Private Project

Bonsai

16-year-old Max Steven's must return to school after a traumatic summer, and he knows it won't be easy. Everywhere he goes he is reminded of past events. As he constantly pushes other away, he meets a new girl and falls in love.

  • Nate Allen
    Director
  • Roger Almeida
    Director
  • Nate Allen
    Writer
  • Roger Almeida
    Writer
  • Sara Antonakos
    Producer
  • Daniel Brennan
    Producer
  • Lincoln Pekock
    Key Cast
    "Max"
  • Lily Ewald
    Key Cast
    "Olivia"
  • Brian Shea
    Key Cast
    "Steve Elsher"
  • Connor Murray
    Key Cast
    "Mr. Shaw"
  • Ayda Mclelan
    Key Cast
    "Suzy"
  • Dominic Mazzariello
    Key Cast
    "Dan"
  • Ryan Kang
    Editing
  • Corey O'connell
    Sound
  • Elliot Mcquide
    Sound
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama, Coming-Of-age, Comedy, High School, Teenage, Mental Health
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 20 minutes 19 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 23, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Andover High School
Director Biography - Nate Allen, Roger Almeida

Roger Almeida and Nate Allen, Co-Writers and Directors

Nate and Roger are teenage filmmakers from the Boston area, dedicated to telling stories that raise awareness of real and serious issues that exist in their daily lives.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

During our first few years of high school, Roger and I increasingly saw the impacts of poor mental health on our generation. Mental health is still treated as a taboo topic, creating a stigma that discourages people from talking about the struggles they are going through. This is something we worry about, and feel strongly that something has to change. Because of this we wrote “Bonsai”, our first feature film script.
“Bonsai” is the story of a senior in high school who is struggling with depression and is secretly yearning for someone to notice. It shows how some people can hide their struggle a lot better than others, and how checking up on a friend can make a huge difference. It's not written by adults who maybe don't fully understand or appreciate the issues we are facing, but instead written by actual teens going through these challenges.
By making such a personal project, the film feels raw and real. We believe it can encourage people, even in a smaller scale setting like our friends and family, to start really talking openly about mental health. By seeing a film made by teenagers, We think it reaches other people more effectively. As Filmmakers, we have a huge responsibility to inspire and enact change in our communities, and we think that cinema provides a powerful platform to do so.