The Cycle Secrets: Reclaiming the Power of your Period
Los Angeles, California | Film Feature
Documentary
The Cycle Secrets is about everything we should have learned about periods, but didn’t. From why period pain isn’t normal to the surprising history of menstruation as a source of wisdom and power, it explores what becomes possible when we stop simply managing our cycles and start understanding them.
The Cycle Secrets: Reclaiming the Power of your Period
Los Angeles, California | Film Feature
Documentary
1 Campaigns | California, United States
22 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$4,420
Goal: $22,000 for post-production
The Cycle Secrets is about everything we should have learned about periods, but didn’t. From why period pain isn’t normal to the surprising history of menstruation as a source of wisdom and power, it explores what becomes possible when we stop simply managing our cycles and start understanding them.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
When debilitating period pain began to take over her life, filmmaker Jamie Watkins went searching for answers. What she found led her into conversations with hormone experts, social scientists, nutritionists, activists, and women reclaiming forgotten wisdom.
Along the way, a deeper question emerged. What have we misunderstood about the menstrual cycle?
Through intimate interviews and her own healing journey, nine core insights emerged. Together, they form what she calls The Cycle Secrets.
These conversations reveal something far bigger than one woman’s pain. They expose a silence that has shaped how we understand the female body and offer another way of seeing the cycle - not as something to endure, but as innate intelligence.
Imagine if we had grown up learning:
Creativity is directly tied to the menstrual cycle.
Periods were once honored and celebrated.
Symptoms are signals waiting to be understood.
The world would be different.
The Cycle Secrets: Reclaiming the Power of Your Period is a deeply personal story and part of a broader cultural shift. It invites us to rediscover knowledge long pushed aside and to listen more closely to the wisdom of the female body.
Watch the Official Film Trailer here
The Cycle Secrets: Reclaiming the Power of Your Period is led by director and producer Jamie Watkins, a Los Angeles based filmmaker and long-time television marketing producer with two decades of experience crafting story-driven content. She's joined by award-winning filmmaker Douglas Ryan, whose narrative instincts have shaped the film's emotional arc in both production and post production, and producer Alex Kagianairs, an entertainment attorney bringing strategic expertise to the project.
Jamie, Douglas and Alex
The film was captured by an incredible team of cinematographers and camera operators, including Lauren Aadland, Miriam Jave, Wesley Rodriguez, Mat Wilson, Andrew Scriven, Michelle Scriven, Brandon Widener, and others across multiple locations.
Kaitlin Trisciani will complete the film’s graphics, and Bijan Olia will compose the original score. We are currently assembling the rest of our finishing team.
Hi, I'm Jamie and I've wanted to make movies since I was a kid directing scenes in my living room. I just didn’t expect that my path to finally doing it would begin with excruciating period pain.
Life has a strange sense of humor!
What started as a desperate attempt to stop suffering turned into something much bigger. As I began to understand my cycle, I realized my story wasn’t unique. Countless women who have set out to simply feel better found a whole world of possibility waiting for them on the other side of that knowledge.
Once I saw that, I couldn’t unsee it.
That’s when I picked up the camera. The Cycle Secrets: Reclaiming the Power of Your Period became more than a film. It became a way to share what I wish someone had told me years ago.
I’ve poured everything into this project. I sold my car. I took out loans. I stayed up more nights than I can count. Because I believe it's every woman's birthright to have the tools and knowledge to understand and trust her body.
And now that I trust mine, I couldn’t ignore what it was asking me to do - I had to make this film!
September 8, 2026: Launch Seed&Spark campaign
October 8, 2026: Finish Seed&Spark campaign
October 9, 2026: Final Polish Begins
November 1, 2026: Edit finalized
November 2, 2026: Color correction begins
November 3, 2026: Audio Mix begins
November 15, 2026: Movie completed!
Fall 2026: Kick off our festival run!
Summer 2027: Distribution + online premiere
Campaign Goal: $22k
For the past several years we've self-funded every stage of this film - from production through the majority of post, because we believe deeply in this story, but we've stretched our resources as far as they can go.
Now we're 90% complete and at the final stage of post-production. We need your support to cover the final costs of bringing this film across the finish line—including editing, original score, sound design, graphics, archival licensing, and color correction.
If we were to exceed our goal, money would be used as follows:
If this project resonates with you and you believe women deserve this information, help us bring The Cycle Secrets to the world. Every bit of support really helps. You can...
- Contribute to our campaign! Your dollars go directly to finishing the film.
- Follow our campaign on Seed&Spark: You'll get updates from our team, and help us unlock rewards on this site.
- Spread the word: Share on instagram and facebook, and IRL with your communities. It helps so much!
.png)
From all of us on the team THANK YOU SO MUCH for your support, shares and well wishes. We believe that sharing this film with women and men everywhere could do more than just change lives...it could change culture!
Thank you!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Editing
Costs $5,000
We are so close to finishing the edit of the film! We're over 90% there, we just need a little more polish to get over the finish line.
Music
Costs $4,000
Your support helps fund the original score and secure music licensing that brings the emotional heartbeat of the film to life.
Color Grade
Costs $4,000
Color grade is where the film fully comes together. This final piece ensures every scene feels intentional, immersive, and cohesive.
Graphics
Costs $3,000
Custom graphics ensure the film is visually compelling and dynamic. They elevate the storytelling and reinforce key takeaways.
Sound Design
Costs $3,000
Sound design adds depth, texture and emotion, creating a more immersive experience and strengthening the impact of each scene.
B-roll licensing
Costs $3,000
Licensing important videos that introduce key characters and concepts.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Jamie Watkins is an award-winning writer, director, and producer with over twenty years of experience writing, directing and producing promos, trailers, and original interstitial series for major networks including Disney, ABC, NFL Network, CBS, Hulu, and more—crafting emotionally driven, story-forward content seen by millions. The Cycle Secrets marks a deeply personal evolution in Jamie’s filmmaking journey: a long-form documentary that blends investigative storytelling with lived experience, created with the same love of story she's honored for decades—now in service of a project that's deeply intimate and transformative.
Douglas Ryan is an award-winning filmmaker whose story sense has been integral to shaping The Cycle Secrets. He has directed acclaimed short films including 3 Minutos and No Left Turns, earning recognition for his narrative clarity and emotional precision. Serving as Producer, Second Unit Director and editor on this film, Doug has been a creative partner through and through—helping shape the structure, refine the emotional arc, and transform years of footage into a cohesive, powerful story. His thoughtful collaboration and deep understanding of story have had incredible impact on the film.
Alex Kagianaris is a producer with a growing slate of narrative and genre film credits, including The Undead (2023), Rescue My Heart (2024), and the Matt Rife-led feature The Private Eye (2024), which has garnered attention on the festival and distribution circuit. Alex brings both creative sensibility and practical expertise to The Cycle Secrets, supporting the team in shaping and positioning the film for audiences beyond completion.
The film was shot over several years with the support of several talented DPs and camera operators who joined the project at different stages along the way. This includes Lauren Aadland, an experienced cinematographer and visual storyteller who also created a long-running travel web series and brought a grounded, intuitive eye to the film; Wes Rodriguez, a Los Angeles–based cinematographer, writer, and director known for thoughtful, character-driven work; and Matt Ludolph Wilson, an Emmy Award–winning editor who also contributed camera work to the film. Along with several other incredible collaborators including Miriam Jave, Andrew Scriven, Michelle Scriven, and Brandon Widener who helped capture parts of The Cycle Secrets with skill, presence, and trust.
Joining the post-production team is acclaimed composer Bijan Olia, whose emotionally resonant and cinematic approach to scoring will help bring depth, texture, and cohesion to the film's storytelling. His music will play a vital role in shaping the emotional journey of The Cycle Secrets and elevating its impact for audiences.
The film's graphics and visual design are being led by Kaitlin Trisciani, an accomplished motion graphics artist and creative designer whose work helps translate complex ideas into engaging, visually compelling storytelling. From educational graphics to the film's visual identity, Kaitlin's artistry is helping bring clarity, beauty, and cohesion to the world of The Cycle Secrets.
On behalf of our entire team - we can't wait to share The Cycle Secrets with you! THANK YOU for being part of bringing this vision to life.
Producers Jamie Watkins, Douglas Ryan and Alex Kagianaris
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
When debilitating period pain began to take over her life, filmmaker Jamie Watkins went searching for answers. What she found led her into conversations with hormone experts, social scientists, nutritionists, activists, and women reclaiming forgotten wisdom.
Along the way, a deeper question emerged. What have we misunderstood about the menstrual cycle?
Through intimate interviews and her own healing journey, nine core insights emerged. Together, they form what she calls The Cycle Secrets.
These conversations reveal something far bigger than one woman’s pain. They expose a silence that has shaped how we understand the female body and offer another way of seeing the cycle - not as something to endure, but as innate intelligence.
Imagine if we had grown up learning:
Creativity is directly tied to the menstrual cycle.
Periods were once honored and celebrated.
Symptoms are signals waiting to be understood.
The world would be different.
The Cycle Secrets: Reclaiming the Power of Your Period is a deeply personal story and part of a broader cultural shift. It invites us to rediscover knowledge long pushed aside and to listen more closely to the wisdom of the female body.
Watch the Official Film Trailer here
The Cycle Secrets: Reclaiming the Power of Your Period is led by director and producer Jamie Watkins, a Los Angeles based filmmaker and long-time television marketing producer with two decades of experience crafting story-driven content. She's joined by award-winning filmmaker Douglas Ryan, whose narrative instincts have shaped the film's emotional arc in both production and post production, and producer Alex Kagianairs, an entertainment attorney bringing strategic expertise to the project.
Jamie, Douglas and Alex
The film was captured by an incredible team of cinematographers and camera operators, including Lauren Aadland, Miriam Jave, Wesley Rodriguez, Mat Wilson, Andrew Scriven, Michelle Scriven, Brandon Widener, and others across multiple locations.
Kaitlin Trisciani will complete the film’s graphics, and Bijan Olia will compose the original score. We are currently assembling the rest of our finishing team.
Hi, I'm Jamie and I've wanted to make movies since I was a kid directing scenes in my living room. I just didn’t expect that my path to finally doing it would begin with excruciating period pain.
Life has a strange sense of humor!
What started as a desperate attempt to stop suffering turned into something much bigger. As I began to understand my cycle, I realized my story wasn’t unique. Countless women who have set out to simply feel better found a whole world of possibility waiting for them on the other side of that knowledge.
Once I saw that, I couldn’t unsee it.
That’s when I picked up the camera. The Cycle Secrets: Reclaiming the Power of Your Period became more than a film. It became a way to share what I wish someone had told me years ago.
I’ve poured everything into this project. I sold my car. I took out loans. I stayed up more nights than I can count. Because I believe it's every woman's birthright to have the tools and knowledge to understand and trust her body.
And now that I trust mine, I couldn’t ignore what it was asking me to do - I had to make this film!
September 8, 2026: Launch Seed&Spark campaign
October 8, 2026: Finish Seed&Spark campaign
October 9, 2026: Final Polish Begins
November 1, 2026: Edit finalized
November 2, 2026: Color correction begins
November 3, 2026: Audio Mix begins
November 15, 2026: Movie completed!
Fall 2026: Kick off our festival run!
Summer 2027: Distribution + online premiere
Campaign Goal: $22k
For the past several years we've self-funded every stage of this film - from production through the majority of post, because we believe deeply in this story, but we've stretched our resources as far as they can go.
Now we're 90% complete and at the final stage of post-production. We need your support to cover the final costs of bringing this film across the finish line—including editing, original score, sound design, graphics, archival licensing, and color correction.
If we were to exceed our goal, money would be used as follows:
If this project resonates with you and you believe women deserve this information, help us bring The Cycle Secrets to the world. Every bit of support really helps. You can...
- Contribute to our campaign! Your dollars go directly to finishing the film.
- Follow our campaign on Seed&Spark: You'll get updates from our team, and help us unlock rewards on this site.
- Spread the word: Share on instagram and facebook, and IRL with your communities. It helps so much!
From all of us on the team THANK YOU SO MUCH for your support, shares and well wishes. We believe that sharing this film with women and men everywhere could do more than just change lives...it could change culture!
Thank you!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Editing
Costs $5,000
We are so close to finishing the edit of the film! We're over 90% there, we just need a little more polish to get over the finish line.
Music
Costs $4,000
Your support helps fund the original score and secure music licensing that brings the emotional heartbeat of the film to life.
Color Grade
Costs $4,000
Color grade is where the film fully comes together. This final piece ensures every scene feels intentional, immersive, and cohesive.
Graphics
Costs $3,000
Custom graphics ensure the film is visually compelling and dynamic. They elevate the storytelling and reinforce key takeaways.
Sound Design
Costs $3,000
Sound design adds depth, texture and emotion, creating a more immersive experience and strengthening the impact of each scene.
B-roll licensing
Costs $3,000
Licensing important videos that introduce key characters and concepts.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Jamie Watkins is an award-winning writer, director, and producer with over twenty years of experience writing, directing and producing promos, trailers, and original interstitial series for major networks including Disney, ABC, NFL Network, CBS, Hulu, and more—crafting emotionally driven, story-forward content seen by millions. The Cycle Secrets marks a deeply personal evolution in Jamie’s filmmaking journey: a long-form documentary that blends investigative storytelling with lived experience, created with the same love of story she's honored for decades—now in service of a project that's deeply intimate and transformative.
Douglas Ryan is an award-winning filmmaker whose story sense has been integral to shaping The Cycle Secrets. He has directed acclaimed short films including 3 Minutos and No Left Turns, earning recognition for his narrative clarity and emotional precision. Serving as Producer, Second Unit Director and editor on this film, Doug has been a creative partner through and through—helping shape the structure, refine the emotional arc, and transform years of footage into a cohesive, powerful story. His thoughtful collaboration and deep understanding of story have had incredible impact on the film.
Alex Kagianaris is a producer with a growing slate of narrative and genre film credits, including The Undead (2023), Rescue My Heart (2024), and the Matt Rife-led feature The Private Eye (2024), which has garnered attention on the festival and distribution circuit. Alex brings both creative sensibility and practical expertise to The Cycle Secrets, supporting the team in shaping and positioning the film for audiences beyond completion.
The film was shot over several years with the support of several talented DPs and camera operators who joined the project at different stages along the way. This includes Lauren Aadland, an experienced cinematographer and visual storyteller who also created a long-running travel web series and brought a grounded, intuitive eye to the film; Wes Rodriguez, a Los Angeles–based cinematographer, writer, and director known for thoughtful, character-driven work; and Matt Ludolph Wilson, an Emmy Award–winning editor who also contributed camera work to the film. Along with several other incredible collaborators including Miriam Jave, Andrew Scriven, Michelle Scriven, and Brandon Widener who helped capture parts of The Cycle Secrets with skill, presence, and trust.
Joining the post-production team is acclaimed composer Bijan Olia, whose emotionally resonant and cinematic approach to scoring will help bring depth, texture, and cohesion to the film's storytelling. His music will play a vital role in shaping the emotional journey of The Cycle Secrets and elevating its impact for audiences.
The film's graphics and visual design are being led by Kaitlin Trisciani, an accomplished motion graphics artist and creative designer whose work helps translate complex ideas into engaging, visually compelling storytelling. From educational graphics to the film's visual identity, Kaitlin's artistry is helping bring clarity, beauty, and cohesion to the world of The Cycle Secrets.
On behalf of our entire team - we can't wait to share The Cycle Secrets with you! THANK YOU for being part of bringing this vision to life.
Producers Jamie Watkins, Douglas Ryan and Alex Kagianaris