KEY CHANGE
Black List Recommended Feature | 1497 Labs Semifinalist
The premise
KEY CHANGE is an independent coming-of-age story that follows Dharini, a talented but struggling music producer in Los Angeles preparing for the biggest showcase of his career.
During the most important week of his life, Dharini learns that his estranged father has died suddenly and named him the legal guardian of his 12-year-old half sister, Isabella.
There’s just one problem: Dharini never even knew she existed.
Thrust unexpectedly into the role of guardian, Dharini struggles to balance the mounting pressures of a career-defining showcase with the complexities of raising a neurodivergent, mixed-race pre-teen he’s only just met.
Set in and around Dharini’s bedroom music studio, KEY CHANGE is a funny and poignant coming-of-age story about family, forgiveness, and learning to adapt when life refuses to go according to plan.
WHY KEY CHANGE? WHY NOW?
The characters in Key Change reflect the evolving American family, representing millions of people who rarely see their lives portrayed on screen, and an audience that is already engaging with the creator’s voice.
34 million
Americans identify as Multiracial, the fastest growing demographic, yet one of the least seen onscreen.
40%
Americans live in a Blended Household. We are moving past stereotypes to show the real heart of modern families.
1 in 4
Americans living with a disability, despite only representing 2.2% of characters onscreen.
1.6 million
Organic TikTok hits our songwriter has already acquired.
My Personal Connection
The story behind Key Change is a deeply personal and reflective of my upbringing as a 1st-generation Angeleno.
From growing up in a mixed Latino-Asian household to navigating the complexities of neurodiversity and my own beautifully blended family, the world Dharini and Isabella inhabit very much pulls from the depths of my own world.
It’s an authentic look at how messy, loud, and specific family can be, told from the only perspective that could do it justice: mine.
Comparable Films
Key Change draws inspiration from other successful films independent in spirit.
Hearts Beat Loud
Once
Instructions Not Included
