Nobody Cares About Your Short Film… Until They Do.

You heard that right, nobody cares about your life story, your struggles, your wins, or even your biggest heartbreak. The world already has so much going on that people don’t always have the time or emotional capacity to pause and truly listen.

Especially today, in a society and generation where our country is plagued with corruption and lack of accountability, why would we want to watch something that does nothing but confront you with the harsh reality?

Well, you see — that’s the thing.

We want to be seen.

We want to feel human.

We want to know that what we carry inside actually matters to someone.

Although, when you first upload that short film you poured your heart into… sometimes it just sits there

Zero likes. Zero comments.

Just you, refreshing the screen hoping for something to change.

You feel like giving up, you didn’t do it for the views but it has to start somewhere right? And yet now that you’ve taken the first step it feels like you’re just taking ten more steps back. 

Until – what if one day, it changes?

What if one random morning, you wake up to a message from someone you’ve never met saying, “Bro, your film reminded me of things I never said out loud.” or “I felt seen”

Suddenly, that project you thought nobody cared about becomes the reason someone felt understood for the first time in months.

---

Why do we make films? Why do we keep creating?

These are questions every storyteller asks at the beginning – or right before they almost quit. 

A lone man sitting in an empty, dimly lit cinema. This image mirrors the quiet fear every filmmaker carries, that their work will play to an empty room. It symbolizes the isolation, doubt, and hope that coexist in every creative process. Even in the emptiest cinema, a story still waits for the one person who needs to see it. (Photo Source: Pinterest) (Text by Felicity Ibrado)

As director Lav Diaz once said, “Cinema is the greatest mirror of humanity’s struggle. You see this alternative world, but you’re part of it.” — Source

Maybe you’re into film because you’re trying to remember or forget

Maybe you film because you’re trying to heal or destroy a part of yourself.

Or maybe you film because it’s the only way you know your story can be heard… and felt.

Here’s the harsh truth that is difficult to come to terms with:

You don’t need thousands of viewers.

You just need one person who sees themselves in your story.

Because sometimes, one person is enough to remind you why you started in the first place.

From small school projects, simple online videos, to large-scale films, and full-on cinema blockbusters, they all have a place to be heard, seen, and appreciated. Success should never be measured by numbers when it comes to art, instead it should be based on how it answers the question "How does it make people feel?"

At The Film Dream, we build a space where stories don’t get swallowed by the algorithm, lost to another endless doomscroll someone on social media – they get seen, heard, talked about, shared, and eventually, remembered. 

A place where:

• Aspiring filmmakers can grow together

• Regional voices are given a platform

• Stories in every language and size matter

• Your film isn’t just a post – it’s the beginning

So maybe nobody cares about your short film…

Until you find the place where people do.