DEVOURED - A Thesis Film
New York City, New York | Film Short
Thriller, LGBTQ
When a young woman battling anorexia falls for a bartender, their queer connection descends into a psychological game of obsession and self-erasure.
DEVOURED - A Thesis Film
New York City, New York | Film Short
Thriller, LGBTQ
4 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $8,130 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
36 supporters | followers
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When a young woman battling anorexia falls for a bartender, their queer connection descends into a psychological game of obsession and self-erasure.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
So, What's the Story?
DEVOURED is a 15 minute psychological thriller that explores eating disorders, queer obsession, and the violence involved in the practice of self erasure.
The film follows Eve, a young woman silently battling anorexia, whose life is defined by rigid routines, dissociation, and self-surveillance. When she meets Lilith, an effortlessly confident bartender, their brief connection ignites an obsession that quickly turns parasitic. Lilith begins to haunt Eve, gaining power as Eve loses her sense of self, until it becomes clear that Lilith is not simply a woman, but the physical embodiment of Eve’s illness.
Rather than portraying anorexia as a desire to disappear, Devoured examines it as a longing to become someone else entirely; someone more powerful, desirable, and complete. The horror lies in Eve’s willingness to erase herself in pursuit of an impossible ideal.
Why You?
This will be a story of pain straight from the source. As a queer filmmaker drawing from lived experience, this project is deeply personal. Eating disorder narratives are often sanitized, romanticized, or reduced to cautionary tales. Devoured aims to confront the reality of the illness, which is that it is psychologically torturous, seductive, and identity-consuming, especially as it intersects with queer desire and self-comparison.
Why Now?
As an SFX makeup artist, I believe now more than ever, use of practical effects is necessary to combat the growing use of AI. Furthermore, there has been a rise in commodification of thinness to the point where weight-loss drug advertisements are more common than ever before. This is a story that needs to be told before the next generation of young women suffer.
What Will it Look Like?
Stylistically, the film exists in a heightened, distorted reality, mirroring Eve’s fractured psychology. Through surreal imagery and body horror, the audience is placed directly inside her experience of obsession, jealousy, hunger, and control. The tone is intimate and deeply unsettling, designed to evoke the psychological torture that the grip of anorexia creates.
How Will Funding be Used?
Funding will allow us to bring this vision to life safely and responsibly, supporting production design, sound, SFX makeup, intimacy coordination, food and safety for cast and crew, and post-production. The full budget breakdown and exactly where our funding will go is detailed in the "Wishlist" section!
With your support, DEVOURED will become a film that challenges stereotypes surrounding anorexics, sparks necessary conversations surrounding modern beauty standards, and refuses to look away from the horror of eating disorders. We hope to reach a breadth of audiences with this film, with the twofold goal of interacting with underrepresented communities and creating accessible avant-garde filmmaking.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Locations
Costs $500
A crucial setting within the script is a bar, and we want to compensate the owners fairly.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $800
In order to achieve the claustrophobic tone of the film, we want to provide our G&E and camera crew with the best equipment possible!
Art Design
Costs $650
To supplement materials and compensate our Hair/Makeup and Production Design teams!
SFX Makeup
Costs $2,000
A huge aspect of this film is use of practical effects, including a bodily rig that acts as the pivotal moment of the story.
Intimacy Coordination
Costs $600
We hope to work with a professional intimacy coordinator to ensure the comfort and safety of our cast and crew!
Transportation and Food
Costs $1,000
To ensure the safety, comfort, and energy of our crew, we want to provide secure food and transportation.
Post-Production and Distribution
Costs $450
To cover post-production costs of color and sound mixing, as well as festival submissions to spread this project!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
As an NYU-based filmmaker whose entire education has led to this moment, I am proud to say that our crew will be entirely comprised of NYU students and recent alumnus. I have curated a group of the most talented, kind, and trusting people I have ever had the privilege to work with in the past, and am more than honored to be sharing this moment with each and every one of them.
To introduce you to our principal crew-mates:
My Director of Photography, Jake Tollman (NYU '25) is a wizard with a camera. I met him whilst studying 35mm filmmaking in Prague, and instantly knew he would be a part of my thesis. His work is astounding and can be checked out at https://www.jake-tollman.com/.
My Producer, Kate Fugitt, will be graduating alongside myself in May. She is a former roommate of mine, a good friend, and easily one of the most talented producers and editors I have ever met. The work she has put in so far has meant the world to me, and I'm honored to have her on board as a collaborator.
And lastly, to introduce myself, I am a born and raised New Yorker with a passion for horror films. I am currently pursuing two bachelor degrees, a BS in Marketing from Stern School of Business and a BFA in Film and Television from Tisch School of the Arts, both to be completed as of May. I have worked on over 200 films in my undergraduate experience, primarily as an SFX makeup artist, producer, and assistant director. I have directed many films in the last few years, including an intermediate project shot on 35mm in Prague, but none that I am as proud of or excited for as this one.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
So, What's the Story?
DEVOURED is a 15 minute psychological thriller that explores eating disorders, queer obsession, and the violence involved in the practice of self erasure.
The film follows Eve, a young woman silently battling anorexia, whose life is defined by rigid routines, dissociation, and self-surveillance. When she meets Lilith, an effortlessly confident bartender, their brief connection ignites an obsession that quickly turns parasitic. Lilith begins to haunt Eve, gaining power as Eve loses her sense of self, until it becomes clear that Lilith is not simply a woman, but the physical embodiment of Eve’s illness.
Rather than portraying anorexia as a desire to disappear, Devoured examines it as a longing to become someone else entirely; someone more powerful, desirable, and complete. The horror lies in Eve’s willingness to erase herself in pursuit of an impossible ideal.
Why You?
This will be a story of pain straight from the source. As a queer filmmaker drawing from lived experience, this project is deeply personal. Eating disorder narratives are often sanitized, romanticized, or reduced to cautionary tales. Devoured aims to confront the reality of the illness, which is that it is psychologically torturous, seductive, and identity-consuming, especially as it intersects with queer desire and self-comparison.
Why Now?
As an SFX makeup artist, I believe now more than ever, use of practical effects is necessary to combat the growing use of AI. Furthermore, there has been a rise in commodification of thinness to the point where weight-loss drug advertisements are more common than ever before. This is a story that needs to be told before the next generation of young women suffer.
What Will it Look Like?
Stylistically, the film exists in a heightened, distorted reality, mirroring Eve’s fractured psychology. Through surreal imagery and body horror, the audience is placed directly inside her experience of obsession, jealousy, hunger, and control. The tone is intimate and deeply unsettling, designed to evoke the psychological torture that the grip of anorexia creates.
How Will Funding be Used?
Funding will allow us to bring this vision to life safely and responsibly, supporting production design, sound, SFX makeup, intimacy coordination, food and safety for cast and crew, and post-production. The full budget breakdown and exactly where our funding will go is detailed in the "Wishlist" section!
With your support, DEVOURED will become a film that challenges stereotypes surrounding anorexics, sparks necessary conversations surrounding modern beauty standards, and refuses to look away from the horror of eating disorders. We hope to reach a breadth of audiences with this film, with the twofold goal of interacting with underrepresented communities and creating accessible avant-garde filmmaking.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Locations
Costs $500
A crucial setting within the script is a bar, and we want to compensate the owners fairly.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $800
In order to achieve the claustrophobic tone of the film, we want to provide our G&E and camera crew with the best equipment possible!
Art Design
Costs $650
To supplement materials and compensate our Hair/Makeup and Production Design teams!
SFX Makeup
Costs $2,000
A huge aspect of this film is use of practical effects, including a bodily rig that acts as the pivotal moment of the story.
Intimacy Coordination
Costs $600
We hope to work with a professional intimacy coordinator to ensure the comfort and safety of our cast and crew!
Transportation and Food
Costs $1,000
To ensure the safety, comfort, and energy of our crew, we want to provide secure food and transportation.
Post-Production and Distribution
Costs $450
To cover post-production costs of color and sound mixing, as well as festival submissions to spread this project!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
As an NYU-based filmmaker whose entire education has led to this moment, I am proud to say that our crew will be entirely comprised of NYU students and recent alumnus. I have curated a group of the most talented, kind, and trusting people I have ever had the privilege to work with in the past, and am more than honored to be sharing this moment with each and every one of them.
To introduce you to our principal crew-mates:
My Director of Photography, Jake Tollman (NYU '25) is a wizard with a camera. I met him whilst studying 35mm filmmaking in Prague, and instantly knew he would be a part of my thesis. His work is astounding and can be checked out at https://www.jake-tollman.com/.
My Producer, Kate Fugitt, will be graduating alongside myself in May. She is a former roommate of mine, a good friend, and easily one of the most talented producers and editors I have ever met. The work she has put in so far has meant the world to me, and I'm honored to have her on board as a collaborator.
And lastly, to introduce myself, I am a born and raised New Yorker with a passion for horror films. I am currently pursuing two bachelor degrees, a BS in Marketing from Stern School of Business and a BFA in Film and Television from Tisch School of the Arts, both to be completed as of May. I have worked on over 200 films in my undergraduate experience, primarily as an SFX makeup artist, producer, and assistant director. I have directed many films in the last few years, including an intermediate project shot on 35mm in Prague, but none that I am as proud of or excited for as this one.