Manifest Destiny
Austin, Texas | Film Short
Horror, Thriller
Manifest Destiny is a short film exploring the American Dream. (Or is it Nightmare?) This spooky story ponders the role of race in America through the lens of folklore and family—and podcasts about the supernatural.
Manifest Destiny
Austin, Texas | Film Short
Horror, Thriller
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $8,154 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
37 supporters | followers
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Manifest Destiny is a short film exploring the American Dream. (Or is it Nightmare?) This spooky story ponders the role of race in America through the lens of folklore and family—and podcasts about the supernatural.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A podcast about urban legends takes an eerie turn when the supernatural stories seem to come true in the life of a new father. Now he must confront if these uncanny experiences are real or simply the product of stress in his home life.
This is a movie about anxiety. Anxiety over America. Anxiety over ambition—over avoidance—over acceptance. That odd feeling when nothing good feels quite right or real. Maybe your new neighbors hate you. Your family too. Maybe a monster’s lurking in your way. Manifest Destiny may not be a straight horror film, but it’s definitely a drama about dread.
With influences ranging from The Shining to Get Out to The Babadook to Blue Velvet, Manifest Destiny follows a man named Patterson, who is a thirty-something BIPOC and new father living the proverbial American Dream, which causes him much anxiety.
He worries about his ability to fulfill the familial responsibilities in his life. He also fears his new neighbors will not accept him. And so, he escapes everyday stresses through podcasts on the paranormal.
But what happens when that anxious escapism starts to manifest in the real world? Sometimes dreams do come true. But so do nightmares.
FUNDRAISING GOALS
We filmed over three days in Austin this past spring (all images shown here are from our shoot!) and we're now in the midst of post-production. As a self-financed, micro-budget project, we’re raising money to pay back our brilliant crew and post-production team. We will also use the proceeds for festival submissions and travel, where we hope to gain traction for the project by hosting screenings and networking with other filmmakers.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Pay our crew
Costs $3,500
We'd love to pay our stellar crew more. Most worked well below standard rates, while some worked gratis, to make this film a reality.
Festival budget
Costs $1,000
Submitting to festivals (and the requisite travel) is the primary way we're hoping to get the word out and share our work with the world.
Post-production
Costs $3,000
Please help us finance visual effects, sound design, scoring, color, and finishing.
Share this update!
About This Team
We were adamant that this film’s focus on marginalized perspectives was reflected both in front of and behind the camera—in working with talented cast and crew across the spectrum of under-represented identities.
THE TEAM
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Co-Director/Writer Timothy Gunatilaka (he/him) is a Sri Lankan-Filipino filmmaker, who has been named a quarterfinalist for the Academy Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. His last short Rear View screened at Oscar-qualifying festivals across the country. Meanwhile, his work in advertising has been recognized with the industry's highest honors, including Cannes Lions and Clios. Timothy first honed his storytelling skills as a journalist for Entertainment Weekly, SPIN, and Paper Magazine. A native of northern California, he now resides in Brooklyn with an incorrigible corgi named Olive.
Co-Director/Editor Kevin Osgood (he/him) is a filmmaker with experience in narrative, commercials, branded content, and documentaries. His short film Flow State was selected for Cinequest, while his commercial portfolio includes notable brands like GM, Gillette, HP, Intel, and BMW. Kevin's global filming experience spans countries like China, Indonesia, and Spain. His recent work for Intel garnered multiple Cannes Lions awards, underscoring his contributions to cutting-edge advertising.
Director of Photography/Producer Ivy Wei Chiu (they/them) is a queer non-binary filmmaker with over a decade of craft as a cinematographer. Ivy has shot fly fishing while neck-deep in the Pacific Ocean, been detained by militia for drone work in Mongolia, and swam to Kalalau Valley while floating trash bags full of equipment to shore. They contributed photography to Oscar-nominated Boys State and camera operated on Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10 1/2. You’ve seen their work at SXSW, Tribeca, Sundance, on TV, and streaming platforms.
Producer/First AD Michael R. Zumaya (he/him) is a filmmaker from San Diego, now living in Austin. He’s a first-generation Mexican-American who grew up with traditional Mexican culture and Spanish as his first language. He’d go on to produce, AD, and direct over 50 music videos and documentaries. In 2019, Michael founded Muted Widows, a full service creative collective with director Michael E Linn Sutliff, and Grammy-winning photographer Nedda Afsari. While assuming multiple roles (directing, editing, etc.), lead producer and AD his main responsibility as crews have grown in size.
Producer Ivy Howell (she/her) is a filmmaker and advertising strategist based in Brooklyn. Before working in advertising, she worked as a production assistant for commercials, reality television, and documentary film. Excited to dip her toes back into production, Ivy enjoys working through the story development and operations behind independent filmmaking.
THE CAST
Samora Goodson: Coming soon!
Dani Hurtado (she/her) is a Bolivian actor who moved to the U.S. at a young age. Dani’s lead role in her debut feature Three Headed Beast, which she also co-produced, was an official selection at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. The film is nearly wordless and told largely through intimacy, body language, and music. In 2024, Dani had her directorial debut with her film Affogato. Dani currently studies the Meisner technique with Laurel Vouvray at the In The Moment Acting Studio. Dani bounces between Austin and Los Angeles for her acting roles.
Gregory Kelly (he/him) is an Austin-based actor known for a range of rugged performances on screen. He has appeared in films like Antonio Campos’s The Devil All the Time, Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and Planet Terror. His TV credits include Queen of the South and The Leftovers.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A podcast about urban legends takes an eerie turn when the supernatural stories seem to come true in the life of a new father. Now he must confront if these uncanny experiences are real or simply the product of stress in his home life.
This is a movie about anxiety. Anxiety over America. Anxiety over ambition—over avoidance—over acceptance. That odd feeling when nothing good feels quite right or real. Maybe your new neighbors hate you. Your family too. Maybe a monster’s lurking in your way. Manifest Destiny may not be a straight horror film, but it’s definitely a drama about dread.
With influences ranging from The Shining to Get Out to The Babadook to Blue Velvet, Manifest Destiny follows a man named Patterson, who is a thirty-something BIPOC and new father living the proverbial American Dream, which causes him much anxiety.
He worries about his ability to fulfill the familial responsibilities in his life. He also fears his new neighbors will not accept him. And so, he escapes everyday stresses through podcasts on the paranormal.
But what happens when that anxious escapism starts to manifest in the real world? Sometimes dreams do come true. But so do nightmares.
FUNDRAISING GOALS
We filmed over three days in Austin this past spring (all images shown here are from our shoot!) and we're now in the midst of post-production. As a self-financed, micro-budget project, we’re raising money to pay back our brilliant crew and post-production team. We will also use the proceeds for festival submissions and travel, where we hope to gain traction for the project by hosting screenings and networking with other filmmakers.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Pay our crew
Costs $3,500
We'd love to pay our stellar crew more. Most worked well below standard rates, while some worked gratis, to make this film a reality.
Festival budget
Costs $1,000
Submitting to festivals (and the requisite travel) is the primary way we're hoping to get the word out and share our work with the world.
Post-production
Costs $3,000
Please help us finance visual effects, sound design, scoring, color, and finishing.
Share this update!
About This Team
We were adamant that this film’s focus on marginalized perspectives was reflected both in front of and behind the camera—in working with talented cast and crew across the spectrum of under-represented identities.
THE TEAM
Co-Director/Writer Timothy Gunatilaka (he/him) is a Sri Lankan-Filipino filmmaker, who has been named a quarterfinalist for the Academy Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. His last short Rear View screened at Oscar-qualifying festivals across the country. Meanwhile, his work in advertising has been recognized with the industry's highest honors, including Cannes Lions and Clios. Timothy first honed his storytelling skills as a journalist for Entertainment Weekly, SPIN, and Paper Magazine. A native of northern California, he now resides in Brooklyn with an incorrigible corgi named Olive.
Co-Director/Editor Kevin Osgood (he/him) is a filmmaker with experience in narrative, commercials, branded content, and documentaries. His short film Flow State was selected for Cinequest, while his commercial portfolio includes notable brands like GM, Gillette, HP, Intel, and BMW. Kevin's global filming experience spans countries like China, Indonesia, and Spain. His recent work for Intel garnered multiple Cannes Lions awards, underscoring his contributions to cutting-edge advertising.
Director of Photography/Producer Ivy Wei Chiu (they/them) is a queer non-binary filmmaker with over a decade of craft as a cinematographer. Ivy has shot fly fishing while neck-deep in the Pacific Ocean, been detained by militia for drone work in Mongolia, and swam to Kalalau Valley while floating trash bags full of equipment to shore. They contributed photography to Oscar-nominated Boys State and camera operated on Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10 1/2. You’ve seen their work at SXSW, Tribeca, Sundance, on TV, and streaming platforms.
Producer/First AD Michael R. Zumaya (he/him) is a filmmaker from San Diego, now living in Austin. He’s a first-generation Mexican-American who grew up with traditional Mexican culture and Spanish as his first language. He’d go on to produce, AD, and direct over 50 music videos and documentaries. In 2019, Michael founded Muted Widows, a full service creative collective with director Michael E Linn Sutliff, and Grammy-winning photographer Nedda Afsari. While assuming multiple roles (directing, editing, etc.), lead producer and AD his main responsibility as crews have grown in size.
Producer Ivy Howell (she/her) is a filmmaker and advertising strategist based in Brooklyn. Before working in advertising, she worked as a production assistant for commercials, reality television, and documentary film. Excited to dip her toes back into production, Ivy enjoys working through the story development and operations behind independent filmmaking.
THE CAST
Samora Goodson: Coming soon!
Dani Hurtado (she/her) is a Bolivian actor who moved to the U.S. at a young age. Dani’s lead role in her debut feature Three Headed Beast, which she also co-produced, was an official selection at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. The film is nearly wordless and told largely through intimacy, body language, and music. In 2024, Dani had her directorial debut with her film Affogato. Dani currently studies the Meisner technique with Laurel Vouvray at the In The Moment Acting Studio. Dani bounces between Austin and Los Angeles for her acting roles.
Gregory Kelly (he/him) is an Austin-based actor known for a range of rugged performances on screen. He has appeared in films like Antonio Campos’s The Devil All the Time, Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and Planet Terror. His TV credits include Queen of the South and The Leftovers.