Hi everyone! I'm Natalie, I'm a Los Angeles-based creative and Babcia is my first personal film project! I'm so excited to bring this story to life with my amazing crew. Thank you for being here!

Babcia ("bob-chya") is a dramatic horror short about a Los Angeles party girl, Cecilia, who is trying to kick her drinking habit. She's had enough of the party scene and vows to her sister, Grace, she's going teetotal after many failed attempts. Her deceased grandmother (babcia) has something to say about it from beyond the grave...

Cecilia's journey over a single night is fraught with supernatural experiences. Is she experiencing the after effects of too much booze or is something calling to her from beyond? It all comes to a head when she stumbles upon the literal writing on the wall of her situation.

Babcia is not about alcoholism specifically. Rather, it is about the vices or traits we inherit from those who came before us and how we utilize what has been passed down to us. At a deeper level, the concept explores how trauma and a tough life can impact how we move through the world. The question for Cecilia isn't a simple "should she give up drinking?" it's "how has her environment informed how she sees herself and experiences the world?" Can she escape her demons or is she stuck in a familial cycle of destruction?

My Polish grandmother was an incisive woman who loved cigarettes, booze, and red lipstick (in no particular order). I wrote this short following a conversation with my mom after a short stay in the emergency room for a non-alcohol related issue. As a result, I voluntarily decided to forgo drinking while my body healed. A direct quote from our conversation included: "Your grandmother would roll over in her grave if she knew her granddaughter was swearing off vodka."

It spurred the question: What if my grandmother actually did roll over in her grave and attempt to contact me from beyond? The idea was too funny to pass up. From there, Babcia was born!

Babcia is my first short film, primarily helmed by a group of women filmmakers. The story is a personal one that I think my grandmother would get a kick out of if she were still alive. This is my way of bringing some levity to a difficult topic that has affected so many—my family included.

My stories are often based on real-life experiences but with an added supernatural twist. I love exploring just how much our own behaviors are born from the echoes of our lineage. With this story, I wanted to explore a difficult topic that has deeply affected my own family through a dramatic horror lens. By contributing to Babcia, you'll be helping bring a personal story to the screen.

Our cast and crew are generously donating their time and talent because they believe in the heart of this project. However, there are essential costs that will be difficult to cut, like location, special effects, and equipment. If we don't reach our goal, we're committed to finishing the film through self-funding, but your support helps ease the burden on a group of independent filmmakers. Your contribution will help this story come to life with the care it deserves!

For any amount past our initial funding goal, we'll be able to rent better equipment, book the perfect location, and we'll be able to compensate our hard working cast and crew for their essential expertise in bringing this film to life.

We only keep the funds we raise if we hit 80% of our Seed&Spark goal! Your support can help us get there!

As this funding campaign kicks off, our team will be hard at work with prep! This means we'll be making final tweaks to the script, ensuring we have the right crew necessary to film, and have locked down the location. After funding, our goal is to film in early/mid September. By raising funds now, we can get a lot of the tough prep work out of the way and focus on filming the best story we can. Once we're fully funded, production should take no more than two days in total.

After we're done shooting, we'll start the post-production process. This includes looping in our editors for final cuts, working on sound design, entering into film festivals, and sharing our project with wider audiences!

The best way to help get this film off the ground and onto the screen? A monetary pledge! Any amount you're able to contribute goes straight toward production costs. That includes location rental, camera equipment, set decoration, and more. If you're interested in bringing this independent production to life, any contribution helps and is extremely appreciated! Monetary donations are what truly help get productions off the ground, and we can't wait for you to see what we're putting together with Babcia.

We've created a few special incentives for supporters—you're helping us create independent cinema, and we want to thank you for your generosity! However, truly any amount helps us make this project happen.

If you aren't in a position to contribute, that's okay, sharing this campaign with others is another fantastic way to help! Following the page also helps boost visibility, bringing us closer to our goal. Filmmaking is a community effort, and sharing this campaign means you're a part of the filmmaking spirit that keeps film alive.

By contributing to our project, you'll be helping a whole cast and crew do what they do best: make movie magic.

Thank you so much for checking out our project—we can't wait to make this film a reality!