Part II of Tales From the Dancing Maenads
Austin, Texas | Series
Drama, Thriller
We're back and ready to create 5 new tales that reveal the wild, mystifying and extraordinary stories of women on the edge.
Part II of Tales From the Dancing Maenads
Austin, Texas | Series
Drama, Thriller

2 Campaigns | Texas, United States
We're back and ready to create 5 new tales that reveal the wild, mystifying and extraordinary stories of women on the edge.
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Two years ago we produced five short films with the help of many generous donors, cast and crew. These films have screened to audiences worldwide at over 40+ film festivals and received rave reviews, accolades and awards including multiple Best Short Film awards, Best Directing, Best Actress, Best Score, Best Editing and a Special Jury Award.
We're back and ready to create Part II of the award-winning anthology series. Five new short visionary films, written and directed entirely by women, exploring themes of healing old wounds, reclaiming power and transcending conditioning. Our mission is to tell meaningful stories in a visually engaging manner. The response from critics and film festivals has been incredible so far:
At bay are five new stories waiting to be told. Some are autobiographical, others are inspired by dreams, and all have the message and possibility of inspiring change and healing. As always, contributions come with a variety of incentives and perks, including VIP treatment at our red carpet premiere party in 2021, portrait/headshot sessions by our production team, guest star roles in one of our films, production and editing services and lots more!
Our goal in all of this is to create a sustainable system to continue to produce short films in an on-going and ever-growing anthology. One of these new films will be filmed in Shreveport, LA and entered into the LA Film Prize with the chance of winning a cash prize that would allow us the resources to produce future projects. And once we have all ten films available, we'll pitch the anthology to a streaming service to make all films available for viewing online.
As is our custom, each new film explores a new female archetype, and we'll be experimenting with all sorts of new genres: an 80's sitcom satire, a spaghetti western ghost story, a sci-fi thriller that spans multiple time periods, a Jodorowsky-inspired vision, a disco-era 70's gender powerplay. We'll be casting a significant amount of roles and will be working with a variety of talented cinematographers and crew members in the Austin area. We're excited to extend our network to so much local talent!
Part II of Tales from the Dancing Maenads includes:
Tomorrow Comes Today : A stylish spaghetti western dealing with the ghostly aftermath of a recent plague as one lone survivor waits patiently for her husband to return from the range. This film will be our entry to the LA Film Prize in Louisiana. Written by Elizabeth Tabish
May Day : A new chapter of the continuing saga of Mother's Day, May Day takes place in the 1980's and is filmed as a TV sitcom comedy, laugh track included. However, the film is something closer to dark satire as it uncovers the dangers of oppressive social conditioning for young women. Written by Janet Travis
Bloody Beatrice : A wild adventure through seemingly unrelated worlds, Bloody Beatrice tells a love story the same way, in different times and places. Thoroughly experimental and woven together with a surprise revelation, the film has equal parts science fiction, romance and existential exploration. Written by Ashley James
Strange (But Not a Stranger) : Set in the late 1970s, a newly widowed mother must battle blackmail, intimidation and town gossip in an era when women had little power. Written by Janet Travis
Only in Dreams : Following a sequence of symbolic dream messages exploring time, space and emotion, Only in Dreams is an expressionistic series of lessons on how to wake up in the dreamy and surreal style of Jodorowsky. Written by Elizabeth Tabish
There are so many more stories we have waiting to be told-- we even have an additional 4-6 short films waiting in the wings for Part III! If you're interested in partnering with us financially to help us continue to create more award-winning short films, reach out to us and together we can create a sustainable anthology of women's stories.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crew
Costs $9,000
Each film will require a Director of Photography, Gaffer, Sound Person, HMU and Camera Assistant.
Props
Costs $1,000
We'll be scouring eBay for all those great vintage finds to make each film authentic to their time.
Catering
Costs $5,000
It's important to us to keep our gang fed with nutritious meals for all 15 days of filming.
Travel
Costs $2,000
One of our films will be shooting in Shreveport to compete in the LA Film Prize.
Misc.
Costs $1,000
Insurance fees, music, post-production sound, all the loose ends that will need to be tied up.
About This Team
Ashley James is an award winning actress and filmmaker based in Austin, TX. Her artistic endeavors encompass performance art, design, editing, writing, narrative and documentary film. She is known for her intimate approach to storytelling with projects conjuring highly-stylized, complex anti-heroine themes. She received her BFA from the Academy of Art University in Film Directing and studied Acting at the Mesiner Technique Studio in San Francisco. Her performance in Mother's Day has landed her a number of Best Actress awards and nominations. Her screenplay Bloody Beatrice will be one of the five short films produced in Part II: Tales From the Dancing Maenads. Read more about Ashley's story here.
Janet Travis is an actress and award-winning writer based in Austin, TX. A graduate of Texas A&M University, she spent many years teaching Spanish and Latin and raising her four children before deciding to turn her dream of acting, writing and producing into a reality. She trained extensively under Carol Hickey utilizing the Harry Mastrogeorge Technique of utilizing imagination to create a second reality. This gave her insight into her own vulnerabilities and strengths, and prompted her to freely express the pain, beauty and complexity of her personal experiences in her work. Mother's Day was her first screenplay and has gone on to win several awards including Best Short Film as well as earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the prestigious Blow Up International Arthouse Film Festival. It continues to gain attention on the festival circuit. She currently has two additional short films, May Day and All Souls Day in pre-production which will be part of the Part II: Tales From the Dancing Maenads. She can also be seen in Season One of Vindication, which airs on Amazon Prime. Read more about Janet's story here.
Elizabeth Tabish is a multi-disciplinary artist and award-winning filmmaker local to Austin, TX. She writes, directs, performs and edits, focusing on emotionally and psychologically complicated characters. She received her BA in Film Studies and her MA in Theater from Oklahoma State University where she studied and analyzed both experimental and classic films through a psychoanalytic lens. Her work has landed her a number of awards including a Jury Award, Best Short Film award, and multiple Directing and Editing awards. She is the Art Director and Co-owner of Austin Arthouse Film Festival, currently in its 3rd season. She also acts in commercial and TV projects, most notably in AMC's The Son and VidAngel's The Chosen. Read more about Elizabeth's story here.
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Two years ago we produced five short films with the help of many generous donors, cast and crew. These films have screened to audiences worldwide at over 40+ film festivals and received rave reviews, accolades and awards including multiple Best Short Film awards, Best Directing, Best Actress, Best Score, Best Editing and a Special Jury Award.
We're back and ready to create Part II of the award-winning anthology series. Five new short visionary films, written and directed entirely by women, exploring themes of healing old wounds, reclaiming power and transcending conditioning. Our mission is to tell meaningful stories in a visually engaging manner. The response from critics and film festivals has been incredible so far:
At bay are five new stories waiting to be told. Some are autobiographical, others are inspired by dreams, and all have the message and possibility of inspiring change and healing. As always, contributions come with a variety of incentives and perks, including VIP treatment at our red carpet premiere party in 2021, portrait/headshot sessions by our production team, guest star roles in one of our films, production and editing services and lots more!
Our goal in all of this is to create a sustainable system to continue to produce short films in an on-going and ever-growing anthology. One of these new films will be filmed in Shreveport, LA and entered into the LA Film Prize with the chance of winning a cash prize that would allow us the resources to produce future projects. And once we have all ten films available, we'll pitch the anthology to a streaming service to make all films available for viewing online.
As is our custom, each new film explores a new female archetype, and we'll be experimenting with all sorts of new genres: an 80's sitcom satire, a spaghetti western ghost story, a sci-fi thriller that spans multiple time periods, a Jodorowsky-inspired vision, a disco-era 70's gender powerplay. We'll be casting a significant amount of roles and will be working with a variety of talented cinematographers and crew members in the Austin area. We're excited to extend our network to so much local talent!
Part II of Tales from the Dancing Maenads includes:
Tomorrow Comes Today : A stylish spaghetti western dealing with the ghostly aftermath of a recent plague as one lone survivor waits patiently for her husband to return from the range. This film will be our entry to the LA Film Prize in Louisiana. Written by Elizabeth Tabish
May Day : A new chapter of the continuing saga of Mother's Day, May Day takes place in the 1980's and is filmed as a TV sitcom comedy, laugh track included. However, the film is something closer to dark satire as it uncovers the dangers of oppressive social conditioning for young women. Written by Janet Travis
Bloody Beatrice : A wild adventure through seemingly unrelated worlds, Bloody Beatrice tells a love story the same way, in different times and places. Thoroughly experimental and woven together with a surprise revelation, the film has equal parts science fiction, romance and existential exploration. Written by Ashley James
Strange (But Not a Stranger) : Set in the late 1970s, a newly widowed mother must battle blackmail, intimidation and town gossip in an era when women had little power. Written by Janet Travis
Only in Dreams : Following a sequence of symbolic dream messages exploring time, space and emotion, Only in Dreams is an expressionistic series of lessons on how to wake up in the dreamy and surreal style of Jodorowsky. Written by Elizabeth Tabish
There are so many more stories we have waiting to be told-- we even have an additional 4-6 short films waiting in the wings for Part III! If you're interested in partnering with us financially to help us continue to create more award-winning short films, reach out to us and together we can create a sustainable anthology of women's stories.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crew
Costs $9,000
Each film will require a Director of Photography, Gaffer, Sound Person, HMU and Camera Assistant.
Props
Costs $1,000
We'll be scouring eBay for all those great vintage finds to make each film authentic to their time.
Catering
Costs $5,000
It's important to us to keep our gang fed with nutritious meals for all 15 days of filming.
Travel
Costs $2,000
One of our films will be shooting in Shreveport to compete in the LA Film Prize.
Misc.
Costs $1,000
Insurance fees, music, post-production sound, all the loose ends that will need to be tied up.
About This Team
Ashley James is an award winning actress and filmmaker based in Austin, TX. Her artistic endeavors encompass performance art, design, editing, writing, narrative and documentary film. She is known for her intimate approach to storytelling with projects conjuring highly-stylized, complex anti-heroine themes. She received her BFA from the Academy of Art University in Film Directing and studied Acting at the Mesiner Technique Studio in San Francisco. Her performance in Mother's Day has landed her a number of Best Actress awards and nominations. Her screenplay Bloody Beatrice will be one of the five short films produced in Part II: Tales From the Dancing Maenads. Read more about Ashley's story here.
Janet Travis is an actress and award-winning writer based in Austin, TX. A graduate of Texas A&M University, she spent many years teaching Spanish and Latin and raising her four children before deciding to turn her dream of acting, writing and producing into a reality. She trained extensively under Carol Hickey utilizing the Harry Mastrogeorge Technique of utilizing imagination to create a second reality. This gave her insight into her own vulnerabilities and strengths, and prompted her to freely express the pain, beauty and complexity of her personal experiences in her work. Mother's Day was her first screenplay and has gone on to win several awards including Best Short Film as well as earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the prestigious Blow Up International Arthouse Film Festival. It continues to gain attention on the festival circuit. She currently has two additional short films, May Day and All Souls Day in pre-production which will be part of the Part II: Tales From the Dancing Maenads. She can also be seen in Season One of Vindication, which airs on Amazon Prime. Read more about Janet's story here.
Elizabeth Tabish is a multi-disciplinary artist and award-winning filmmaker local to Austin, TX. She writes, directs, performs and edits, focusing on emotionally and psychologically complicated characters. She received her BA in Film Studies and her MA in Theater from Oklahoma State University where she studied and analyzed both experimental and classic films through a psychoanalytic lens. Her work has landed her a number of awards including a Jury Award, Best Short Film award, and multiple Directing and Editing awards. She is the Art Director and Co-owner of Austin Arthouse Film Festival, currently in its 3rd season. She also acts in commercial and TV projects, most notably in AMC's The Son and VidAngel's The Chosen. Read more about Elizabeth's story here.