Simpson- Cinematography

Jordie is a photographer and filmmaker based in the Seattle area. She is passionate about visualizing every detail while creating authentic, compelling media. Discover more of her work here: Layla Lens.

Aliza Richardson- Production Design

Aliza is a filmmaker and writer based in Seattle. She is passionate about crafting worlds through production design and especially loves working in the horror genre.

J Lee Vertz- Post Production Manager/Sound Design

J Lee Vertz is a film director, editor, cinematographer, sound designer and musician who has been working on motion pictures for over two decades. He is the owner and founder of Audiodose Records, AD1 Studios, and Apex Art Lab, and co-founder of 5J Films.

Sean Inamine- Lighting Design/Key Grip

I am a Japanese filmmaker from Japan, and came to America in 2021. Whether it be as a cinematographer, gaffer, or script writer, I work to produce short films, and also work on scripts when I have the time.

Alexandria Garnica- SFX Supervisor

Whether I am operating equipment, physically building props, or creating a gorey look with a brush and grime, I am a well rounded technical individual. My goal is to support the best way I can with a passion for writing and horror.

Christopher Kuffel- Composer

Christopher Kuffel is a musician and multi-instrumentalist. As the other half of STARCHLD, he is currently developing music for use in various films. Kid King is his debut film as composer.

John Rederford- VFX Supervisor

Visual Effects Artist John Retherford has over 20 years of experience working in film and video production. He's worked on many documentary and narrative films as a cinematographer, camera operator, and VFX artist. Most recently he's worked on the critically acclaimed documentary Since I Been Down, as well as on the independent horror movie Flakkus. He is also passionate about nature photography and exploring the wild outdoors. Check out his portfolio of wildlife, landscape, and astrophotography on social media.

The Lead Cast

Nat Silva- Kid

Nat Silva is a ‘Swiss army knife’ as a multimedia storyteller, with a focus on screenwriting, acting videography and photography. Nat is best known as a photographer for their work for local bands Pantsuitguy, Midpak, and Gender Envy.

Outside of their professional work, Nat enjoys fashion, karaoke, and sketching.

Terry Freeman- The Guardian

"Hello! my name is Terry, I'm 33 years old and reside in Washington State. I discovered my true passion many years ago in High School. After leaving the military i finally got the chance to pursue acting. I'm easy going, disciplined, and driven. I put pride in any work that I do so that all my objectives are successful. I am dependable and creative with a strong work ethic and an artistic eye, but also bring a fun-loving and enthusiastic attitude. I'm here to give it my all in this entertainment business!"

Natalie Vaughn- Mother/The Woman

Natalie Vaughn, former tech entrepreneur, now actress/writer living in Seattle,WA; has been acting in film, television, and theatre for over two decades. Reputed for her craft and compelling performances on-camera, Natalie has starred in multiple films, spanning many genres - most notably film festival winners - "DayFlippers" and "Acrylic." When Natalie is not acting in film, she is a sketch comedy writer and performer and frequent collaborator with Pronoia Theatre based out of Houston, Texas. Natalie is a superfan of all things horror, dark comedy, and improv, often implementing many of these themes into her original works.

Andrew Coleman- Bully

My name is Andrew Coleman, and I am a filmmaker from Colorado. I started making films when I got to Seattle and have since had films screened at several film festivals including the Mometu College Short Films Festival, Seattle University Film Festival, and Pacific Place Film Festival.

WILD POWWERS

Songs "Gossamer" and "Tricky"

WILD POWWERS are 3 Seattle kids who “specialize in the sort of carefree grunge riff-rock that gets better the dirtier it gets. Each layer of meticulously gnarly distortion, each off-kilter lyric, drenched in garage-echo reverb, is pure Pacific Northwest filth” - KEXP.

PARADAME

Original vocals in sound design

“A brave, ambitious artist who raps skillfully, sings melodically, and believes fiercely in herself, turning her every attribute into a creative missile ready to blast listeners into submission”