My Mother's Mother
Mission Viejo, California | Film Short
Drama
In the age of exploring what girlhood, growing up, and motherhood means, the story of familial grief is inevitable to surface. In supporting the production of this film, audiences from all backgrounds can find community in this way—grief is painful no matter how it presents in your life.
My Mother's Mother
Mission Viejo, California | Film Short
Drama
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $6,450 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
23 supporters | followers
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In the age of exploring what girlhood, growing up, and motherhood means, the story of familial grief is inevitable to surface. In supporting the production of this film, audiences from all backgrounds can find community in this way—grief is painful no matter how it presents in your life.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The story highlights Emma, a girl in her young 20s, who suddenly left home her senior year of high school. She isolated herself from her family, especially her mother, when she moved abroad to pursue college, running from her past struggles of mental illness and substance abuse. When her mom, Darcy, gives Emma the news that her Grandmother passed away, Emma shows up at home after not having been in communication with family for over a year.
The dynamic between Emma and her mother, and their grief for the passing of the Grandmother connects them in ways they did not expect. It is a complex dynamic to grieve a grandmother, but also simultaneously watch your mother grieve her mother. This leads Emma to think about what it would be like when she loses her mother eventually and how broken she will feel over it.
As the writer and director of this story, I have deeply personal ties to it. I am drawing from the personal experience of when I lost my grandmother and watched my mom (and the rest of my family) grieve her loss, alongside me. It imprinted the impact of losing a mother in me—an experience I had never come across before—seeing what the reality of this loss could look like. It’s important to me to portray the way that people grieve differently, as grief never looks identical for anyone but every response is a valid one.
It is also important to me to also address mental health and its impact on family dynamics. Past severe struggles with mental health can leave family members, especially and in this case mothers, walking on eggshells and on edge with constant worry about their loved one, in this case their daughter. I’d like to address this dynamic to allow it to be known that this is a common experience and one that neither the mother or daughter are alone in their experience of.
We are currently in pre-production; we have most of our crew secured, in the process of location scouting, applying to additional grants, casting, and so on. We have our principal production dates set for March 29th-31st. Funding will allow us to lock locations, equipment, catering, and other miscellaneous needs. It will also account for post-production needs and festival fees. Upon finishing our film, we will submit it to various festivals including Sundance and SXSW. After we go through the festival cycle, it will be available for public viewing.
How can you help us? By donating and sharing our campaign! You can share it through social media or directly with others.
Thank you so much for your support!
The mood and feel of the film:
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Post-Production
Costs $1,000
This will include any technical post costs (coloring, editing, etc) and film festival fees!
Production
Costs $5,000
This will include catering/crafty, production design, equipment rentals, and other misc. fees that come up!
Locations
Costs $2,000
To secure location fees, COIs, permits, etc to bring the world of this film to life
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Kiersten Ballard, writer and director of My Mother's Mother, is an up-and-coming film producer and director based in Orange County, California. She is currently a film student at Saddleback College and works as a freelance filmmaker. She has over a year of experience directing and producing short films, with an interest in dramatic and emotional stories with a profound impact. She is an extremely passionate and determined filmmaker who is moved to tell this particular story because of her personal connection to the subject matter.
As a storyteller, Jaiden Mack has always been intrigued by how powerful film can be as a medium. It allows viewers to feel and connect with the world, bringing introspection and emotion to oneself. Attending Saddleback College for film, Jaiden hopes to create quality stories enriched in emotion; films that make you feel something. Working primarily as an Assistant Director, he has personal experience with various directors and creatives in order to achieve that goal. My Mother’s Mother spoke to him not just from the message, but from the sincerity of emotions that went into its script. In producing “My Mother’s Mother” he hopes to translate that sincerity into a film that can help those who relate, feel its comfort.
Melika Jamshidabadi is a filmmaker with a passion for cinematography. She has experience working on short films and TV shows as a cinematographer. She has also shot music videos and worked as assistant camera on several sets. She has won an award for her short film at LA Shorts Fest and several other festivals and plans to pursue cinematography in the future.
Beau Torres is a gaffer quickly making a name for himself in Orange County and Los Angeles. He has worked as a gaffer on a variety of work including two feature films, several short films, music videos, and commercials alongside still photography. He understands the narrative and creative aspects that lighting can have, and the important details to pay attention to specifically in narrative work. He has worked with an impressive lineup of established cinematographers to create stunning visual imagery. He is a dedicated, passionate, and reliable hand and visionary on set.
Susie Wilson is a production designer with a passion for storytelling. She understands that spaces can inform the audience about a character or a situation just as much as action or dialogue can. She's currently a student at Saddleback College, hoping to transfer to a film school. She has ample experience with the art department, from being head PD, to set decorator, to wardrobe. She enjoys narrative projects, experimental art pieces, and music videos. She also has a background in writing and directing, having written and directed three short films. Her experience with this only emphasized her love for production design, as she found herself most involved with that department during production.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The story highlights Emma, a girl in her young 20s, who suddenly left home her senior year of high school. She isolated herself from her family, especially her mother, when she moved abroad to pursue college, running from her past struggles of mental illness and substance abuse. When her mom, Darcy, gives Emma the news that her Grandmother passed away, Emma shows up at home after not having been in communication with family for over a year.
The dynamic between Emma and her mother, and their grief for the passing of the Grandmother connects them in ways they did not expect. It is a complex dynamic to grieve a grandmother, but also simultaneously watch your mother grieve her mother. This leads Emma to think about what it would be like when she loses her mother eventually and how broken she will feel over it.
As the writer and director of this story, I have deeply personal ties to it. I am drawing from the personal experience of when I lost my grandmother and watched my mom (and the rest of my family) grieve her loss, alongside me. It imprinted the impact of losing a mother in me—an experience I had never come across before—seeing what the reality of this loss could look like. It’s important to me to portray the way that people grieve differently, as grief never looks identical for anyone but every response is a valid one.
It is also important to me to also address mental health and its impact on family dynamics. Past severe struggles with mental health can leave family members, especially and in this case mothers, walking on eggshells and on edge with constant worry about their loved one, in this case their daughter. I’d like to address this dynamic to allow it to be known that this is a common experience and one that neither the mother or daughter are alone in their experience of.
We are currently in pre-production; we have most of our crew secured, in the process of location scouting, applying to additional grants, casting, and so on. We have our principal production dates set for March 29th-31st. Funding will allow us to lock locations, equipment, catering, and other miscellaneous needs. It will also account for post-production needs and festival fees. Upon finishing our film, we will submit it to various festivals including Sundance and SXSW. After we go through the festival cycle, it will be available for public viewing.
How can you help us? By donating and sharing our campaign! You can share it through social media or directly with others.
Thank you so much for your support!
The mood and feel of the film:
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Post-Production
Costs $1,000
This will include any technical post costs (coloring, editing, etc) and film festival fees!
Production
Costs $5,000
This will include catering/crafty, production design, equipment rentals, and other misc. fees that come up!
Locations
Costs $2,000
To secure location fees, COIs, permits, etc to bring the world of this film to life
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Kiersten Ballard, writer and director of My Mother's Mother, is an up-and-coming film producer and director based in Orange County, California. She is currently a film student at Saddleback College and works as a freelance filmmaker. She has over a year of experience directing and producing short films, with an interest in dramatic and emotional stories with a profound impact. She is an extremely passionate and determined filmmaker who is moved to tell this particular story because of her personal connection to the subject matter.
As a storyteller, Jaiden Mack has always been intrigued by how powerful film can be as a medium. It allows viewers to feel and connect with the world, bringing introspection and emotion to oneself. Attending Saddleback College for film, Jaiden hopes to create quality stories enriched in emotion; films that make you feel something. Working primarily as an Assistant Director, he has personal experience with various directors and creatives in order to achieve that goal. My Mother’s Mother spoke to him not just from the message, but from the sincerity of emotions that went into its script. In producing “My Mother’s Mother” he hopes to translate that sincerity into a film that can help those who relate, feel its comfort.
Melika Jamshidabadi is a filmmaker with a passion for cinematography. She has experience working on short films and TV shows as a cinematographer. She has also shot music videos and worked as assistant camera on several sets. She has won an award for her short film at LA Shorts Fest and several other festivals and plans to pursue cinematography in the future.
Beau Torres is a gaffer quickly making a name for himself in Orange County and Los Angeles. He has worked as a gaffer on a variety of work including two feature films, several short films, music videos, and commercials alongside still photography. He understands the narrative and creative aspects that lighting can have, and the important details to pay attention to specifically in narrative work. He has worked with an impressive lineup of established cinematographers to create stunning visual imagery. He is a dedicated, passionate, and reliable hand and visionary on set.
Susie Wilson is a production designer with a passion for storytelling. She understands that spaces can inform the audience about a character or a situation just as much as action or dialogue can. She's currently a student at Saddleback College, hoping to transfer to a film school. She has ample experience with the art department, from being head PD, to set decorator, to wardrobe. She enjoys narrative projects, experimental art pieces, and music videos. She also has a background in writing and directing, having written and directed three short films. Her experience with this only emphasized her love for production design, as she found herself most involved with that department during production.