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Hi, I’m Jeanette. I’m an award-winning actor, writer, producer and storyteller with over a decade of experience making films that have screened at over 60 international film festivals, including four BAFTA and Academy-Award qualifying festivals. I’m the writer of the short film SUITCASE, which is based on a true story.

Unbeknownst to me, a stranger on my bus back to NYC took a video of my father waving goodbye to me at the bus stop in order to have a moment of connection with her own mother.

You see, my family has a very unique way my family has of saying goodbye: waving a white handkerchief. This tradition started with my grandmother from the Catholic nuns she went to school with and it’s something we’ve done ever since I was a child. This woman recorded my parents waving goodbye at the bus stop and sent that video to her mom because she said it made her see how our parents never stop loving and looking after us even after we’re all grown up. There’s no way I would have known about this exchange, except that four hours later, I accidentally took her suitcase when I got off the bus. 

This suitcase mix-up began as one of those “funny coincidence” stories, but it took on another significance altogether in the wake of my father’s unexpected death five months later. The fact that I was left with a video of him waving goodbye to me left me questioning the universe’s hand in such a serendipitous moment.

The film is an interpretive portrayal of this real life event, layered in with complex family dynamics between a father and his adult daughter:

Nell is a woman between two worlds: her role as a daughter and her own identity as a capable woman living on her own in New York City.

Ellis is also caught between worlds, both as the father of a grown, adult daughter who no longer needs him the way she used to but also as a retired businessman who aches to use his years of knowledge along with his sharp intellect... if anyone cared to listen.

With this dynamic, the film will go beyond a simple bag mix-up to explore themes of identity, independence, grief, and the relationship to one’s parents as a grown woman. It examines the complexities of family relationships, family traditions, and our blind spots of not being able to see or appreciate what we have until it’s gone.

I have witnessed firsthand how the personal can be universal.

Without knowing what was coming down the pike, receiving a video of my parents’ waving goodbye to me from a strange woman on the bus was like receiving a candid picture taken by someone else at a party; I quickly forgot about it a few months later. I found the video again while sitting in a hospital hallway, where it dawned on me that it would be the last time I got to watch my dad do something he’s done my whole life. While I was filled with grief at losing something so special, I was also full of gratitude for the divine intervention of timing. It wouldn’t have occurred to me to record such a precious memory. It’s like the universe knew how much I would appreciate this video once he was no longer with me.

As I’ve shared this story with others since my father’s death two years ago, I have witnessed firsthand how this story affects those hearing it. This simple story of serendipity touches something deep, profound and unspoken in people, often bringing them to tears. While I have never asked what it is they are experiencing, I believe that when faced with the scary, fearful prospect of losing a parent or someone we deeply love, the idea that the universe or some other entity might interfere in order to ease that transition is deeply comforting.

Connecting with others in these moments made me realize that the story was bigger than just a personal anecdote. Last year, I was at a film festival in Cincinnati when I got into a deep conversation with another filmmaker about why we continue to make films in a world rife with increasingly short attention spans saturated with an overabundance of content. He responded in a seemingly simple way: “I think we make movies to feel less alone,” and my heart responded before my brain could catch up.

I have a story that is an uplifting message of a parent's love and of human interconnection, I thought. And I knew right then that I wanted to share this message with as many people as possible. 

SUITCASE serves as a reminder of connection in a disconnected world, but more than anything I hope the film inspires others to appreciate what, and most importantly who, we have with us, right now.

(It works best if you say it out loud, lol)

I am thrilled to have on my team incredibly dedicated, hardworking professionals that bring together a unique blend of narrative insight, technical mastery, and human-centered storytelling, making us exceptionally equipped to lead this emotionally layered film. We are each fiercely committed to telling honest, resonant stories and believe in the impact of film on individuals and the power of film in society as a whole. 

CREATIVE TEAM

JEANETTE BONNER - Writer/ Director, Producer, Actor

With my multi-hyphenate, award-winning experience creating original work across platforms, I bring a keen set of producorial skills and resources that enable a fun and professional shoot. As a writer and actor, I bring a deeply empathetic understanding of performance and story. Additionally, my commitment as a producer to inclusive practices ensures a collaborative, values-driven set environment.

MICHAEL MASTRO - Actor

Michael Mastro is an accomplished actor and director with a career spanning several decades across Broadway, regional theater, film, and television. Among his many guest appearances, audiences can see him several times a year in his recurring role as Judge Serani on “LAW & ORDER: SVU." Micheal's capacity to unearth the grounded truth of every character will bring forth a poise and vulnerability to Ellis that will help to underscore the impact of losing him at the end of the film.

ERIC RICHARDSON - Director of Photography

Eric Richardson contributes not only a sophisticated technical command of lighting and camera, but also a sensitivity drawn from his foundation as a trained actor. This rare combination allows Eric to craft visuals that are not only beautiful but emotionally intuitive, which is key to a story that explores memory, identity, and mortality. His editorial background further supports the project’s structure and pace, with a foresight into how moments will resonate in the final cut.

CATRIONA RUBENIS-STEVENS - Assistant Director, Associate Producer

Catriona Rubenis-Stevens brings a steady hand and sharp eye with deep experience in both narrative and documentary forms. Her ability to manage complex productions while preserving the emotional integrity of the work will be vital in navigating SUITCASE’s themes of loss and connection. 

DEVELOPMENT TEAM

CARA HAGAN - Associate Producer

Cara Hagan is a dancer/ choreographer, filmmaker, teacher, writer, curator, and champion of just communities. With a proven track record of artistic excellence, critical recognition, and leadership, including her role as Executive Director of Dance on Camera, Hagan offers a rich, collaborative spirit and a visionary lens well-suited to projects seeking depth, innovation, and cultural relevance.

TOM CORAGGIO - Associate Producer

Tom Coraggio is an exceptional addition to our team with hands-on experience in high-profile productions like the US Open with ESPN and "On Brand with Jimmy Fallon." His passion for filmmaking is evident in his enthusiasm for the collaborative environment of a set and Tom thrives in fast-paced, creative spaces, where he sees every project as an opportunity to build a strong, close-knit team. With his blend of experience, creativity, and drive, Tom is poised to bring fresh energy and perspective to SUITCASE.

I introduced myself as the writer. But the truth is, I’ll also be acting, producing, and… directing.

I know what you’re thinking. “You’re the writer and the producer, and you’ll be acting in it too… surely you don’t need also to direct it?!?”

You’re right. I don’t. But when I considered who would be the right person to direct this film, a small voice inside of me knew there was only one answer. This story is so deeply personal to me that I need to direct it in order to best honor my lived experience within this story.

SUITCASE will be my directorial debut. Will it be challenging? Will it be confusing at times? Will I ever learn everything I need to know about lenses? Yes, yes, and I’m not sure. But I can’t think of a better reason to step into the arena than to honor the memory of my father with this film. My father’s legacy was the commitment and love he had for his family. He loved movies and always got a kick out of the behind-the-scenes set stories I shared with him. Perhaps more importantly, I know how proud he’d be of me standing at the helm in order to share our story. 

Suitcase is a true story and as such it is essentially a memory committed to film. 

In experiencing grief, I found that some memories came to me in flashes, as if my mind took a photograph of what I was seeing to memorialize it. Using the magic of camerawork, the film will use moments of blinding shock, utter darkness, flashes of haunting memories, a slowed down moment as if time were stopping in order to put the audience inside these memories.

SUITCASE will explore themes of memory, identity, and human connection by underscoring the heartbreak of loss, the frustration of being an adult child, the fear of death, and the profound bliss of familial love.

From over ten years of experience drafting & editing various film and project budgets, negotiating costs, and balancing expenses, I know my way around the finances that go into filmmaking.

We are planning for a three-day shoot mid-January 2026. This Seed & Spark raise is intended to go 100% towards production costs from labor (our crew), creatives (Director of Photography, Production Design, Costume Design and others), phenomenal talent, payroll, locations (y’all, we’re gonna need to rent a charter bus!), good lighting and sound, as well as the day-to-day micro logistics that make filmmaking a beautiful, creative, fun process (like strong coffee at 7am and make-your-own-taco lunches), instead of a painful process requiring sacrifices of those hired to create it.

As a producer I believe in fair, professional wages as well as cost and financial transparency. Feel free to reach out any time to ask me about the money behind filmmaking – my door is open.

[Picture text: Crew Salaries - 33% - Cinematographer, Asst Camera, Grip & Electric, 1st AD, Sound Mixer, Hair & Makeup, Production Assts; Location Expenses - 30% - production design, insurances, permits, all snacks/ water/ catering, parking & transportation; Cast Salaries - 16% - Screen Actors Guild requires professional actors to be paid as employees; Camera & Equipment - 11% - including lenses, lights, monitors, cables, batteries, grip equipment, sound equipment, and expendables; Production Expenses - 10% - charter bus & driver, payroll, hard droves, data transfer, Seed & Spark fees, contingency]

I believe in the power of original stories. I believe in making the kind of movies that I want to see: films that may not have flying dogs or gravity-defying leaps off of cliffs or any scenes that take place backstage at a strip club, but films that speak to my soul: stories exploring how people remain connected in a disconnected world, and what it means to be human in the context of memory, identity, and mortality.

If you believe in putting the power of filmmaking back in the filmmakers, in independent – TRUE independent film - in the community of film, and if you champion female directors and films made by women, please consider becoming one of our beloved backers.

Whether you’re able to contribute to our campaign or tell your friends about our film, thank you so much for joining the Suitcase Set in supporting a little indie that wants to share its story with the world.

Sincerely,

Jeanette Bonner

Chief PWAD at Kelly’s Pool Hall Productions