Maxine
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama
When society unfairly entwines motherhood with womanhood, what happens when a woman can’t conceive or doesn’t want to? How does she navigate a path, fraught with discouraging and destructive obstacles, to redefine her womanhood? MAXINE imagines one woman’s struggle to find her place in 1930s NYC.
Maxine
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $20,260 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
83 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
When society unfairly entwines motherhood with womanhood, what happens when a woman can’t conceive or doesn’t want to? How does she navigate a path, fraught with discouraging and destructive obstacles, to redefine her womanhood? MAXINE imagines one woman’s struggle to find her place in 1930s NYC.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
New York City, 1937. Maeve Beckenstein, a spitfire producer, writes the best radio plays at WARC, including her latest pet-project. She leaves her successful career behind to prepare for parenthood with novelist husband Ezra. After four previous miscarriages, Maeve is determined to carry this child to term. But tragedy strikes, and Maeve’s dream of motherhood dies.
Maeve and Ezra bury their still-born daughter, Máire Maxine. After months in a depression, Maeve discovers that WARC has bastardized her pet-project. Her motherly instinct repurposed, she meets with her narcissistic, former boss, Ivan Olshansky, to ask for her job back. During the encounter, she recognizes her true value. Maeve chooses never to work for this man again.
Pondering their future over drinks at the 21 Club, Maeve and Ezra decide to start over in a new town and change their last name to Becker, Ezra’s pen name. To honor their daughter, Maeve changes her first name as well. When she suggests adapting Ezra’s novel for film, he balks at the idea. However, fate intervenes when the head of a major Hollywood studio, and an old family friend of Maeve, walks in. She greets him, introducing herself anew as…Maxine.
Maeve Beckenstein/Maxine Becker: “You can keep my old job. Now, if you wanted to give me yours…”
Our leading lady - successful radio writer and mother-to-be - is smart as a whip, indomitable, ambitious. She has all the complexities of Kate & Bette & Joan…rolled into one. Underneath her tough as nails exterior, though, beats the heart of a true mother…and all that implies…
Ezra Beckenstein/Becker: “There are other ways to create and nurture life.”
Ezra is Maeve's unconditionally supportive husband, but definitely not henpecked! And an up-and-coming novelist to boot. Imagine Hemingway...without the misogyny…that’s Ezra. A virile, masculine man, who’s intelligent & literary. He is a true partner in life and love to Maeve.
Ivan Olshansky: “No doubt, we’ll all miss your ‘inventive’ thoughts and ideas, Mrs. Beckenstein.”
Olshansky is the head of WARC radio...and therefore, Maeve's boss. We’ve all had one of these in our lives! That insecure, “small” boss with power, who overcompensates through narcissism and bullying. Think Charlie Chaplin as Adenoid Hynkel in The Great Dictator! (Or perhaps you have someone else in mind!)
Maxine’s world is rounded out with a cast of loveable personalities that run the gamut!
From The Dobson Sisters - Patience and Prudence - who star in Maxine’s radio drama “Brigid O’Brien: New Woman, New World,” with the help of their master of voices and sounds, Wilbur Wickes…
…to the grandfatherly Soap Co. executive, Mr. Woodworth, who’s just a bit clueless and Mrs. Rabinowitz, Olshansky’s steely & unflappable secretary, who is far from being clueless!
And then there’s the Hollywood contingent…Faith Fuller, the proverbial, beautiful, starlet of the Silver Screen, and Fergus Dunne, the Hollywood mogul and family friend of Maeve!
This film is not history, although it is informed by it.
This film does not rewrite history, although it should.
This film occurs in 1930s New York City, but for many of us…it could be today and anywhere.
Maxine is a period drama prequel to L. E. Bond’s Milos Forman Fund Award winning feature script, Max Becker. This short film introduces our leading lady, Maeve/Maxine, a character inspired by women like photographer Margaret Bourke-White, prolific radio producer/writer Anne Hummert and film producer/screenwriter Virginia Van Upp (all shown above), women who toughed it out and succeeded in a man’s world.
So why set it in the past, you might ask. It was a conscious choice…
Watch a film like Queen Christina (1933), My Man Godfrey (1936), or Woman of the Year (1942). Or…watch George Clooney’s Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) or Rebecca Hall’s Passing (2021). It’s hard not to connect what happens to those characters with what is happening in our lives and society today. Setting the film in 1937 reminds us that as far as we’ve come, we still have a long way to go.
This story originated from two questions: What does it mean to be a mother? and What does it mean to be an artist? And like a camera lens, the answer came into focus: their essence lies in the potential to create and then to nurture.
So, in a society which has inextricably - and unfairly - intertwined motherhood with womanhood, what happens when a woman cannot conceive or does not want to? How does that woman, who wants to create and nurture, navigate an unconventional path to these goals? A path fraught with obstacles designed to discourage and sometimes destroy. Out of these questions, I gave birth to Maxine.
Maxine wants what many women want – to have control over her life, without the definitions and restrictions imposed by a patriarchal society. To create and nurture in the way that she chooses, not the way society has chosen for her. Her dreams. Her choices. Her responsibilities.
MAXINE imagines one woman’s struggle to find her place in the world, when the conventional pathway has been closed to her.
This is her story. This is my story. This is our story.
MAXINE is the inaugural project of A Lady Macbeth Initiative, Inc., a new 501(c)(3) organization, that flips the paradigm for women in film on the micro level. You can find us at: www.ladymac.org and at A Lady Macbeth Initiative on LinkedIn.
We need to raise this initial $24,500 to get us started on production. Our total budget is much larger than that of most short films. The first and most obvious reason: it’s a period piece! Getting the production and costume design right is non-negotiable!
Second reason, as women who spent much of our 20s and 30s working hard in creative fields but for little or no pay, we vowed not to repeat what had been done to us. Since most of our team (cast and crew) will be women, we are committed to paying everyone that works on our film! No one should ever be asked to work for free.
Any amount we raise over our goal will just mean we have less money to raise through other avenues!
Meet Team Maxine!
We were committed to having 75% of our behind-the-camera team be women of diverse races/ethnicities. We have exceeded that goal for our department heads!!!
The rest of our crew will come on board as we move into production. We remain committed that the overall crew will be at least 75% women!
Casting in Progress!
Kelly McAndrew attached to play “Maeve Beckenstein/Maxine Becker.” In fact, she has been committed to the project from the beginning!
We’re in the early stages of talks with two possible actors to play the roles of Ezra and Olshansky.
Antoinette LaVecchia attached to play “Prudence Dobson.”
Anthe Bova attached to play “Patience Dobson.”
Adaline Gomez attached to play “Faith Fuller.”
The Screenplay
The screenplay for Maxine was recently named a quarterfinalist in the 2022 Screen Craft Short Film Screenplay Competition.
WGA registered screenplay available upon request.
Please Follow, Share, Contribute!
We met over 30 years ago when we were theatre majors at Smith College. While our career paths have been different, we both have creative minds and skills that complement each other perfectly.
One of the foundations of our friendship has been to be each other’s cheerleader on our separate journeys. And now, after 30 years, our paths have merged to bring MAXINE to fruition and found A Lady Macbeth Initiative to pay it forward. We are overjoyed to be working together again.
We appreciate your consideration.
- L.E. Bond & Traci Klainer
For more information on the film, visit: www.maxinefilm.com.
For more information on A Lady Macbeth Initiative, visit: www.ladymac.org.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Top Crew Salaries
Costs $12,500
We need our Cinematographer, Costume Designer, Production Designer, Editor & Co-Producer to start!
Star Salaries
Costs $4,000
"Ms. Bond, I'm ready for my close-up.” To cover rehearsal and principal photography for our 3 leads.
Featured Cast Salaries
Costs $3,600
There are no small parts! To cover rehearsal and principal photography for our supporting cast.
Transportation
Costs $3,100
Equipment, crew & cast have to magically appear at 5 locations!
Filming Permits
Costs $1,300
We love NYC and will honor all their requirements for moviemaking!
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
A Lady Macbeth Initiative, Inc.
Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth has always been given a bad rap. Ambitious (the negative kind), devious, manipulative. Instead of ambitious (the positive kind), intelligent and strategic! What is often overlooked in Macbeth is that Lady Macbeth, not her husband, drives the story. She channels all of who she is into the advancement of her husband’s career. It was the only option open to her. Not anymore. Today, Lady Macbeth would have been able to wield her considerable talents for her own advancement. It’s time to rehabilitate Lady Macbeth’s reputation.
Inspired by organizations focused on providing financing for women-made feature films, A Lady Macbeth Initiative was created to facilitate a toehold in the film industry for women who have the talent but may not have the access or opportunities to achieve their goals. This Initiative provides mentorship, connections and resources for funding to produce short films with behind-the-camera teams composed primarily of women. Why short films, you may ask? Festival exposure for short films is one of the best ways to get noticed by the industry.
A Lady Macbeth Initiative flips the paradigm & fills the gap for women in film on the micro level!
L.E. Bond (Writer/Director/Producer) is a filmmaker, screenwriter and educator with 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry, including film/tv, music, theatre, and the labor movement. Her screenplays have won awards at various screenwriting competitions, including her feature film, MAX BECKER (recipient of Columbia University’s Milos Forman Fund Award and 2nd Rounder in the Austin Film Festival’s screenplay competition). She has directed for theatre and film and produced several short film projects as well. She has taught film history/ studies and screenwriting since 2003, most recently at Ithaca College. Her academic work has been presented at national and international conferences. She was a guest speaker at the Greenwich Classic Film Series for five years. And while studying at SIU, she was a featured film reviewer for SIU Reviews on WSIU public radio. She has a B.A. in Philosophy and Theatre from Smith College and an M.F.A. in Film from Columbia University School of the Arts. She is currently writing her dissertation for a PhD in Mass Communication and Media Arts at Southern Illinois University. She is a member of NYWIFT and has served on the board of the Women in the Arts and Media Coalition. Find her on LinkedIn.
Traci Klainer (Executive Producer) is a creative leader that loves crossovers between museums, theatre, themed entertainment, film, live events and retail. Throughout her career, she has worn several hats including: founder and CEO of an award winning woman-owned lighting design firm, theatre producer and Creative Director for a large international themed entertainment project. She is the recipient of the Blooloop Top 50 Theme Park Influencers of 2019 and was nominated for both a Drama Desk Award and Lortel Award for her lighting design. She has taught graduate level lighting design as an associate professor at UMass Amherst and guest lectured around the world. She received her B.A. cum laude in Government and Theatre from Smith College and received her M.F.A. from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in Lighting Design. She has served on the International board for the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and currently serves as an advisory board member for Harriet B’s Daughters. Find her on LinkedIn.
Shanelle Dennis (Co-Producer) is a writer and producer with a passion for amplifying the voices of marginalized creatives. Highlighting artistry from people within underserved communities is her priority, and the driving force behind the creation of her boutique production house, Sandal Lane, founded in 2020. She has nearly 15 years of experience in the entertainment industry, serving in many different roles from Production Assistant to Associate Producer, Line Producer, and Producer. She has worked for some of the largest media brands including ViacomCBS, A&E Networks and WarnerMedia. She has also worked on some of your favorite shows including Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and many more. Most recently, she has embarked on a pathway toward filmmaking! When Shanelle is not writing or cooking up a new project, she spends most of her time with her 4-year-old puppy Biggie or watching reruns of her favorite 90’s sitcoms. Find her on LinkedIn.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
New York City, 1937. Maeve Beckenstein, a spitfire producer, writes the best radio plays at WARC, including her latest pet-project. She leaves her successful career behind to prepare for parenthood with novelist husband Ezra. After four previous miscarriages, Maeve is determined to carry this child to term. But tragedy strikes, and Maeve’s dream of motherhood dies.
Maeve and Ezra bury their still-born daughter, Máire Maxine. After months in a depression, Maeve discovers that WARC has bastardized her pet-project. Her motherly instinct repurposed, she meets with her narcissistic, former boss, Ivan Olshansky, to ask for her job back. During the encounter, she recognizes her true value. Maeve chooses never to work for this man again.
Pondering their future over drinks at the 21 Club, Maeve and Ezra decide to start over in a new town and change their last name to Becker, Ezra’s pen name. To honor their daughter, Maeve changes her first name as well. When she suggests adapting Ezra’s novel for film, he balks at the idea. However, fate intervenes when the head of a major Hollywood studio, and an old family friend of Maeve, walks in. She greets him, introducing herself anew as…Maxine.
Maeve Beckenstein/Maxine Becker: “You can keep my old job. Now, if you wanted to give me yours…”
Our leading lady - successful radio writer and mother-to-be - is smart as a whip, indomitable, ambitious. She has all the complexities of Kate & Bette & Joan…rolled into one. Underneath her tough as nails exterior, though, beats the heart of a true mother…and all that implies…
Ezra Beckenstein/Becker: “There are other ways to create and nurture life.”
Ezra is Maeve's unconditionally supportive husband, but definitely not henpecked! And an up-and-coming novelist to boot. Imagine Hemingway...without the misogyny…that’s Ezra. A virile, masculine man, who’s intelligent & literary. He is a true partner in life and love to Maeve.
Ivan Olshansky: “No doubt, we’ll all miss your ‘inventive’ thoughts and ideas, Mrs. Beckenstein.”
Olshansky is the head of WARC radio...and therefore, Maeve's boss. We’ve all had one of these in our lives! That insecure, “small” boss with power, who overcompensates through narcissism and bullying. Think Charlie Chaplin as Adenoid Hynkel in The Great Dictator! (Or perhaps you have someone else in mind!)
Maxine’s world is rounded out with a cast of loveable personalities that run the gamut!
From The Dobson Sisters - Patience and Prudence - who star in Maxine’s radio drama “Brigid O’Brien: New Woman, New World,” with the help of their master of voices and sounds, Wilbur Wickes…
…to the grandfatherly Soap Co. executive, Mr. Woodworth, who’s just a bit clueless and Mrs. Rabinowitz, Olshansky’s steely & unflappable secretary, who is far from being clueless!
And then there’s the Hollywood contingent…Faith Fuller, the proverbial, beautiful, starlet of the Silver Screen, and Fergus Dunne, the Hollywood mogul and family friend of Maeve!
This film is not history, although it is informed by it.
This film does not rewrite history, although it should.
This film occurs in 1930s New York City, but for many of us…it could be today and anywhere.
Maxine is a period drama prequel to L. E. Bond’s Milos Forman Fund Award winning feature script, Max Becker. This short film introduces our leading lady, Maeve/Maxine, a character inspired by women like photographer Margaret Bourke-White, prolific radio producer/writer Anne Hummert and film producer/screenwriter Virginia Van Upp (all shown above), women who toughed it out and succeeded in a man’s world.
So why set it in the past, you might ask. It was a conscious choice…
Watch a film like Queen Christina (1933), My Man Godfrey (1936), or Woman of the Year (1942). Or…watch George Clooney’s Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) or Rebecca Hall’s Passing (2021). It’s hard not to connect what happens to those characters with what is happening in our lives and society today. Setting the film in 1937 reminds us that as far as we’ve come, we still have a long way to go.
This story originated from two questions: What does it mean to be a mother? and What does it mean to be an artist? And like a camera lens, the answer came into focus: their essence lies in the potential to create and then to nurture.
So, in a society which has inextricably - and unfairly - intertwined motherhood with womanhood, what happens when a woman cannot conceive or does not want to? How does that woman, who wants to create and nurture, navigate an unconventional path to these goals? A path fraught with obstacles designed to discourage and sometimes destroy. Out of these questions, I gave birth to Maxine.
Maxine wants what many women want – to have control over her life, without the definitions and restrictions imposed by a patriarchal society. To create and nurture in the way that she chooses, not the way society has chosen for her. Her dreams. Her choices. Her responsibilities.
MAXINE imagines one woman’s struggle to find her place in the world, when the conventional pathway has been closed to her.
This is her story. This is my story. This is our story.
MAXINE is the inaugural project of A Lady Macbeth Initiative, Inc., a new 501(c)(3) organization, that flips the paradigm for women in film on the micro level. You can find us at: www.ladymac.org and at A Lady Macbeth Initiative on LinkedIn.
We need to raise this initial $24,500 to get us started on production. Our total budget is much larger than that of most short films. The first and most obvious reason: it’s a period piece! Getting the production and costume design right is non-negotiable!
Second reason, as women who spent much of our 20s and 30s working hard in creative fields but for little or no pay, we vowed not to repeat what had been done to us. Since most of our team (cast and crew) will be women, we are committed to paying everyone that works on our film! No one should ever be asked to work for free.
Any amount we raise over our goal will just mean we have less money to raise through other avenues!
Meet Team Maxine!
We were committed to having 75% of our behind-the-camera team be women of diverse races/ethnicities. We have exceeded that goal for our department heads!!!
The rest of our crew will come on board as we move into production. We remain committed that the overall crew will be at least 75% women!
Casting in Progress!
Kelly McAndrew attached to play “Maeve Beckenstein/Maxine Becker.” In fact, she has been committed to the project from the beginning!
We’re in the early stages of talks with two possible actors to play the roles of Ezra and Olshansky.
Antoinette LaVecchia attached to play “Prudence Dobson.”
Anthe Bova attached to play “Patience Dobson.”
Adaline Gomez attached to play “Faith Fuller.”
The Screenplay
The screenplay for Maxine was recently named a quarterfinalist in the 2022 Screen Craft Short Film Screenplay Competition.
WGA registered screenplay available upon request.
Please Follow, Share, Contribute!
We met over 30 years ago when we were theatre majors at Smith College. While our career paths have been different, we both have creative minds and skills that complement each other perfectly.
One of the foundations of our friendship has been to be each other’s cheerleader on our separate journeys. And now, after 30 years, our paths have merged to bring MAXINE to fruition and found A Lady Macbeth Initiative to pay it forward. We are overjoyed to be working together again.
We appreciate your consideration.
- L.E. Bond & Traci Klainer
For more information on the film, visit: www.maxinefilm.com.
For more information on A Lady Macbeth Initiative, visit: www.ladymac.org.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Top Crew Salaries
Costs $12,500
We need our Cinematographer, Costume Designer, Production Designer, Editor & Co-Producer to start!
Star Salaries
Costs $4,000
"Ms. Bond, I'm ready for my close-up.” To cover rehearsal and principal photography for our 3 leads.
Featured Cast Salaries
Costs $3,600
There are no small parts! To cover rehearsal and principal photography for our supporting cast.
Transportation
Costs $3,100
Equipment, crew & cast have to magically appear at 5 locations!
Filming Permits
Costs $1,300
We love NYC and will honor all their requirements for moviemaking!
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
A Lady Macbeth Initiative, Inc.
Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth has always been given a bad rap. Ambitious (the negative kind), devious, manipulative. Instead of ambitious (the positive kind), intelligent and strategic! What is often overlooked in Macbeth is that Lady Macbeth, not her husband, drives the story. She channels all of who she is into the advancement of her husband’s career. It was the only option open to her. Not anymore. Today, Lady Macbeth would have been able to wield her considerable talents for her own advancement. It’s time to rehabilitate Lady Macbeth’s reputation.
Inspired by organizations focused on providing financing for women-made feature films, A Lady Macbeth Initiative was created to facilitate a toehold in the film industry for women who have the talent but may not have the access or opportunities to achieve their goals. This Initiative provides mentorship, connections and resources for funding to produce short films with behind-the-camera teams composed primarily of women. Why short films, you may ask? Festival exposure for short films is one of the best ways to get noticed by the industry.
A Lady Macbeth Initiative flips the paradigm & fills the gap for women in film on the micro level!
L.E. Bond (Writer/Director/Producer) is a filmmaker, screenwriter and educator with 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry, including film/tv, music, theatre, and the labor movement. Her screenplays have won awards at various screenwriting competitions, including her feature film, MAX BECKER (recipient of Columbia University’s Milos Forman Fund Award and 2nd Rounder in the Austin Film Festival’s screenplay competition). She has directed for theatre and film and produced several short film projects as well. She has taught film history/ studies and screenwriting since 2003, most recently at Ithaca College. Her academic work has been presented at national and international conferences. She was a guest speaker at the Greenwich Classic Film Series for five years. And while studying at SIU, she was a featured film reviewer for SIU Reviews on WSIU public radio. She has a B.A. in Philosophy and Theatre from Smith College and an M.F.A. in Film from Columbia University School of the Arts. She is currently writing her dissertation for a PhD in Mass Communication and Media Arts at Southern Illinois University. She is a member of NYWIFT and has served on the board of the Women in the Arts and Media Coalition. Find her on LinkedIn.
Traci Klainer (Executive Producer) is a creative leader that loves crossovers between museums, theatre, themed entertainment, film, live events and retail. Throughout her career, she has worn several hats including: founder and CEO of an award winning woman-owned lighting design firm, theatre producer and Creative Director for a large international themed entertainment project. She is the recipient of the Blooloop Top 50 Theme Park Influencers of 2019 and was nominated for both a Drama Desk Award and Lortel Award for her lighting design. She has taught graduate level lighting design as an associate professor at UMass Amherst and guest lectured around the world. She received her B.A. cum laude in Government and Theatre from Smith College and received her M.F.A. from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in Lighting Design. She has served on the International board for the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and currently serves as an advisory board member for Harriet B’s Daughters. Find her on LinkedIn.
Shanelle Dennis (Co-Producer) is a writer and producer with a passion for amplifying the voices of marginalized creatives. Highlighting artistry from people within underserved communities is her priority, and the driving force behind the creation of her boutique production house, Sandal Lane, founded in 2020. She has nearly 15 years of experience in the entertainment industry, serving in many different roles from Production Assistant to Associate Producer, Line Producer, and Producer. She has worked for some of the largest media brands including ViacomCBS, A&E Networks and WarnerMedia. She has also worked on some of your favorite shows including Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and many more. Most recently, she has embarked on a pathway toward filmmaking! When Shanelle is not writing or cooking up a new project, she spends most of her time with her 4-year-old puppy Biggie or watching reruns of her favorite 90’s sitcoms. Find her on LinkedIn.