Family Tradition
Atlanta, Georgia | Film Short
Thriller, Drama
In a time when it's easier to stay quiet than to speak up, Family Tradition is a Southern gut-punch about guilt, grief, and how secrets fester in silence. We’re digging up the truth—with grit, heart, and soul. If you've got scars, this story’s for you. Help us tell it.
Family Tradition
Atlanta, Georgia | Film Short
Thriller, Drama
1 Campaigns | Georgia, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $17,080 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
64 supporters | followers
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In a time when it's easier to stay quiet than to speak up, Family Tradition is a Southern gut-punch about guilt, grief, and how secrets fester in silence. We’re digging up the truth—with grit, heart, and soul. If you've got scars, this story’s for you. Help us tell it.
Participating In
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
“What happens in the dark always comes to light.”
That’s what my grandma Geraldine used to say.
Of course, sayings are like rules—we don’t have ’em unless we need ’em.
Family Tradition is a Southern Gothic short about the things we inherit without asking: trauma, addiction, secrets, shame.
It’s about a man who confesses too late. A woman who’s heard it all before.
And the moment you realize that silence isn’t protecting anyone—it’s poisoning everything.
Set mostly in a rural Georgia diner and the woods behind it, this film explores generational cycles the South doesn’t like to name—mental illness, abuse, addiction—and how they get passed down like a casserole recipe: quietly, shamefully, and always at the wrong time.
This is the kind of story I needed to see growing up.
WHY THIS STORY? WHY NOW?
I was raised in a world where secrets kept families sick.
Where saying nothing was safer than saying what hurt.
And I’m not doing that anymore.
Family Tradition isn’t just a short film. It’s a reckoning. It’s about what happens when you finally put the shovel down and say, “This ends with me.”
If you’ve ever buried something to survive, this one’s for you.
MEET THE HARRIS CLAN
The Harris family is Southern to the bone—and rotten at the root. Tied together by blood, secrets, and years of looking the other way, each of them is trapped in a legacy that’s been quietly killing them for generations. Family Tradition peels back their layers—one confession, one silence, one betrayal at a time.
GRAY HARRIS:
The prodigal son. A quiet, wrecked soul carrying a burden too heavy for one man. Gray left home to escape the violence but returns to bury it—literally and figuratively. He doesn’t say much, but his silence screams.
WADE HARRIS:
The volatile older brother. All bark, plenty of bite. Wade masks his pain with booze, sarcasm, and backwoods swagger. Dangerous and magnetic, he’s the kind of man you love until you fear him—and sometimes both at once.
SADIE HARRIS:
The youngest. Half-sibling. Full heart. Sadie’s the glue that’s held this family together far longer than she should’ve had to. Smart, skeptical, and sharper than she lets on, she carries her trauma like armor—and she’s not afraid to call the family out on theirs.
JOLENE DITMER:
Their chain-smoking aunt who’s seen it all—and has zero filter to prove it. Jolene’s the old-school Southern woman who’ll cuss you out and fix your plate in the same breath. She’s tough as nails, loyal to a fault, and knows every skeleton in the Harris closet.
WHO’S MAKING THIS?
My name’s Kris Shuman. I’m a Southern writer and producer from Savannah, Georgia. My work is gritty, character-driven, and cuts to the bone of family, faith, and survival. I grew up in a family of storytellers and lived through the kind of shit I now write about.
This film is a standalone short and proof-of-concept from the same world as my series What’s Buried Beneath the Pines—a Southern Gothic thriller that’s already placing in top screenwriting competitions. But Family Tradition stands on its own. It’s tighter. Meaner. Realer.
We’ve got a cast of Southern actors lined up, a diner location ready, and a Georgia-based production crew that knows exactly how to bring this to life.
WHERE WE’RE AT & WHAT YOUR SUPPORT DOES
The script is locked. SAG-AFTRA approval is in hand. And we’re ready to shoot over a long weekend this fall.
Your support helps us:
- Pay Southern cast and crew fairly
- Lock our diner and forest locations
- Rent camera, lighting, and sound equipment
- Cover insurance and post-production
- Submit to top festivals across the country
Our goal: $19,350
Campaign window: 30 days
Production target: Fall 2025
HOW TO WATCH + STRETCH GOALS
After production, Family Tradition will premiere in private online screenings via Kinema before hitting the festival circuit. If we surpass our goal, stretch funds will go toward:
- Professional color and sound mix
- Expanded festival reach
- A special Atlanta premiere screening
We’ll also be offering exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes content, and digital rewards throughout the journey.
WHY WE NEED YOU
There’s something powerful about dragging the truth into the light.
Family Tradition is about what happens when you finally do.
It’s small, but it’s fierce. And it matters.
SO IF YOU LOVE...
Dark Southern stories
Dialogue with teeth
Characters haunted by what they didn’t say
Stories about breaking generational silence
This one’s for you.
Pledge. Share. Follow.
Let’s dig this story out of the mud and into the light.
What's Buried Beneath the Pines Teaser:
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Lights, Camera, Bloodshed!
Costs $2,600
Camera + lighting rentals to make the diner glow, the woods creep, and the blood look real good.
The Georgia Dream Team
Costs $1,500
Paying our pro crew: sound, lighting, grip, AC, and other key hands. No volunteers—just hard-earned Southern hustle.
Feeding the Tradition
Costs $1,000
You can't shoot a Southern horror without feeding folks like it's Sunday supper.
Flights, Beds, and Bug Spray
Costs $1,800
Flying in our team and housing them while we film in the wild Georgia woods. 3 hotel nights, 3 cast flights.
The Diner & the Dressings
Costs $1,200
Location rental + dressing the set to feel like it’s steeped in secrets, coffee, and generational trauma. Period details and creepy touches
Bring In the Harris Bloodline
Costs $6,400
Finding the perfect Harris Family. Includes casting director fees and lead actor pay to bring the legacy to life.
Sound Makes the Scare
Costs $350
Quality audio, eerie silence, chilling design—it’s half the movie. Maybe more.
Cutting the Truth
Costs $1,500
Editing, color, and post magic to turn footage into a final film that hits hard and lingers.
Rainy Day & Festival Ride
Costs $1,200
For emergency fixes and film festival fees. (Because this thing will go places.)
Daisy’s Secrets
Costs $1,800
Insurance, safety, and contingency funds to keep this nightmare from going off the rails.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Kris Shuman (Writer/Producer)
Southern-born, California-based, Kris runs Bad Bella Productions and has been writing character-heavy stories for years. This project is personal. It's about breaking cycles, saying the quiet things out loud, and elevating stories that usually stay buried.
Bailey Donovan (Director)
Bailey’s a genre-bending director with a knack for tension and intimacy. He’s here to bring the heat, the stillness, and the unsaid to life—with precision and soul.
Timea S. (Producer)
Timea brings fresh perspective and dedication to our production and post-production process. She’s helping ensure this story stays emotionally grounded and honest throughout the cut.
Britany Smith (Supporting – “Daisy”)
Britany is a Southern stand-up comic and actor with roots deep in the Georgia clay. She’s got presence, charm, and grit—and she’s officially on board to bring Daisy to life with humor, bite, and truth. Her voice is already shaping how we build this film, and we can’t wait to see her light up the screen.
Justin Stagner (Supporting - "Raul")
Justin is a sharp-witted stand-up comic and actor with a knack for finding the heart inside the humor. His timing is razor-sharp, and his energy is contagious. We’re thrilled to have him bring Raul to life — a character full of swagger, mischief, and unexpected depth. Justin’s comedy chops and Southern sensibility make him the perfect fit to light up the screen.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
“What happens in the dark always comes to light.”
That’s what my grandma Geraldine used to say.
Of course, sayings are like rules—we don’t have ’em unless we need ’em.
Family Tradition is a Southern Gothic short about the things we inherit without asking: trauma, addiction, secrets, shame.
It’s about a man who confesses too late. A woman who’s heard it all before.
And the moment you realize that silence isn’t protecting anyone—it’s poisoning everything.
Set mostly in a rural Georgia diner and the woods behind it, this film explores generational cycles the South doesn’t like to name—mental illness, abuse, addiction—and how they get passed down like a casserole recipe: quietly, shamefully, and always at the wrong time.
This is the kind of story I needed to see growing up.
WHY THIS STORY? WHY NOW?
I was raised in a world where secrets kept families sick.
Where saying nothing was safer than saying what hurt.
And I’m not doing that anymore.
Family Tradition isn’t just a short film. It’s a reckoning. It’s about what happens when you finally put the shovel down and say, “This ends with me.”
If you’ve ever buried something to survive, this one’s for you.
MEET THE HARRIS CLAN
The Harris family is Southern to the bone—and rotten at the root. Tied together by blood, secrets, and years of looking the other way, each of them is trapped in a legacy that’s been quietly killing them for generations. Family Tradition peels back their layers—one confession, one silence, one betrayal at a time.
GRAY HARRIS:
The prodigal son. A quiet, wrecked soul carrying a burden too heavy for one man. Gray left home to escape the violence but returns to bury it—literally and figuratively. He doesn’t say much, but his silence screams.
WADE HARRIS:
The volatile older brother. All bark, plenty of bite. Wade masks his pain with booze, sarcasm, and backwoods swagger. Dangerous and magnetic, he’s the kind of man you love until you fear him—and sometimes both at once.
SADIE HARRIS:
The youngest. Half-sibling. Full heart. Sadie’s the glue that’s held this family together far longer than she should’ve had to. Smart, skeptical, and sharper than she lets on, she carries her trauma like armor—and she’s not afraid to call the family out on theirs.
JOLENE DITMER:
Their chain-smoking aunt who’s seen it all—and has zero filter to prove it. Jolene’s the old-school Southern woman who’ll cuss you out and fix your plate in the same breath. She’s tough as nails, loyal to a fault, and knows every skeleton in the Harris closet.
WHO’S MAKING THIS?
My name’s Kris Shuman. I’m a Southern writer and producer from Savannah, Georgia. My work is gritty, character-driven, and cuts to the bone of family, faith, and survival. I grew up in a family of storytellers and lived through the kind of shit I now write about.
This film is a standalone short and proof-of-concept from the same world as my series What’s Buried Beneath the Pines—a Southern Gothic thriller that’s already placing in top screenwriting competitions. But Family Tradition stands on its own. It’s tighter. Meaner. Realer.
We’ve got a cast of Southern actors lined up, a diner location ready, and a Georgia-based production crew that knows exactly how to bring this to life.
WHERE WE’RE AT & WHAT YOUR SUPPORT DOES
The script is locked. SAG-AFTRA approval is in hand. And we’re ready to shoot over a long weekend this fall.
Your support helps us:
- Pay Southern cast and crew fairly
- Lock our diner and forest locations
- Rent camera, lighting, and sound equipment
- Cover insurance and post-production
- Submit to top festivals across the country
Our goal: $19,350
Campaign window: 30 days
Production target: Fall 2025
HOW TO WATCH + STRETCH GOALS
After production, Family Tradition will premiere in private online screenings via Kinema before hitting the festival circuit. If we surpass our goal, stretch funds will go toward:
- Professional color and sound mix
- Expanded festival reach
- A special Atlanta premiere screening
We’ll also be offering exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes content, and digital rewards throughout the journey.
WHY WE NEED YOU
There’s something powerful about dragging the truth into the light.
Family Tradition is about what happens when you finally do.
It’s small, but it’s fierce. And it matters.
SO IF YOU LOVE...
Dark Southern stories
Dialogue with teeth
Characters haunted by what they didn’t say
Stories about breaking generational silence
This one’s for you.
Pledge. Share. Follow.
Let’s dig this story out of the mud and into the light.
What's Buried Beneath the Pines Teaser:
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Lights, Camera, Bloodshed!
Costs $2,600
Camera + lighting rentals to make the diner glow, the woods creep, and the blood look real good.
The Georgia Dream Team
Costs $1,500
Paying our pro crew: sound, lighting, grip, AC, and other key hands. No volunteers—just hard-earned Southern hustle.
Feeding the Tradition
Costs $1,000
You can't shoot a Southern horror without feeding folks like it's Sunday supper.
Flights, Beds, and Bug Spray
Costs $1,800
Flying in our team and housing them while we film in the wild Georgia woods. 3 hotel nights, 3 cast flights.
The Diner & the Dressings
Costs $1,200
Location rental + dressing the set to feel like it’s steeped in secrets, coffee, and generational trauma. Period details and creepy touches
Bring In the Harris Bloodline
Costs $6,400
Finding the perfect Harris Family. Includes casting director fees and lead actor pay to bring the legacy to life.
Sound Makes the Scare
Costs $350
Quality audio, eerie silence, chilling design—it’s half the movie. Maybe more.
Cutting the Truth
Costs $1,500
Editing, color, and post magic to turn footage into a final film that hits hard and lingers.
Rainy Day & Festival Ride
Costs $1,200
For emergency fixes and film festival fees. (Because this thing will go places.)
Daisy’s Secrets
Costs $1,800
Insurance, safety, and contingency funds to keep this nightmare from going off the rails.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Kris Shuman (Writer/Producer)
Southern-born, California-based, Kris runs Bad Bella Productions and has been writing character-heavy stories for years. This project is personal. It's about breaking cycles, saying the quiet things out loud, and elevating stories that usually stay buried.
Bailey Donovan (Director)
Bailey’s a genre-bending director with a knack for tension and intimacy. He’s here to bring the heat, the stillness, and the unsaid to life—with precision and soul.
Timea S. (Producer)
Timea brings fresh perspective and dedication to our production and post-production process. She’s helping ensure this story stays emotionally grounded and honest throughout the cut.
Britany Smith (Supporting – “Daisy”)
Britany is a Southern stand-up comic and actor with roots deep in the Georgia clay. She’s got presence, charm, and grit—and she’s officially on board to bring Daisy to life with humor, bite, and truth. Her voice is already shaping how we build this film, and we can’t wait to see her light up the screen.
Justin Stagner (Supporting - "Raul")
Justin is a sharp-witted stand-up comic and actor with a knack for finding the heart inside the humor. His timing is razor-sharp, and his energy is contagious. We’re thrilled to have him bring Raul to life — a character full of swagger, mischief, and unexpected depth. Justin’s comedy chops and Southern sensibility make him the perfect fit to light up the screen.