Cinderella's Curse
Orlando, Florida | Film Short
Horror, Fantasy
A tortured Cinderella gains supernatural power and a path to royalty. But when her abusive family pushes her too far, the fairytale turns into a bloody revenge story. Cinderella's Curse is a deep dive into issues of domestic abuse that will make the audience question who truly deserves the blame.
Cinderella's Curse
Orlando, Florida | Film Short
Horror, Fantasy
1 Campaigns | Florida, United States
3 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$400
Goal: $6,000 for pre-production
A tortured Cinderella gains supernatural power and a path to royalty. But when her abusive family pushes her too far, the fairytale turns into a bloody revenge story. Cinderella's Curse is a deep dive into issues of domestic abuse that will make the audience question who truly deserves the blame.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Get ready for blood, guts, and… sugar gliders?!
Hi, my name is Stephanie Kirves, founder of film company Parallel Lives Pictures - where we tell innovative genre-bending stories that matter. I am an award-winning writer/director who has explored important topics such as mental health awareness and the ecological crisis through the lens of fiction.
"Cinderella’s Curse" is another story I am excited to share with you all! This isn’t Disney’s Cinderella - despite the adorable animal actors. This is a much darker story inspired by the Brothers Grimm fairytale, taking place in 1891 Germany. With state of the art special effects makeup, the gory nature of this tale will really shine and bring the seeds of horror from the original to a whole new level!
To me, the dynamics of the Cinderella story provide a unique lens into domestic abuse and trauma - and the different types of perpetrators. From actively harming someone to looking away and letting it occur - who shoulders the blame? All of our characters are complex and morally grey - no one is a true villain or a true victim.
In our adaptation, magic is also at play. Cinderella is giving a spell book by a mysterious talking lizard, right when she needs it the most. This allows Cinderella to finally take her fate into her own hands. This is a tale of what happens when the “nice” girl - the girl who’s always smiling, obedient and agreeable - is finally pushed past her breaking point. Kindness is never to a fault. And sometimes violence is justified.
Writer's Statement from Sky Belluomini:
"As a child, Cinderella was one of my favorite stories. I found I related a lot to the story, growing up in an abusive environment. With this story I wanted to go back to the roots of abuse. How does one deal with it? What is considered right vs wrong? What happens when someone is pushed to the edge? Once we decided on the genre of horror, a specialty of both of us, I knew where I wanted to go. Drawing inspiration from Carrie, House of the Dragon, and the original Grimm fairy tale, I was able to bring Cinderella to the next level, a character study in what’s considered ok when someone is being abused and has no other way out."
We will be filming at an LED studio - a state of the art filming space used by major productions like Marvel and Star Wars. This will allow us to access period-era locations we would not be otherwise able to film in, while ensuring the safety of the animal cast. And we won’t just be relying on the wall - we will be constructing actual set pieces and rooms to best utilize the LED wall without letting it do the heavy lifting - something I learned when shooting my first project on an LED stage, "The Eden Trials".
I am proud to be partnering with Austin Roghelia as my DP - an award-winning creator so talented and dedicated that he will be building many of the set pieces himself. We both have a very high threshold of quality and love of artistry that will make this film truly shine. At the last film festival we attended together, we both swept our respective categories and knew we had to collaborate to take our films to the next level!
Another integral piece to the puzzle is Sky Belluomini - who in addition to being our writer is also my 1st AD and co-producer. Sky is super organized and has a great eye for detail that will be indispensable to the production. They also run their own production company, Skyward Productions, which has put out many quality projects!
No generative AI will be used in this film, as in all of my projects! Everything is carefully curated by our team from initial concept to final product. Production designer Lisa Kathleen Mark has some very bold and deeply developed ideas that I am super excited to share with you all!
Here is a sneak peek at the research and initial prep/planning for "Cinderella's Curse":
"Beyond all else, I’ve been drawn to Stephanie’s compassion for the films she curates. Their purpose goes beyond entertainment, honoring deeply human experiences with care and intention."
-Lisa Kathleen Mark, Production Designer
As a director, I am very visual, focusing on creating innovative and powerful compositions and highlighting symbols that take the story to a whole new level. I am also very much an actor's director - having worked as an actress in the industry for almost a decade now. I can't wait to get on set and bring this incredible tale (guaranteed to mess with your mind) to life!
We are currently in pre-production and have assembled most of the crew, with casting slated to be completed September 20th. We will be filming this spooky film on October 31st, the spookiest day of the year! We have created a very tight schedule in order to maximize funds. The project will be edited by the middle of January, and will be premiering shortly thereafter. After its premiere, our backers will receive a personal link to view the final film!
Most of the cast and crew will be donating their time in exchange for credit - a testament to the passion and artistry behind this film! The priority costs are for studio fees, compensating key crew, crafty, sfx makeup, wardrobe, and set design. This is the bare minimum we need to successfully make this film a reality. If we exceed our goal, more cast and crew members can be compensated, and we will have funds for post-production and festival submissions.
Backers are eligible to receive Producer and Special Thanks credits. This is an easy way to get a legitimate listing on IMDb, and be credited with multiple award-winning up-and-coming production companies! Other perks include exclusive stickers from Parallel Lives Pictures and Skyward Productions, and even a meet-and-greet with the animal cast!
From all of us on the team, THANKS SO MUCH for checking out our project. We're so excited to share this film with you all!
Follow us on our Instagram and follow this campaign for updates on the film. Please share this project with your community - any support helps!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Studio Fees
Costs $1,900
We will be shooting at an LED studio, and have scheduled all scenes to be shot in a full 12 hour day to save on costs!
SFX Makeup
Costs $500
Quality sfx makeup costs money, and so do quality MUAs. To bring the blood and gore to life, we need at least $500!
Crafty - Meals, Drinks, Snacks
Costs $300
We need to feed our cast and crew - this single apple just won't do!
Wardrobe
Costs $500
Our film takes place in 1891, so all outfits must be custom made or purchased! This is the minimum our incredible wardrobe designer needs!
Set Design
Costs $1,000
Even though we are shooting on an LED wall, we have very ambitious builds in mind to maximize production value - including full walls!
Compensation for Key Crew
Costs $1,500
We will need to pay key crew members to secure strong talent - including DP, editor, MUA and sound!
U-Haul Rental
Costs $300
We need to rent a truck to get our set pieces to the filming location - sadly we do not have the ability to turn pumpkins into vehicles.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Director - Stephanie Kirves
Stephanie Kirves is an award-winning screenwriter, director, and actress with experience on over 70 projects. Best known for her strong emotional performances in horror films as a "scream queen", she has found an equal passion working behind the camera. Founder of film company Parallel Lives Pictures, she seeks to explore issues she is passionate about through cinema - destigmatizing mental illness ("Where the Light Stays", "Parallel Lives") and combating the ecological crisis ("The Eden Trials"). Stephanie's films are known for their carefully crafted symbolic storylines, complex characters, and unique experimental visuals.
Screenwriter - Sky Belluomini
Sky Belluomini is an award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter based in Orlando FL. Having dreamed of having their stories on screen since they were a child, Sky opened their production company Skyward Productions at the ripe age of 21. Their films have brought awareness to a multitude of topics - including LGBTQ issues, women’s issues, and the disabled community. With "Cinderella’s Curse" they seek to explore abuse, what’s wrong and right, and what truly makes someone a monster.
Director of Photography - Austin Roghelia
Austin James Roghelia is an award-winning filmmaker living and working in Central Florida. Working primarily as a cinematographer, Austin has also been recognized as a writer, director, and editor, for work shown around the world.
Production Designer - Lisa Kathleen Mark
Lisa Kathleen Mark is a Brevard County–based Production Designer whose work spans television news, radio, theatre, and independent film. A graduate of the University of Florida’s School of Journalism and Communications, she approaches production design as a storytelling tool, shaping environments that reveal character and emotional truth. This is her fourth collaboration with Parallel Lives Pictures, after winning Best Production Design for "Where the Light Stays". In "Cinderella's Curse", she is diving deep into color theory to bring another layer to the storytelling that Parallel Lives is known for, elevating the production to a new level of storytelling art.
Costume Designer - Mandi Beatrice
Mandi Beatrice is an Orlando-based actress, singer-songwriter, and film production professional with a talent for costume design, wardrobe, and practical creativity. As a seasoned actress, she brings an actor’s understanding of character and performance to her work behind the camera. Her film-set experience includes costume design and fabrication, wardrobe styling and sourcing, puppetry and puppet construction, set fabrication, and behind-the-scenes production, with a particular passion for horror and creating distinctive practical elements for the screen. Mandi will be working as Costume Designer and Wardrobe Lead for "Cinderella's Curse", executing the vision of the art department for this dark, fun twist on a classic tale.
Gaffer - Scott Christianson
Scott Christianson is an experienced filmmaker and gaffer with a strong background in cinematic lighting and visual storytelling. His gaffing work spans drama, action films, war documentaries, and music videos, including several episodes of Collateral Damage that were featured on Netflix. With years of hands-on filmmaking experience, Scott brings both a technical understanding of lighting and a filmmaker’s eye to the set, using light to shape actors, create mood, and support the story.
Composer - Kathleen Enriquez
Kathleen Enriquez is a Filipino American composer based in Orlando, Florida. She is a six-time best music nominee and two-time winner for various Organization of Independent Filmmakers film challenges. A graduate of Berklee College of Music’s Film and TV Composition Master’s program, Kathleen continues to hone her unique voice as a composer by writing music for and collaborating with local filmmakers and producers in the Orlando area. She is versatile and can compose in many genres, including epic action, action-adventure, drama, and comedy, but she specializes in exploring modern approaches to scoring thrillers, tension, horror, and psychological horror films.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Get ready for blood, guts, and… sugar gliders?!
Hi, my name is Stephanie Kirves, founder of film company Parallel Lives Pictures - where we tell innovative genre-bending stories that matter. I am an award-winning writer/director who has explored important topics such as mental health awareness and the ecological crisis through the lens of fiction.
"Cinderella’s Curse" is another story I am excited to share with you all! This isn’t Disney’s Cinderella - despite the adorable animal actors. This is a much darker story inspired by the Brothers Grimm fairytale, taking place in 1891 Germany. With state of the art special effects makeup, the gory nature of this tale will really shine and bring the seeds of horror from the original to a whole new level!
To me, the dynamics of the Cinderella story provide a unique lens into domestic abuse and trauma - and the different types of perpetrators. From actively harming someone to looking away and letting it occur - who shoulders the blame? All of our characters are complex and morally grey - no one is a true villain or a true victim.
In our adaptation, magic is also at play. Cinderella is giving a spell book by a mysterious talking lizard, right when she needs it the most. This allows Cinderella to finally take her fate into her own hands. This is a tale of what happens when the “nice” girl - the girl who’s always smiling, obedient and agreeable - is finally pushed past her breaking point. Kindness is never to a fault. And sometimes violence is justified.
Writer's Statement from Sky Belluomini:
"As a child, Cinderella was one of my favorite stories. I found I related a lot to the story, growing up in an abusive environment. With this story I wanted to go back to the roots of abuse. How does one deal with it? What is considered right vs wrong? What happens when someone is pushed to the edge? Once we decided on the genre of horror, a specialty of both of us, I knew where I wanted to go. Drawing inspiration from Carrie, House of the Dragon, and the original Grimm fairy tale, I was able to bring Cinderella to the next level, a character study in what’s considered ok when someone is being abused and has no other way out."
We will be filming at an LED studio - a state of the art filming space used by major productions like Marvel and Star Wars. This will allow us to access period-era locations we would not be otherwise able to film in, while ensuring the safety of the animal cast. And we won’t just be relying on the wall - we will be constructing actual set pieces and rooms to best utilize the LED wall without letting it do the heavy lifting - something I learned when shooting my first project on an LED stage, "The Eden Trials".
I am proud to be partnering with Austin Roghelia as my DP - an award-winning creator so talented and dedicated that he will be building many of the set pieces himself. We both have a very high threshold of quality and love of artistry that will make this film truly shine. At the last film festival we attended together, we both swept our respective categories and knew we had to collaborate to take our films to the next level!
Another integral piece to the puzzle is Sky Belluomini - who in addition to being our writer is also my 1st AD and co-producer. Sky is super organized and has a great eye for detail that will be indispensable to the production. They also run their own production company, Skyward Productions, which has put out many quality projects!
No generative AI will be used in this film, as in all of my projects! Everything is carefully curated by our team from initial concept to final product. Production designer Lisa Kathleen Mark has some very bold and deeply developed ideas that I am super excited to share with you all!
Here is a sneak peek at the research and initial prep/planning for "Cinderella's Curse":
"Beyond all else, I’ve been drawn to Stephanie’s compassion for the films she curates. Their purpose goes beyond entertainment, honoring deeply human experiences with care and intention."
-Lisa Kathleen Mark, Production Designer
As a director, I am very visual, focusing on creating innovative and powerful compositions and highlighting symbols that take the story to a whole new level. I am also very much an actor's director - having worked as an actress in the industry for almost a decade now. I can't wait to get on set and bring this incredible tale (guaranteed to mess with your mind) to life!
We are currently in pre-production and have assembled most of the crew, with casting slated to be completed September 20th. We will be filming this spooky film on October 31st, the spookiest day of the year! We have created a very tight schedule in order to maximize funds. The project will be edited by the middle of January, and will be premiering shortly thereafter. After its premiere, our backers will receive a personal link to view the final film!
Most of the cast and crew will be donating their time in exchange for credit - a testament to the passion and artistry behind this film! The priority costs are for studio fees, compensating key crew, crafty, sfx makeup, wardrobe, and set design. This is the bare minimum we need to successfully make this film a reality. If we exceed our goal, more cast and crew members can be compensated, and we will have funds for post-production and festival submissions.
Backers are eligible to receive Producer and Special Thanks credits. This is an easy way to get a legitimate listing on IMDb, and be credited with multiple award-winning up-and-coming production companies! Other perks include exclusive stickers from Parallel Lives Pictures and Skyward Productions, and even a meet-and-greet with the animal cast!
From all of us on the team, THANKS SO MUCH for checking out our project. We're so excited to share this film with you all!
Follow us on our Instagram and follow this campaign for updates on the film. Please share this project with your community - any support helps!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Studio Fees
Costs $1,900
We will be shooting at an LED studio, and have scheduled all scenes to be shot in a full 12 hour day to save on costs!
SFX Makeup
Costs $500
Quality sfx makeup costs money, and so do quality MUAs. To bring the blood and gore to life, we need at least $500!
Crafty - Meals, Drinks, Snacks
Costs $300
We need to feed our cast and crew - this single apple just won't do!
Wardrobe
Costs $500
Our film takes place in 1891, so all outfits must be custom made or purchased! This is the minimum our incredible wardrobe designer needs!
Set Design
Costs $1,000
Even though we are shooting on an LED wall, we have very ambitious builds in mind to maximize production value - including full walls!
Compensation for Key Crew
Costs $1,500
We will need to pay key crew members to secure strong talent - including DP, editor, MUA and sound!
U-Haul Rental
Costs $300
We need to rent a truck to get our set pieces to the filming location - sadly we do not have the ability to turn pumpkins into vehicles.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Director - Stephanie Kirves
Stephanie Kirves is an award-winning screenwriter, director, and actress with experience on over 70 projects. Best known for her strong emotional performances in horror films as a "scream queen", she has found an equal passion working behind the camera. Founder of film company Parallel Lives Pictures, she seeks to explore issues she is passionate about through cinema - destigmatizing mental illness ("Where the Light Stays", "Parallel Lives") and combating the ecological crisis ("The Eden Trials"). Stephanie's films are known for their carefully crafted symbolic storylines, complex characters, and unique experimental visuals.
Screenwriter - Sky Belluomini
Sky Belluomini is an award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter based in Orlando FL. Having dreamed of having their stories on screen since they were a child, Sky opened their production company Skyward Productions at the ripe age of 21. Their films have brought awareness to a multitude of topics - including LGBTQ issues, women’s issues, and the disabled community. With "Cinderella’s Curse" they seek to explore abuse, what’s wrong and right, and what truly makes someone a monster.
Director of Photography - Austin Roghelia
Austin James Roghelia is an award-winning filmmaker living and working in Central Florida. Working primarily as a cinematographer, Austin has also been recognized as a writer, director, and editor, for work shown around the world.
Production Designer - Lisa Kathleen Mark
Lisa Kathleen Mark is a Brevard County–based Production Designer whose work spans television news, radio, theatre, and independent film. A graduate of the University of Florida’s School of Journalism and Communications, she approaches production design as a storytelling tool, shaping environments that reveal character and emotional truth. This is her fourth collaboration with Parallel Lives Pictures, after winning Best Production Design for "Where the Light Stays". In "Cinderella's Curse", she is diving deep into color theory to bring another layer to the storytelling that Parallel Lives is known for, elevating the production to a new level of storytelling art.
Costume Designer - Mandi Beatrice
Mandi Beatrice is an Orlando-based actress, singer-songwriter, and film production professional with a talent for costume design, wardrobe, and practical creativity. As a seasoned actress, she brings an actor’s understanding of character and performance to her work behind the camera. Her film-set experience includes costume design and fabrication, wardrobe styling and sourcing, puppetry and puppet construction, set fabrication, and behind-the-scenes production, with a particular passion for horror and creating distinctive practical elements for the screen. Mandi will be working as Costume Designer and Wardrobe Lead for "Cinderella's Curse", executing the vision of the art department for this dark, fun twist on a classic tale.
Gaffer - Scott Christianson
Scott Christianson is an experienced filmmaker and gaffer with a strong background in cinematic lighting and visual storytelling. His gaffing work spans drama, action films, war documentaries, and music videos, including several episodes of Collateral Damage that were featured on Netflix. With years of hands-on filmmaking experience, Scott brings both a technical understanding of lighting and a filmmaker’s eye to the set, using light to shape actors, create mood, and support the story.
Composer - Kathleen Enriquez
Kathleen Enriquez is a Filipino American composer based in Orlando, Florida. She is a six-time best music nominee and two-time winner for various Organization of Independent Filmmakers film challenges. A graduate of Berklee College of Music’s Film and TV Composition Master’s program, Kathleen continues to hone her unique voice as a composer by writing music for and collaborating with local filmmakers and producers in the Orlando area. She is versatile and can compose in many genres, including epic action, action-adventure, drama, and comedy, but she specializes in exploring modern approaches to scoring thrillers, tension, horror, and psychological horror films.