Nobody F*cking Leaves
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Thriller, Drama
This is the story we need right now to serve as a mirror to our divided and fracturing society delivered with dark humor and complexity. It reminds us of the strength within each of us and the hidden powers we all hold. And with IFA as our fiscal sponsor, your contribution is TAX DEDUCTIBLE.
Nobody F*cking Leaves
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Thriller, Drama
1 Campaigns | Illinois, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $10,295 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
18 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
This is the story we need right now to serve as a mirror to our divided and fracturing society delivered with dark humor and complexity. It reminds us of the strength within each of us and the hidden powers we all hold. And with IFA as our fiscal sponsor, your contribution is TAX DEDUCTIBLE.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any." —Alice Walker
In this time when many feel frozen and powerless as our rights are being stripped away and challenged on every level, when large groups of people are being dehumanized and "othered", when dissension is being silenced, when difference defines you as the enemy, now is not the time to be small, now is not the time to be silent. Now is the time to remember your own inherent powers, now is the time to wake up and fight for the freedom we all deserve. As filmmakers, this is how we speak out, please raise your voice by supporting us!
NOBODY FUCKING LEAVES is, at it's heart, a story of empowerment as we follow our protagonist, Riley, from the “Postcard” world in which she has little value, little agency, and essentially no power, to a world in which she begins to remember, perhaps reluctantly, who she really is and the incredible power she holds. And as we, the audience, follow along, we will begin to perhaps question our own truth, our own denial of self and the powers we have repressed to make life easier for ourselves.
Riley is an unremarkable, quietly suffocating woman with a secret so deep even she doesn’t remember it. Having escaped as a teenager from a rigidly insular world that was alternately free-thinking, unstructured, loving, and traumatic, she finds herself in a postcard-perfect society where she has fallen into a fugue state with little conscious memory of her past. But when she’s abducted by her former family, it all comes back in vivid color — along with some pretty badass powers she’s not in full control of.
The short film NOBODY F*CKING LEAVES intends to reflect our society in three worlds:
The “POSTCARD” world that is the manifestation of Project 2025.
“Ideology is a specious way of relating to the world. It offers human beings the illusion of an identity, of dignity, and of morality while making it easier for them to part with them.” ~ Vaclav Havel
The “FAMILY” representing pro-human, anti-capitalist, free thinkers fighting for freedom and survival but not without extremism of their own.
“How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also If I am to be whole.” ~ Carl Jung
And the “FRINGES” representing the lost, desperate, and discarded of society including the impoverished, the unhoused, addicts, misfits, and others deemed socially unacceptable in the “Postcard” world.
“There is no longer a man among his fellow men, no longer a rational being speaking articulately to other rational beings; there is only a lacerated animal, screaming and struggling in the trap. For in the end fear casts out even a man’s humanity.” ~ Aldous Huxley
Principal photography is completed and looks fantastic. Your support will get this production across the finish line of post production, helping us pay our extraordinary post production team including the editor, colorist, VFX creator, and sound designer, all elements absolutely essential to the success of this project.
This is the story we need right now to serve as a mirror to our fracturing society delivered with humor, complexity, and love, reminding us to stop suppressing and repressing the strength within us and remember the hidden powers we each hold.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
EDITING
Costs $1,500
We are partnering with our favorite editor who is giving us a generous discount on the editing of our short film. Please help us pay her!
COLOR GRADING
Costs $1,500
We are partnering with our favorite colorist who is giving us a generous discount on color grading our short film. Please help us pay him!
POST AUDIO DESIGN
Costs $7,500
We are partnering with our favorite sound design studio to handle the foley and post audio design for our short film. Help us pay them!
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Costs $1,500
Things get weird and very bloody in our short film which is why we are partnering with our favorite visual effects expert. Help us pay him!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
JOHN MOSSMAN | WRITER & DIRECTOR has written and directed numerous award-winning films, earning best- of-fests worldwide and screenings at Palm Springs, Aspen, and LA’s DGA, Chinese Theater and Egyptian Theater as part of of the American Cinemateque Series. His recent feature Good Guy With A Gun has been heralded for its unique portrayal of gun culture in America. Also a documentarian, he received Telly and Voice awards for portraits of teens struggling with mental illness. Co-founder of Artistic Home Theater he received awards for his adaptation of Paddy Chayefsky’s The Goddess, as well as his direction of Requiem For a Heavyweight and was named a Director of the Year by WBEZ radio. He has taught at Second City, in Dublin, and Thailand where he was co-creator of a healing ritual performance in Hell’s Pass. Founder of South Side Filmmaking Youth Initiative, for 18 years he mentored Chicago high school students, garnering young filmmakers worldwide screenings and two national Emmy Awards. He has taught at Northwestern University, Harold Ramis Film School and is a professor at Columbia College Chicago.
JENNIFER JELSEMA | WRITER & PRODUCER is a professional actor, writer, and creative collaborator based in Chicago. As an actor, she has appeared in over 40 films including The End of the Tour, Come As You Are, and Broadcast Signal Intrusion. Her television appearances include Chicago Med, Empire, and Chicago Fire. On stage she has performed in and helped develop new works at Steppenwolf Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, and Jackalope Theatre. Jennifer has previously produced 2 short films and a feature film coming in 2026. Jennifer is deeply passionate about nurturing and supporting artists, helping develop their stories, and bringing them to life. Whether it’s co-writing comedy segments for a popular morning radio show in Madison, WI, consulting and co-writing on various feature film scripts, participating in readings and workshops for new works, or simply providing honest feedback on the plethora of scripts that come through her inbox. Jennifer is a current member of SAG-AFTRA, Independent Film Alliance (IFA), Midwest Film Festival, and Chicago Filmmakers.
WILL MEYERS | WRITER & PRODUCER started in production working at ad agencies DDB and BBDO producing multi-million- dollar ad campaigns for national brands from Budweiser to General Mills, SC Johnson, Wrigley and Seagram’s. He then turned his entrepreneurial sights as a freelance producer, director and production company owner, cultivating relationships with many agencies and clients including VMLY&R, Cramer Krassalt, Digitas, and HAVAS, while delivering exceptional multi-million-dollar budget work for brands such as Modelo, Sears, Corona, and Porsche. During that time, he also picked up the camera from his college production degree and started directing music videos, commercials, short films and ad driven content. He founded his first successful production company, Jackknife, running that for several years. His next production company Minimal picked up with national brand commercial production and began developing feature-length documentary and narrative films. Will is also the past President of the Midwest Film Festival, where he served the board for the past seven years.
CRISTOPHER REJANO | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY was born and raised in the shadows of Detroit and versed in early MTV, skateboard videos, and American independent cinema. Now based in Chicago, Christopher Rejano has forged a career in feature film, commercials, and television. A mentorship under Laszlo Kovacs, ASC made a major impact on Rejano and solidified his aims toward proper storytelling. Often cited for a hearty midwestern work ethic has resulted in his work being featured at Sundance Film Festival, Berlinale, and Tribeca Film Festival among others. Credits include the feature films Knives and Skin as well as Second Unit photography on Candyman (2021) and the HBO series Lovecraft Country. Rejano is a member of International Cinematographers Guild Local 600.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any." —Alice Walker
In this time when many feel frozen and powerless as our rights are being stripped away and challenged on every level, when large groups of people are being dehumanized and "othered", when dissension is being silenced, when difference defines you as the enemy, now is not the time to be small, now is not the time to be silent. Now is the time to remember your own inherent powers, now is the time to wake up and fight for the freedom we all deserve. As filmmakers, this is how we speak out, please raise your voice by supporting us!
NOBODY FUCKING LEAVES is, at it's heart, a story of empowerment as we follow our protagonist, Riley, from the “Postcard” world in which she has little value, little agency, and essentially no power, to a world in which she begins to remember, perhaps reluctantly, who she really is and the incredible power she holds. And as we, the audience, follow along, we will begin to perhaps question our own truth, our own denial of self and the powers we have repressed to make life easier for ourselves.
Riley is an unremarkable, quietly suffocating woman with a secret so deep even she doesn’t remember it. Having escaped as a teenager from a rigidly insular world that was alternately free-thinking, unstructured, loving, and traumatic, she finds herself in a postcard-perfect society where she has fallen into a fugue state with little conscious memory of her past. But when she’s abducted by her former family, it all comes back in vivid color — along with some pretty badass powers she’s not in full control of.
The short film NOBODY F*CKING LEAVES intends to reflect our society in three worlds:
The “POSTCARD” world that is the manifestation of Project 2025.
“Ideology is a specious way of relating to the world. It offers human beings the illusion of an identity, of dignity, and of morality while making it easier for them to part with them.” ~ Vaclav Havel
The “FAMILY” representing pro-human, anti-capitalist, free thinkers fighting for freedom and survival but not without extremism of their own.
“How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also If I am to be whole.” ~ Carl Jung
And the “FRINGES” representing the lost, desperate, and discarded of society including the impoverished, the unhoused, addicts, misfits, and others deemed socially unacceptable in the “Postcard” world.
“There is no longer a man among his fellow men, no longer a rational being speaking articulately to other rational beings; there is only a lacerated animal, screaming and struggling in the trap. For in the end fear casts out even a man’s humanity.” ~ Aldous Huxley
Principal photography is completed and looks fantastic. Your support will get this production across the finish line of post production, helping us pay our extraordinary post production team including the editor, colorist, VFX creator, and sound designer, all elements absolutely essential to the success of this project.
This is the story we need right now to serve as a mirror to our fracturing society delivered with humor, complexity, and love, reminding us to stop suppressing and repressing the strength within us and remember the hidden powers we each hold.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
EDITING
Costs $1,500
We are partnering with our favorite editor who is giving us a generous discount on the editing of our short film. Please help us pay her!
COLOR GRADING
Costs $1,500
We are partnering with our favorite colorist who is giving us a generous discount on color grading our short film. Please help us pay him!
POST AUDIO DESIGN
Costs $7,500
We are partnering with our favorite sound design studio to handle the foley and post audio design for our short film. Help us pay them!
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Costs $1,500
Things get weird and very bloody in our short film which is why we are partnering with our favorite visual effects expert. Help us pay him!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
JOHN MOSSMAN | WRITER & DIRECTOR has written and directed numerous award-winning films, earning best- of-fests worldwide and screenings at Palm Springs, Aspen, and LA’s DGA, Chinese Theater and Egyptian Theater as part of of the American Cinemateque Series. His recent feature Good Guy With A Gun has been heralded for its unique portrayal of gun culture in America. Also a documentarian, he received Telly and Voice awards for portraits of teens struggling with mental illness. Co-founder of Artistic Home Theater he received awards for his adaptation of Paddy Chayefsky’s The Goddess, as well as his direction of Requiem For a Heavyweight and was named a Director of the Year by WBEZ radio. He has taught at Second City, in Dublin, and Thailand where he was co-creator of a healing ritual performance in Hell’s Pass. Founder of South Side Filmmaking Youth Initiative, for 18 years he mentored Chicago high school students, garnering young filmmakers worldwide screenings and two national Emmy Awards. He has taught at Northwestern University, Harold Ramis Film School and is a professor at Columbia College Chicago.
JENNIFER JELSEMA | WRITER & PRODUCER is a professional actor, writer, and creative collaborator based in Chicago. As an actor, she has appeared in over 40 films including The End of the Tour, Come As You Are, and Broadcast Signal Intrusion. Her television appearances include Chicago Med, Empire, and Chicago Fire. On stage she has performed in and helped develop new works at Steppenwolf Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, and Jackalope Theatre. Jennifer has previously produced 2 short films and a feature film coming in 2026. Jennifer is deeply passionate about nurturing and supporting artists, helping develop their stories, and bringing them to life. Whether it’s co-writing comedy segments for a popular morning radio show in Madison, WI, consulting and co-writing on various feature film scripts, participating in readings and workshops for new works, or simply providing honest feedback on the plethora of scripts that come through her inbox. Jennifer is a current member of SAG-AFTRA, Independent Film Alliance (IFA), Midwest Film Festival, and Chicago Filmmakers.
WILL MEYERS | WRITER & PRODUCER started in production working at ad agencies DDB and BBDO producing multi-million- dollar ad campaigns for national brands from Budweiser to General Mills, SC Johnson, Wrigley and Seagram’s. He then turned his entrepreneurial sights as a freelance producer, director and production company owner, cultivating relationships with many agencies and clients including VMLY&R, Cramer Krassalt, Digitas, and HAVAS, while delivering exceptional multi-million-dollar budget work for brands such as Modelo, Sears, Corona, and Porsche. During that time, he also picked up the camera from his college production degree and started directing music videos, commercials, short films and ad driven content. He founded his first successful production company, Jackknife, running that for several years. His next production company Minimal picked up with national brand commercial production and began developing feature-length documentary and narrative films. Will is also the past President of the Midwest Film Festival, where he served the board for the past seven years.
CRISTOPHER REJANO | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY was born and raised in the shadows of Detroit and versed in early MTV, skateboard videos, and American independent cinema. Now based in Chicago, Christopher Rejano has forged a career in feature film, commercials, and television. A mentorship under Laszlo Kovacs, ASC made a major impact on Rejano and solidified his aims toward proper storytelling. Often cited for a hearty midwestern work ethic has resulted in his work being featured at Sundance Film Festival, Berlinale, and Tribeca Film Festival among others. Credits include the feature films Knives and Skin as well as Second Unit photography on Candyman (2021) and the HBO series Lovecraft Country. Rejano is a member of International Cinematographers Guild Local 600.