I have always been hyper-aware of my own mortality. Being raised by four Black Jamaican women in South Florida, it was inevitable that the deep sense of spirituality that begets such a hyper-awareness would be instilled in me. In our culture, the universe is constantly communicating with us whether it be in dreams where loved ones who have passed can visit or an itchy palm which indicates money will soon be on its way. Hence, I’ve always been privy to the bridge that connects this life and the other. When I lost one of my mothers at the tender age of 12, I was completely beside myself - I wanted no parts in the bridge, I wanted her on this side. Death - mortality - became the ultimate adversary, and my way of coping, ironically, was to withdraw from life.

It was in pursuing filmmaking and wanting a profession dedicated to celebrating the human condition that I realized grief is fundamental to life and, just like a camera, it can be used to immortalize. Set in 2006 South Florida at the height of hurricane season, a year after the 2005 season that brought us Rita and Katrina, MINI ME is especially timely and metaphorical in the wake of Hurricanes Milton and Helene that devastated my home state in 2024 and brought a wave of mourning with them. How do we repair after we’ve been ravaged? How can we keep our loved ones alive through embracing our grief? These are some of the questions MINI ME poses and endeavors to offer answers to.

Logline: Haunted by the loss of her dear sister, a Jamaican-American mother in search of stardom - and freedom - sets her ambitions on an open cast call that could be a big break. As hurricane season intensifies, however, she will learn the consequences of ignoring one’s grief.

South Florida, 2006. One year since the devastating 2005 hurricane season … one year since the untimely death of Shanise Gordon.

MINI ME is a southern gothic family drama that follows a young mother, RUTH GORDON, on a quest for unconditional love via fame. When the popular ‘70s/blaxploitation-inspired television series “Minnie Me” sends out an open cast call for mother-daughter acting duos, Ruth obsesses over the opportunity and is adamant on enlisting her daughter NOVA to audition with her. Ruth has to make it out of her stifling home environment she could never fully escape before it kills her - like it did her sister Shanise.

As a hurricane that’s eerily Shanise’s namesake grows stronger and stronger, however, and haunted pasts start to seep into the present, Ruth will learn that ignoring one’s grief only leads to destruction.

RUTH (30, Black, all ego) is a dreamer (and occasional video vixen). A queer woman raised in a religious household, she dreams of the role of a lifetime that will grant her opportunity, freedom, and love. She will need to embody a role she’s been reluctant to assume: that of a mother.

“Acting can take you places. And I need to get out of this place before it kills me.” - Ruth

NOVA (12, Black, taciturn) is silent. Ever since the death of her beloved Aunt Shanise, Nova has been unable to find the words for anything. She will need to find her voice - and will for life - again.

“I wish you didn’t have to go.” - Nova

MAUREEN (60, Black, steadfast) is no-nonsense. A Jamaican immigrant, she came to the States in search of a new life only to be surrounded by death. She will need to loosen her grip if she wants the seeds of her posterity to sprout.

“In this life, people will always try to hold you back. Don’t let them. You hear?” - Maureen

The overall visual language is guided by the theme of grief being inescapable. A 2:1 aspect ratio will give us enough width to tell both the story of our characters, and the story of their environment as those stories are in constant conversation - and conflict. We’ll be employing a mostly analogous color palette on the blue-green spectrum with warm, bright contrast spots to emulate the colors of a hurricane meteorology report. In this world, grief is warm. Gradually increased intensity of warm hues will visually symbolize moments of grief and how our characters come to embrace them over time. Through the visuals, we hope to highlight our human dynamics with nature and the elements - the myriad ways we embrace and reject nature and the consequences of that. 

We will also be playing with perspective. RUTH'S POV is center-framed, totally oppressed by her surroundings, boxed in limited space. NOVA'S POV is shortsighted, flat, has shallow depth. Flashbacks are visually inspired by the poetic blur of Ming Smith’s photography and will adopt Smith’s philosophy of camera as emotion. Ambiguous and choppy camera will be employed to reflect the emotional charge of these memories.

Thematic Comps: Miss Juneteenth (2020), Paris, Texas (1984)

Visual Comps: All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (2023), Pariah (2011)

IMPORTANT: We need to reach at least 80% of our goal by the end of our campaign in order for Seed & Spark to disperse the funds to us. Otherwise, all contributions will go back to those who pledged, and our production will not receive any funds. No contribution is too small; every dollar pledged brings us closer to making MINI ME a reality!

With principal photography slated to take place in early August 2025, we need a minimum production budget of $25,000 to bring this film to life. Funds will be used towards crew compensation, locations and permit fees, wardrobe, production design, meals, camera/G&E/sound equipment rentals, post-production, and film festival fees.

In addition to crowdfunding, we are applying for production and post-production grants and are accepting any in-kind contributions or lend-outs for catering, wardrobe, props, picture cars, and locations.

Please contact [email protected] for any non-monetary support or inquiries.

MINI ME is fiscally sponsored by the 501(c)3 Black Film Space, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the careers of Black filmmakers through skill enhancing and community building programming. This sponsorship means that your contribution to our Seed & Spark campaign can be tax deductible!

$25,000 is the absolute minimum we would need to complete production. The below stretch goals highlight additional benchmarks we would like to reach in order to give MINI ME optimum production value.

$30,000 - Production Design: The old ironing board Maureen uses to iron Nova’s school uniform … the lipstick-smudged cup that’s still in Shanise’s bedroom, a ghost in its own right. Every prop, costume, and aspect of set design is an extension of character that tells as much story as any line of dialogue or camera movement. This stretch goal will go towards increasing our art department budget to assure the world of this film is palpable in every frame.

$35,000 - Equipment: This stretch goal will help us realize our full vision of the film by helping us obtain the camera/G&E/sound equipment rentals and expendables needed to make this world as cinematic as possible. We want to create an elevated, immersive and cathartic experience, and this goal will help us accomplish that.

$40,000 - Post-Production & Marketing: This stretch goal will allow us to compensate our post-production team, including our sound designer, composer, VFX artist, and colorist. It will also go towards marketing and film festival submissions that will allow the film to be seen by domestic and international audiences.

We are presently in the crowdfunding phase of MINI ME. Once we have cash flow, we will be hiring a casting director in June to get the ball rolling on casting our Jamaican-American family. Throughout June and July, we'll be locking in cast, crew personnel, and locations ahead of principal photography in August. We will have a finished film by December 2025 before embarking on a worldwide festival circuit.

MINI ME is a film with an all Black woman cast spearheaded by a majority Black woman and non-binary creative team. According to a 2025 report from Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, only 13 of the top 100 grossing films in 2024 had an underrepresented female lead/co-lead. Supporting our film sends the message that underrepresented stories do matter and diverse audiences deserve to see themselves reflected on both sides of the camera.

In addition to contributing to our campaign, you can further support our project by following our campaign Instagram account and sharing our campaign widely with your friends, communities, and networks:

INSTAGRAM: @mini.me.film

On our Instagram, you’ll be able to follow our journey and get more information on our upcoming campaign fundraising events. Stay tuned for some exciting updates and behind-the-scenes content!

We are so grateful for the outpour of support our production has already received! To old and new supporters - thank you. Your time and contributions are truly invaluable.

Sincerely,

The Mini Me Team