A Mother
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Horror, Sci-Fi
"A Mother" is a horror short with a sci-fi slant about a woman questioning her reality after visiting her mother late one night. Inspired by a nightmare, "A Mother" asks the question: Can people truly change for the better?
A Mother
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Horror, Sci-Fi
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"A Mother" is a horror short with a sci-fi slant about a woman questioning her reality after visiting her mother late one night. Inspired by a nightmare, "A Mother" asks the question: Can people truly change for the better?
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Poster Designed by Joe Favalaro
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
In 2022, I had a dream that stuck with me for months.
It was about a young mom haunted by an abusive childhood. She struggles to care for her daughter, but desperately wants to be better. In my dream, she accidentally traveled to an alternate reality where she died young before starting a family, but had a loving mother. The dream ended with her facing the dilemma: Do I stay with this perfect mother, or go back and try to be the perfect mother I always wanted?
In 2023, I plucked up the courage to write it into a horror screenplay, and after several months of drafting and fine-tuning, I had a feature-length script that I was proud of. After taking it out with the intention of selling it, I realized that this project was one that only I could direct. Yes, it's based on a dream I had, but in the process of writing it and pitching it to other people, I realized it's also about emotions, fears, and questions I've grappled with my whole life. I know this story inside and out.
I was very fortunate to bring our Producer Karl Stelter and DP Joe Simon on-board, and we decided to make a twelve-minute proof-of-concept, which is what we’re raising funds for now. Our focus is conveying the tone, stakes, and characters featured in the full script, while maintaining the mystery and scares. Our hope for this proof-of-concept is that the short will stand alone as a piece of horror while drawing attention to its potential as a feature, and show investors that our team is the only team that can make this project.
Even though it’s a horror film, “A Mother” is also a very personal statement about family and breaking free from harmful cycles. When I first began sending drafts of “A Mother” to potential collaborators, the response was shocking. People I’d always assumed grew up in well-adjusted households were messaging me with confessions of enduring parental toxicity, struggling to not follow the same tendencies as their parents, and no longer feeling alone in their anxieties.
What sets “A Mother” apart isn’t the gore or the scares (although we are proud of those, too!), but rather its acknowledgment of the grief of wishing for a reality that doesn’t exist—one in which you and the people you love do everything right. One where love is enough. This grief is complicated, it’s pervasive, and it isn’t talked about enough.
BUDGET
We are raising $20,000, which is the minimum we need to greenlight this project. This story lives and dies based on how well we’re able to build tension after our lead character travels to her alternate reality. We have an incredible crew in place led by our DP Joe Simon, who is already coming up with fantastic ideas to subvert expectations in every frame. What we need now are locations and production design that fit the brief of “manufactured comfort,” as well as funds for special effects makeup. Why? That’s a surprise.
ARTISTIC APPROACH
Given that "A Mother" explores multiple realities, we will implement subtle visual changes to signal these shifts. This will include variations in color palettes and aspect ratios. For camera work, we want to evoke a persistent sense of unease, even in moments when Natasha appears safe. Hand-held camera techniques and high angles will be used to place Natasha at a physical disadvantage, while negative space will further enhance feelings of isolation. Even when Natasha is with this new seemingly perfect mother figure, the audience will perceive an underlying tension, aware that something may lurk just out of sight.
Above: Patricia's Home
Above: Natasha's Home/Car
Visual inspirations for this style include "The Lodge" (2019), "Hereditary" (2018), "Under the Shadow" (2016). Each of these films emphasize the horrors of feeling unsafe in a space that is supposed to feel like home.
TIMELINE
- Now - October 2024: Pre-production. Casting, assembling our crew, location scouting, fundraising, rehearsals, and everything else we need to prepare for the shoot.
- October 2024: Filming. We have three shoot days scheduled, two days on location and one day on a soundstage. All of this will be accomplished in Los Angeles.
- October through end of December 2024: Post-production. Editing, sound-mixing, scoring, coloring, with rounds of feedback.
- January 2025: Final cut. The film is ready to submit to film festivals.
- 2025 - 2026: Release. Our goal is to premiere the film at acclaimed film festivals in 2025, and then have a public release through an online platform or streaming service after our festival run. We will also be using this time to seek further opportunities for this project in its feature-length form.
DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
As previously mentioned, our goal is to produce the feature film version, but we also want this short to stand as its own project. We will prioritize festivals our team has previously had competitive success at, such as Slamdance Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW, PROOF, and LA Shorts International Film Festival.
We’ll also be submitting to festivals that have a history of supporting genre projects, such as Fantasia International Film Festival, BeyondFest, Toronto International Film Festival, and Edinburgh International Film Festival.
If we're very lucky, a production company (A24, Plan B, Neon, IFC, to name a few) will pick up the feature film based on our short!
WHAT NOW?
We're thrilled to share our passion for this project, and we're even more excited to make this project happen. Sharing is incredibly helpful--According to Seed & Spark, we need to reach at least 2,000 people to make our goal. We also have an IG profile @amother_film if you want to learn more about the process of getting this thing off the ground.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Childhood Home
Costs $2,500
Help us secure the best and creepiest possible location for Patricia’s home!
Equipment
Costs $3,350
For camera and lenses rental, lights, etc. Basically, making sure we can see Joe Simon’s gorgeous work as our DP!
Travel
Costs $1,500
We’re looking at filming in Los Angeles, which means we’ll be flying out the best of the best for this project!
Cast
Costs $1,750
We’re hiring a small ensemble for “A Mother,” but we’re still prioritizing fair wages for our performers!
Post-Production
Costs $2,000
Ah, filming has ended and the journey has just begun! We need funds for editing, color correction, and VFX!
Crew
Costs $6,700
A lot goes into producing any project, and with that comes the hard work of a dozen crew members and department heads!
Production
Costs $4,475
Incidental costs such as paying for everyone to eat well on-set, hard drives, and transportation.
Share this update!
About This Team
ZOE KERR (she/her) Writer/Director
@iamzoekerr
Zoe Kerr is a director and writer currently based in Dallas, Texas. Between working as a dramaturg for a movement theater company, educating youth on parole, and being the only woman working in a finance office, she writes high-concept genre pieces centering complicated women. Her writing and direction has been recognized by the Slamdance Screenplay Competition, the CineStory Foundation, Stowe Story Labs, the Austin Film Festival, Launch Pad, the Moonshot Initiative, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Arts Residency, Screencraft, and the Dramatists Guild, among others. Zoe is represented by Russell Hollander at Fourth Wall Management.
KARL STELTER (he/him) Producer
@karlstelter
Karl Stelter is a self-taught filmmaker whose indie spirit and DIY attitude drew him to cut his teeth on intimate documentaries and character studies - leading him to found production company Journeymen Studios in 2012. He has since incorporated this curiosity of the human experience into his creative work as a narrative and commercial producer, with work recognized by the Austin Film Festival, Trieste Science + Fiction, The ADCC and The Mighty List among others. Leveraging his deep technical filmmaking knowledge and crew connections, Karl has a sharp eye for talent, and is passionate about bringing genre-driven stories with heart into the world.
JOE SIMON (he/him) Cinematographer
@joesimon
Joe Simon is a director and cinematographer based in Austin. Joe's social justice documentary short, "7 Years and Counting," received acclaim as a Vimeo Staff Pick and earned recognition at various film festivals. September 2023 marked the global release of his feature documentary, "Man on the Run." He also premiered "Omar and Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird," a documentary about the band The Mars Volta, at the Rain Dance Film Festival in October 2023. His commercial work includes collaborations with brands like Nike, Red Bull, Budweiser, Dodge, Under Armour, and Toyota. Joe has also shot music videos for artists such as Leon Bridges, Khruangbin, Gary Clark Jr., and Breland. Joe recently completed production on the feature film "Art of a Hit" in France, set to debut in 2024 on Apple TV and Amazon.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Poster Designed by Joe Favalaro
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
In 2022, I had a dream that stuck with me for months.
It was about a young mom haunted by an abusive childhood. She struggles to care for her daughter, but desperately wants to be better. In my dream, she accidentally traveled to an alternate reality where she died young before starting a family, but had a loving mother. The dream ended with her facing the dilemma: Do I stay with this perfect mother, or go back and try to be the perfect mother I always wanted?
In 2023, I plucked up the courage to write it into a horror screenplay, and after several months of drafting and fine-tuning, I had a feature-length script that I was proud of. After taking it out with the intention of selling it, I realized that this project was one that only I could direct. Yes, it's based on a dream I had, but in the process of writing it and pitching it to other people, I realized it's also about emotions, fears, and questions I've grappled with my whole life. I know this story inside and out.
I was very fortunate to bring our Producer Karl Stelter and DP Joe Simon on-board, and we decided to make a twelve-minute proof-of-concept, which is what we’re raising funds for now. Our focus is conveying the tone, stakes, and characters featured in the full script, while maintaining the mystery and scares. Our hope for this proof-of-concept is that the short will stand alone as a piece of horror while drawing attention to its potential as a feature, and show investors that our team is the only team that can make this project.
Even though it’s a horror film, “A Mother” is also a very personal statement about family and breaking free from harmful cycles. When I first began sending drafts of “A Mother” to potential collaborators, the response was shocking. People I’d always assumed grew up in well-adjusted households were messaging me with confessions of enduring parental toxicity, struggling to not follow the same tendencies as their parents, and no longer feeling alone in their anxieties.
What sets “A Mother” apart isn’t the gore or the scares (although we are proud of those, too!), but rather its acknowledgment of the grief of wishing for a reality that doesn’t exist—one in which you and the people you love do everything right. One where love is enough. This grief is complicated, it’s pervasive, and it isn’t talked about enough.
BUDGET
We are raising $20,000, which is the minimum we need to greenlight this project. This story lives and dies based on how well we’re able to build tension after our lead character travels to her alternate reality. We have an incredible crew in place led by our DP Joe Simon, who is already coming up with fantastic ideas to subvert expectations in every frame. What we need now are locations and production design that fit the brief of “manufactured comfort,” as well as funds for special effects makeup. Why? That’s a surprise.
ARTISTIC APPROACH
Given that "A Mother" explores multiple realities, we will implement subtle visual changes to signal these shifts. This will include variations in color palettes and aspect ratios. For camera work, we want to evoke a persistent sense of unease, even in moments when Natasha appears safe. Hand-held camera techniques and high angles will be used to place Natasha at a physical disadvantage, while negative space will further enhance feelings of isolation. Even when Natasha is with this new seemingly perfect mother figure, the audience will perceive an underlying tension, aware that something may lurk just out of sight.
Above: Patricia's Home
Above: Natasha's Home/Car
Visual inspirations for this style include "The Lodge" (2019), "Hereditary" (2018), "Under the Shadow" (2016). Each of these films emphasize the horrors of feeling unsafe in a space that is supposed to feel like home.
TIMELINE
- Now - October 2024: Pre-production. Casting, assembling our crew, location scouting, fundraising, rehearsals, and everything else we need to prepare for the shoot.
- October 2024: Filming. We have three shoot days scheduled, two days on location and one day on a soundstage. All of this will be accomplished in Los Angeles.
- October through end of December 2024: Post-production. Editing, sound-mixing, scoring, coloring, with rounds of feedback.
- January 2025: Final cut. The film is ready to submit to film festivals.
- 2025 - 2026: Release. Our goal is to premiere the film at acclaimed film festivals in 2025, and then have a public release through an online platform or streaming service after our festival run. We will also be using this time to seek further opportunities for this project in its feature-length form.
DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
As previously mentioned, our goal is to produce the feature film version, but we also want this short to stand as its own project. We will prioritize festivals our team has previously had competitive success at, such as Slamdance Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW, PROOF, and LA Shorts International Film Festival.
We’ll also be submitting to festivals that have a history of supporting genre projects, such as Fantasia International Film Festival, BeyondFest, Toronto International Film Festival, and Edinburgh International Film Festival.
If we're very lucky, a production company (A24, Plan B, Neon, IFC, to name a few) will pick up the feature film based on our short!
WHAT NOW?
We're thrilled to share our passion for this project, and we're even more excited to make this project happen. Sharing is incredibly helpful--According to Seed & Spark, we need to reach at least 2,000 people to make our goal. We also have an IG profile @amother_film if you want to learn more about the process of getting this thing off the ground.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Childhood Home
Costs $2,500
Help us secure the best and creepiest possible location for Patricia’s home!
Equipment
Costs $3,350
For camera and lenses rental, lights, etc. Basically, making sure we can see Joe Simon’s gorgeous work as our DP!
Travel
Costs $1,500
We’re looking at filming in Los Angeles, which means we’ll be flying out the best of the best for this project!
Cast
Costs $1,750
We’re hiring a small ensemble for “A Mother,” but we’re still prioritizing fair wages for our performers!
Post-Production
Costs $2,000
Ah, filming has ended and the journey has just begun! We need funds for editing, color correction, and VFX!
Crew
Costs $6,700
A lot goes into producing any project, and with that comes the hard work of a dozen crew members and department heads!
Production
Costs $4,475
Incidental costs such as paying for everyone to eat well on-set, hard drives, and transportation.
Share this update!
About This Team
ZOE KERR (she/her) Writer/Director
@iamzoekerr
Zoe Kerr is a director and writer currently based in Dallas, Texas. Between working as a dramaturg for a movement theater company, educating youth on parole, and being the only woman working in a finance office, she writes high-concept genre pieces centering complicated women. Her writing and direction has been recognized by the Slamdance Screenplay Competition, the CineStory Foundation, Stowe Story Labs, the Austin Film Festival, Launch Pad, the Moonshot Initiative, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Arts Residency, Screencraft, and the Dramatists Guild, among others. Zoe is represented by Russell Hollander at Fourth Wall Management.
KARL STELTER (he/him) Producer
@karlstelter
Karl Stelter is a self-taught filmmaker whose indie spirit and DIY attitude drew him to cut his teeth on intimate documentaries and character studies - leading him to found production company Journeymen Studios in 2012. He has since incorporated this curiosity of the human experience into his creative work as a narrative and commercial producer, with work recognized by the Austin Film Festival, Trieste Science + Fiction, The ADCC and The Mighty List among others. Leveraging his deep technical filmmaking knowledge and crew connections, Karl has a sharp eye for talent, and is passionate about bringing genre-driven stories with heart into the world.
JOE SIMON (he/him) Cinematographer
@joesimon
Joe Simon is a director and cinematographer based in Austin. Joe's social justice documentary short, "7 Years and Counting," received acclaim as a Vimeo Staff Pick and earned recognition at various film festivals. September 2023 marked the global release of his feature documentary, "Man on the Run." He also premiered "Omar and Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird," a documentary about the band The Mars Volta, at the Rain Dance Film Festival in October 2023. His commercial work includes collaborations with brands like Nike, Red Bull, Budweiser, Dodge, Under Armour, and Toyota. Joe has also shot music videos for artists such as Leon Bridges, Khruangbin, Gary Clark Jr., and Breland. Joe recently completed production on the feature film "Art of a Hit" in France, set to debut in 2024 on Apple TV and Amazon.