Dearly Beloved
Boston, Massachusetts | Film Short
Experimental, Drama
Dearly Beloved is an experimental short film with horror elements. We follow Maude, who is getting married to an older producer as a career move orchestrated by her overbearing manager. Just before the ceremony, she begins to get cold feet, manifesting in bizarre visions.
Dearly Beloved
Boston, Massachusetts | Film Short
Experimental, Drama
1 Campaigns |
Green Light
This campaign raised $3,200 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
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Dearly Beloved is an experimental short film with horror elements. We follow Maude, who is getting married to an older producer as a career move orchestrated by her overbearing manager. Just before the ceremony, she begins to get cold feet, manifesting in bizarre visions.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Maude is no older than 25, but she already feels like her life is ending. After planning an elaborate, expensive wedding alongside Shelby, her manager, Maude isn’t sure if she can actually go through with it. When Brian, her fiancé, suffers a heart attack before the ceremony, Maude thinks she’s finally escaped. Throughout the wedding, the film cuts to a surreal sequence in which Maude explores her doubts about marriage. This subconscious vision is meant to offer a view into Maude’s mind, as well as provide a visual metaphor for the bondage of marriage. Inspired by experimental feminist filmmakers Vera Chytilova and Agnes Varda, the film will use experimental editing and flash cutting to question the ritual of marriage, drawing parallels between materialistic objects at a wedding and the bride as being made for consumption.
This film is the culmination of many things for me—it is a place to finally express my thoughts on marriage, feminism, self-mutilation and liberation, as well as my frustrations with the increasing commodification between rituals meant to demonstrate human connection. Inevitable violence and male ownership of women’s bodies is nothing new, and this film came from frustration: when every choice is defined and informed by the patriarchy, what choice can we possibly make to be free? When the state is increasingly concerned in owning and controlling women’s bodies, how can we feel ownership over ourselves? I grew interested in the concept of female self-mutilation as liberation, particularly inspired by Thelma & Louise and the novella The Awakening, both in which the female protagonists make a radical decision at the end that both frees them and ends their lives. Are we only free when we have no bodies? It is a tense, tragic, fascinating question with no real answer that I aim to explore thoroughly in the creation of this film.
The tone of the film is inspired by Czech New Wave cinema’s radical way of questioning authority. The eerie, unsettling feeling of Czech cinema is the tonal approach for this film, as it alludes to something disturbing happening underneath a beautiful surface. To achieve this, we’ll be utilizing jarring cutaways throughout the edit, as well as the surreal sequence. The constant cutaways to wedding decor also seek to draw parallels between the uber-capitalist nature of weddings, and the objectification of the bride.
Maude - The Actress
An up and coming actress, deeply reserved with a rich inner world. Dedicated to her craft but manipulated by the people around her, all of whom have ulterior motives.
Shelby - The Manager
Cold and firm, Shelby is in charge of pushing Maude’s career forward. Although she is not very loving, she serves a matronly role in Maude’s life.
Kendall - The Wedding Planner
Kendall is a high-strung, tightly wound wedding planner married to her schedule. She only cares about the wedding going as smoothly as possible.
June - The Makeup Artist
June exists outside of Maude’s Hollywood circle. Down to earth and apathetic, she seems to speak to Maude in a more human way than anyone else.
Brian - The Groom
Brian is a successful, older producer – the perfect husband for Maude’s dream life as an actress.
Dearly Beloved enters production in late July 2026, so we are currently in the midst of pre-production. This first round of fundraising will help us secure locations, travel and lodging for our crew, and large production design elements. Recreating a celebrity wedding is not an easy task, and any support will give our talented team additional resources towards achieving this.
Follow our Seed and Spark page for updates on the project, and follow the film on Instagram @dearlybeloved.bfa!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
THE VENUE (Locations)
Costs $1,500
To secure our main locations – the estate, the garden, and the church.
THE DECORATIONS (Production Design)
Costs $800
To construct the woods ritual sequence and recreate a grand, celebrity wedding.
THE DRESS (Wardrobe)
Costs $600
To dress the bride, groom, and bridesmaids.
THE CAKE (Craft Services)
Costs $350
To feed our incredible cast and crew during our week of production.
THE LIMO (Transportation)
Costs $750
To transport our technology and crew between locations.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Victoria Capitano (Director, Writer, Producer) is a third year film student at Emerson College, a Philly native now based in Boston and San Diego. She has a passion for telling stories about weird people on the margins, desperate for connection and deeply alone. Focused on character-centric storytelling, she has directed three films in her time at Emerson—Canis Lupus, an award-winning short about brothers growing up in an isolated hunting cabin, Garden of Babel, a film shot in Prague about a self-destructive alcoholic desperately trying to escape a mysterious peacock garden, and Birds in Glass Houses, a recent project about a teenage girl forced to hide from the cops with her best friend’s boyfriend-her worst enemy. Her films have gotten into multiple international film festivals, and in her time at Emerson, she has worked as a DP, Gaffer, AC, Scripty, Grip, and Boom Operator in order to hone her directing skills by better understanding every department on set. She also works at the Emerson Soundstage, sharpening her technical skills. Victoria loves to explore gender, queerness, and societal absurdism in her films, and looks forward to her BFA capstone project at Emerson to do just that.
Luca Bevilacqua (Logistics Producer) is a Junior Media Arts Production major at Emerson College with a minor in Leadership and Management. Luca is a highly passionate, dedicated, and hardworking filmmaker with a focus on producing. During his time at Emerson College, he has produced five independent short films and one school-affiliated short film. Luca Bevilacqua has been a long-time collaborator with director Victoria Capitano and has had the pleasure of producing all of her films to date. During his time at Emerson, he has shown a great interest in locations. Luca has firsthand experience negotiating and communicating with property owners to ensure a successful collaboration. Luca is extremely excited to work once again with Victoria and the rest of the Dearly Beloved team to bring this incredible project to life.
Ela Moss (Tech Producer) is a third-year Emerson College student, a Boston-based artist, and a global traveler, focusing on experimental storytelling and analog film as a medium. As a D.P., she is explorative in what grounds narrative filmmaking, and invested in the physical elements of the analog process that preserve the granularity and tangibility of film. Technically minded, during her time at Emerson, Ela has pursued various on-set positions within the camera and lighting departments to hone her skills in cinematography. Most notably, she has become a proficient AC on countless student sets and has gaffed multiple student productions as well. She has worked at Emerson’s Paramount Sound Stage since the beginning of her first year, which has allowed her to become familiar with the wide range of equipment Emerson has to offer. Nerding out about the technical aspects of camera functions and light behavior has become a glorified pastime, which in the coming months will translate into ensuring the smooth operation of the technical elements of Dearly Beloved.
Claire English (Creative Producer) is a junior Visual Media Arts major at Emerson College with a Minor in Art History. A passionate creative and collegiate athlete, she is a hardworking and dedicated young filmmaker who enjoys bringing films to life. She firmly believes that film and media shape modern-day culture and hopes her films work to instill ideologies of acceptance, kindness, and self-actualization.
Sofia Belgiovine (Line Producer) is a senior Media Arts Production major at Emerson College minoring in Pre-Law. She has spent her college career focused on producing and management roles both within the Emerson community and beyond. She is currently the President of Emerson Independent Video, Emerson’s oldest and largest production organization. Here, she oversees 500+ crew members and about 50 executive producers per semester through the physical production of 14-16 student-made productions. Outside of Emerson, Sofia spent this past summer working as a Production Intern at HUSH Studios in Brooklyn, N.Y., where she learned more about what it takes to produce at a professional level. She will be using these production skills to help bring Dearly Beloved to life.
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Maude is no older than 25, but she already feels like her life is ending. After planning an elaborate, expensive wedding alongside Shelby, her manager, Maude isn’t sure if she can actually go through with it. When Brian, her fiancé, suffers a heart attack before the ceremony, Maude thinks she’s finally escaped. Throughout the wedding, the film cuts to a surreal sequence in which Maude explores her doubts about marriage. This subconscious vision is meant to offer a view into Maude’s mind, as well as provide a visual metaphor for the bondage of marriage. Inspired by experimental feminist filmmakers Vera Chytilova and Agnes Varda, the film will use experimental editing and flash cutting to question the ritual of marriage, drawing parallels between materialistic objects at a wedding and the bride as being made for consumption.
This film is the culmination of many things for me—it is a place to finally express my thoughts on marriage, feminism, self-mutilation and liberation, as well as my frustrations with the increasing commodification between rituals meant to demonstrate human connection. Inevitable violence and male ownership of women’s bodies is nothing new, and this film came from frustration: when every choice is defined and informed by the patriarchy, what choice can we possibly make to be free? When the state is increasingly concerned in owning and controlling women’s bodies, how can we feel ownership over ourselves? I grew interested in the concept of female self-mutilation as liberation, particularly inspired by Thelma & Louise and the novella The Awakening, both in which the female protagonists make a radical decision at the end that both frees them and ends their lives. Are we only free when we have no bodies? It is a tense, tragic, fascinating question with no real answer that I aim to explore thoroughly in the creation of this film.
The tone of the film is inspired by Czech New Wave cinema’s radical way of questioning authority. The eerie, unsettling feeling of Czech cinema is the tonal approach for this film, as it alludes to something disturbing happening underneath a beautiful surface. To achieve this, we’ll be utilizing jarring cutaways throughout the edit, as well as the surreal sequence. The constant cutaways to wedding decor also seek to draw parallels between the uber-capitalist nature of weddings, and the objectification of the bride.
Maude - The Actress
An up and coming actress, deeply reserved with a rich inner world. Dedicated to her craft but manipulated by the people around her, all of whom have ulterior motives.
Shelby - The Manager
Cold and firm, Shelby is in charge of pushing Maude’s career forward. Although she is not very loving, she serves a matronly role in Maude’s life.
Kendall - The Wedding Planner
Kendall is a high-strung, tightly wound wedding planner married to her schedule. She only cares about the wedding going as smoothly as possible.
June - The Makeup Artist
June exists outside of Maude’s Hollywood circle. Down to earth and apathetic, she seems to speak to Maude in a more human way than anyone else.
Brian - The Groom
Brian is a successful, older producer – the perfect husband for Maude’s dream life as an actress.
Dearly Beloved enters production in late July 2026, so we are currently in the midst of pre-production. This first round of fundraising will help us secure locations, travel and lodging for our crew, and large production design elements. Recreating a celebrity wedding is not an easy task, and any support will give our talented team additional resources towards achieving this.
Follow our Seed and Spark page for updates on the project, and follow the film on Instagram @dearlybeloved.bfa!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
THE VENUE (Locations)
Costs $1,500
To secure our main locations – the estate, the garden, and the church.
THE DECORATIONS (Production Design)
Costs $800
To construct the woods ritual sequence and recreate a grand, celebrity wedding.
THE DRESS (Wardrobe)
Costs $600
To dress the bride, groom, and bridesmaids.
THE CAKE (Craft Services)
Costs $350
To feed our incredible cast and crew during our week of production.
THE LIMO (Transportation)
Costs $750
To transport our technology and crew between locations.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Victoria Capitano (Director, Writer, Producer) is a third year film student at Emerson College, a Philly native now based in Boston and San Diego. She has a passion for telling stories about weird people on the margins, desperate for connection and deeply alone. Focused on character-centric storytelling, she has directed three films in her time at Emerson—Canis Lupus, an award-winning short about brothers growing up in an isolated hunting cabin, Garden of Babel, a film shot in Prague about a self-destructive alcoholic desperately trying to escape a mysterious peacock garden, and Birds in Glass Houses, a recent project about a teenage girl forced to hide from the cops with her best friend’s boyfriend-her worst enemy. Her films have gotten into multiple international film festivals, and in her time at Emerson, she has worked as a DP, Gaffer, AC, Scripty, Grip, and Boom Operator in order to hone her directing skills by better understanding every department on set. She also works at the Emerson Soundstage, sharpening her technical skills. Victoria loves to explore gender, queerness, and societal absurdism in her films, and looks forward to her BFA capstone project at Emerson to do just that.
Luca Bevilacqua (Logistics Producer) is a Junior Media Arts Production major at Emerson College with a minor in Leadership and Management. Luca is a highly passionate, dedicated, and hardworking filmmaker with a focus on producing. During his time at Emerson College, he has produced five independent short films and one school-affiliated short film. Luca Bevilacqua has been a long-time collaborator with director Victoria Capitano and has had the pleasure of producing all of her films to date. During his time at Emerson, he has shown a great interest in locations. Luca has firsthand experience negotiating and communicating with property owners to ensure a successful collaboration. Luca is extremely excited to work once again with Victoria and the rest of the Dearly Beloved team to bring this incredible project to life.
Ela Moss (Tech Producer) is a third-year Emerson College student, a Boston-based artist, and a global traveler, focusing on experimental storytelling and analog film as a medium. As a D.P., she is explorative in what grounds narrative filmmaking, and invested in the physical elements of the analog process that preserve the granularity and tangibility of film. Technically minded, during her time at Emerson, Ela has pursued various on-set positions within the camera and lighting departments to hone her skills in cinematography. Most notably, she has become a proficient AC on countless student sets and has gaffed multiple student productions as well. She has worked at Emerson’s Paramount Sound Stage since the beginning of her first year, which has allowed her to become familiar with the wide range of equipment Emerson has to offer. Nerding out about the technical aspects of camera functions and light behavior has become a glorified pastime, which in the coming months will translate into ensuring the smooth operation of the technical elements of Dearly Beloved.
Claire English (Creative Producer) is a junior Visual Media Arts major at Emerson College with a Minor in Art History. A passionate creative and collegiate athlete, she is a hardworking and dedicated young filmmaker who enjoys bringing films to life. She firmly believes that film and media shape modern-day culture and hopes her films work to instill ideologies of acceptance, kindness, and self-actualization.
Sofia Belgiovine (Line Producer) is a senior Media Arts Production major at Emerson College minoring in Pre-Law. She has spent her college career focused on producing and management roles both within the Emerson community and beyond. She is currently the President of Emerson Independent Video, Emerson’s oldest and largest production organization. Here, she oversees 500+ crew members and about 50 executive producers per semester through the physical production of 14-16 student-made productions. Outside of Emerson, Sofia spent this past summer working as a Production Intern at HUSH Studios in Brooklyn, N.Y., where she learned more about what it takes to produce at a professional level. She will be using these production skills to help bring Dearly Beloved to life.