Imani
New York City, New York | Film Short
Horror, Thriller
At a prestigious graduate acting conservatory, Imani, a talented yet isolated Black student, is accused of being “aggressive” in a scene. As classmates ostracize her and administrators question her sanity, a veiled creature appears in her reflection, blurring the line between performance and reality
Imani
New York City, New York | Film Short
Horror, Thriller
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $13,672 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
77 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
At a prestigious graduate acting conservatory, Imani, a talented yet isolated Black student, is accused of being “aggressive” in a scene. As classmates ostracize her and administrators question her sanity, a veiled creature appears in her reflection, blurring the line between performance and reality
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
SYNOPSIS
Imani is a psychological horror short film following a gifted young actor whose sense of reality begins to fracture under the pressure of a prestigious conservatory program. When a physical altercation with her scene partner Mina is reported to faculty, Imani finds herself in a gaslighting spiral — her version of events questioned, documented, and slowly rewritten by the institution around her. As the walls close in, Imani is confronted by something she can’t explain or outrun: a version of herself that keeps appearing in the mirrors. The Double doesn’t speak. It watches. And it knows what really happened.
Imani lives at the intersection of psychological thriller and supernatural horror — asking what it means to lose trust in your own memory when the people with power have already decided who you are.
Black Swan (Aronofsvy, 2010)
CHARACTERS
IMANI
Outspoken, magnetic, driven-conservatory is everything she worked for. Imani arrives hungry, curious, ready to give herself over the work completely. Her first year takes her apart. She turns inwards, only showing bits of herself when absolutely necessary as her character increasingly comes into question. Faced with misogynoir and constant betrayal by her fellow cohort, Imani begins to question her own reality, slipping into a nightmare that bleeds into the daytime. A veiled figure. Everywhere. Wearing her face.
MINA
Imani's assigned scene partner. Mina is delicate and graceful in the way that comes naturally to people. A true theater kid- crystals on the windowsill, White Fragility on the shelf, genuine belief that she is one of the good ones. Her politics are real. Her blind spots are catastrophic. She grew in rooms that looked like diversity and functioned like a monoculture, and has never had to test her values against anything that costs her.
THE INSTITUTION
Newly diverse and sometimes trained in the latest Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion methods, Dr. Attwood (white), Dr. Kamila (woman), and Dr. Brenna (Black) understand and empathize with their students. Underneath their facade of care and sympathy lies the same old allegiance to academic politics that favors a certain kind of student.
The Wrong Man (Hitchcock, 1956) The Girl with the Needle (Van Horn, 2024) Meshes of the Afternoon (Deren, 1944)
GENRE + TONE
As a psychological thriller and social horror film, “Imani” seeks to unsettle the viewer at every turn, forcing them to question what’s real and what’s not. Audiences should feel confronted by their potential complicity in the filmmaking that haunts Imani.
Think: Get Out meets Black Swan
Keywords: Identity, gaslighting, performance, racial tension
His House (Weekes, 2020) Black Swan (Aronofsky, 2010)
VISUAL STYLE
Unable to trust herself or those around her, the visual style of this film seeks to ground the audience in Imani’s subjectivity by using high contrast between dark and light, relying on flat, shadowlike images made dynamic by the light that seemingly escapes into the frame. Avante-garde in nature, it should feel like the film is conspiring against her. In fact, it is. Just like the misogynoir and racial gaslighting that Imani is experiencing, this movie is designed to make Imani “crazy.”
Atlantics (Diop, 2019)
HOW YOUR SUPPORT HELPS US GET INTO THE MIND OF IMANI:
Our Crew — Stories like this are best told with care and intention, in every single aspect in how they’re made. We want to bring together the best crew to tell a good story.
Equipment & Production — The visual language of Imani is precise: mirrored surfaces, institutional fluorescence, warped reflections. We want the camera, lighting, and sound equipment to execute that language with intention.
Post-Production — Editing, color grading, sound design, and mix. Psychological horror lives in the edit and the sound mix. We are budgeting fully for a post process that honors what we shoot.
Festival Submissions & Marketing — Imani is being made for audiences. Submission fees, press materials, and campaign assets ensure the film reaches the people it was made for.
Atlantics (Diop, 2019)
WORD FROM OUR CREATOR
“Imani” is born from my personal experiences as a Black actress in conservatory spaces—spaces that encourage you to “go there” emotionally, but punish you when you do. This story is both a warning and a reclamation. It’s about what happens when you split yourself in two to survive.
- Kristin Dodson
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crew Labor
Costs $6,500
To pay our amazing crew!
Camera & Lighting Equipment
Costs $3,500
For our equipment that will bring this production to life!
Food (Meals & Crafty)
Costs $1,500
Essential for everyone..enough said!
Transportation/Gas/Parking
Costs $500
For both our crew and equipment!
Post Production Magic
Costs $3,000
To bring this film to life!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Kristin Dodson (Writer/Executive Producer) is a New York–based actor and filmmaker.
She starred as Zayna in Showtime’s Flatbush Misdemeanors, appeared opposite Aldis Hodge in Cross (Amazon Prime), and recurred on Chicago P.D. (NBC). Film credits include Roxanne Roxanne (Netflix) and 1266 (Hulu). Kristin trained at Columbia University (MFA Acting) and BADA in London, and has extensive stage experience including Bernarda’s Daughters (The New Group/NBT) and Stew (SoHo Rep). Through both acting and writing, she explores the intersections of race, identity, and performance in spaces that claim inclusivity while revealing deeper biases.
Danielle Therese Dougé (Director/ Co-Writer) is a Haitian American filmmaker, playwright, and educator from Chicago, IL. Her work most often centers an exploration of Black womanhood/feminisms, queerness, ancestral knowledge and intergenerational trauma via the genres of magical realism, thriller, horror, sci-fi and drama. Dougé’s recent work includes the narrative short "Sing A Black Girl Song” (2025). She holds a BA in Radio/TV/Film from Northwestern University and an MFA in Film with a concentration in screenwriting from Columbia University’s School of the Arts. During their tenure at Columbia, Dougé was awarded the Jesse Thompkins III Memorial Award for screenwriting, earned a 2020 Sundance Blackhouse fellowship and a 2021 Facebook SEEN fellowship. Dougé was awarded Faculty Honors for her feature script, "Summertime Pie,” at the 2023 Columbia University Film Festival.
Dougé is currently a teaching artist and associate artistic director at Developing Artists Theatre Company and a term assistant professor at Barnard College.
Olivia Peralta (Producer) is an American producer, screenwriter, and filmmaker of Colombian-Argentine heritage from Union City, New Jersey. Growing up just outside New York City, she has considered herself lucky to experience the best of both worlds. She worked her way up to Creative Producer at Universal McCann and J3, creating branded content and commercials for clients including J&J and Coca-Cola. She holds a BA from Pennsylvania State University, double majoring in Communications and Economics, and an MFA from Columbia University with a concentration in Creative Producing.
Following her tenure at Jigsaw Productions in downtown New York, she has transitioned into independent film producing. Her recent works, Sombras Nada Más and No Es Mi Nombre, have screened at national and international festivals, including the San Sebastián and Bogotá. She is driven to create projects that inspire audiences to see the world and expand their perspectives, offer a nice dose of escapism, and when applicable, does her part in personally resurrecting the rom-com genre.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
SYNOPSIS
Imani is a psychological horror short film following a gifted young actor whose sense of reality begins to fracture under the pressure of a prestigious conservatory program. When a physical altercation with her scene partner Mina is reported to faculty, Imani finds herself in a gaslighting spiral — her version of events questioned, documented, and slowly rewritten by the institution around her. As the walls close in, Imani is confronted by something she can’t explain or outrun: a version of herself that keeps appearing in the mirrors. The Double doesn’t speak. It watches. And it knows what really happened.
Imani lives at the intersection of psychological thriller and supernatural horror — asking what it means to lose trust in your own memory when the people with power have already decided who you are.
Black Swan (Aronofsvy, 2010)
CHARACTERS
IMANI
Outspoken, magnetic, driven-conservatory is everything she worked for. Imani arrives hungry, curious, ready to give herself over the work completely. Her first year takes her apart. She turns inwards, only showing bits of herself when absolutely necessary as her character increasingly comes into question. Faced with misogynoir and constant betrayal by her fellow cohort, Imani begins to question her own reality, slipping into a nightmare that bleeds into the daytime. A veiled figure. Everywhere. Wearing her face.
MINA
Imani's assigned scene partner. Mina is delicate and graceful in the way that comes naturally to people. A true theater kid- crystals on the windowsill, White Fragility on the shelf, genuine belief that she is one of the good ones. Her politics are real. Her blind spots are catastrophic. She grew in rooms that looked like diversity and functioned like a monoculture, and has never had to test her values against anything that costs her.
THE INSTITUTION
Newly diverse and sometimes trained in the latest Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion methods, Dr. Attwood (white), Dr. Kamila (woman), and Dr. Brenna (Black) understand and empathize with their students. Underneath their facade of care and sympathy lies the same old allegiance to academic politics that favors a certain kind of student.
The Wrong Man (Hitchcock, 1956) The Girl with the Needle (Van Horn, 2024) Meshes of the Afternoon (Deren, 1944)
GENRE + TONE
As a psychological thriller and social horror film, “Imani” seeks to unsettle the viewer at every turn, forcing them to question what’s real and what’s not. Audiences should feel confronted by their potential complicity in the filmmaking that haunts Imani.
Think: Get Out meets Black Swan
Keywords: Identity, gaslighting, performance, racial tension
His House (Weekes, 2020) Black Swan (Aronofsky, 2010)
VISUAL STYLE
Unable to trust herself or those around her, the visual style of this film seeks to ground the audience in Imani’s subjectivity by using high contrast between dark and light, relying on flat, shadowlike images made dynamic by the light that seemingly escapes into the frame. Avante-garde in nature, it should feel like the film is conspiring against her. In fact, it is. Just like the misogynoir and racial gaslighting that Imani is experiencing, this movie is designed to make Imani “crazy.”
Atlantics (Diop, 2019)
HOW YOUR SUPPORT HELPS US GET INTO THE MIND OF IMANI:
Our Crew — Stories like this are best told with care and intention, in every single aspect in how they’re made. We want to bring together the best crew to tell a good story.
Equipment & Production — The visual language of Imani is precise: mirrored surfaces, institutional fluorescence, warped reflections. We want the camera, lighting, and sound equipment to execute that language with intention.
Post-Production — Editing, color grading, sound design, and mix. Psychological horror lives in the edit and the sound mix. We are budgeting fully for a post process that honors what we shoot.
Festival Submissions & Marketing — Imani is being made for audiences. Submission fees, press materials, and campaign assets ensure the film reaches the people it was made for.
Atlantics (Diop, 2019)
WORD FROM OUR CREATOR
“Imani” is born from my personal experiences as a Black actress in conservatory spaces—spaces that encourage you to “go there” emotionally, but punish you when you do. This story is both a warning and a reclamation. It’s about what happens when you split yourself in two to survive.
- Kristin Dodson
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crew Labor
Costs $6,500
To pay our amazing crew!
Camera & Lighting Equipment
Costs $3,500
For our equipment that will bring this production to life!
Food (Meals & Crafty)
Costs $1,500
Essential for everyone..enough said!
Transportation/Gas/Parking
Costs $500
For both our crew and equipment!
Post Production Magic
Costs $3,000
To bring this film to life!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Kristin Dodson (Writer/Executive Producer) is a New York–based actor and filmmaker.
She starred as Zayna in Showtime’s Flatbush Misdemeanors, appeared opposite Aldis Hodge in Cross (Amazon Prime), and recurred on Chicago P.D. (NBC). Film credits include Roxanne Roxanne (Netflix) and 1266 (Hulu). Kristin trained at Columbia University (MFA Acting) and BADA in London, and has extensive stage experience including Bernarda’s Daughters (The New Group/NBT) and Stew (SoHo Rep). Through both acting and writing, she explores the intersections of race, identity, and performance in spaces that claim inclusivity while revealing deeper biases.
Danielle Therese Dougé (Director/ Co-Writer) is a Haitian American filmmaker, playwright, and educator from Chicago, IL. Her work most often centers an exploration of Black womanhood/feminisms, queerness, ancestral knowledge and intergenerational trauma via the genres of magical realism, thriller, horror, sci-fi and drama. Dougé’s recent work includes the narrative short "Sing A Black Girl Song” (2025). She holds a BA in Radio/TV/Film from Northwestern University and an MFA in Film with a concentration in screenwriting from Columbia University’s School of the Arts. During their tenure at Columbia, Dougé was awarded the Jesse Thompkins III Memorial Award for screenwriting, earned a 2020 Sundance Blackhouse fellowship and a 2021 Facebook SEEN fellowship. Dougé was awarded Faculty Honors for her feature script, "Summertime Pie,” at the 2023 Columbia University Film Festival.
Dougé is currently a teaching artist and associate artistic director at Developing Artists Theatre Company and a term assistant professor at Barnard College.
Olivia Peralta (Producer) is an American producer, screenwriter, and filmmaker of Colombian-Argentine heritage from Union City, New Jersey. Growing up just outside New York City, she has considered herself lucky to experience the best of both worlds. She worked her way up to Creative Producer at Universal McCann and J3, creating branded content and commercials for clients including J&J and Coca-Cola. She holds a BA from Pennsylvania State University, double majoring in Communications and Economics, and an MFA from Columbia University with a concentration in Creative Producing.
Following her tenure at Jigsaw Productions in downtown New York, she has transitioned into independent film producing. Her recent works, Sombras Nada Más and No Es Mi Nombre, have screened at national and international festivals, including the San Sebastián and Bogotá. She is driven to create projects that inspire audiences to see the world and expand their perspectives, offer a nice dose of escapism, and when applicable, does her part in personally resurrecting the rom-com genre.