The Mysterious Affair at Stone Fences
Madison, Wisconsin | Film Feature
Comedy, Mystery
They’re naive, immature, and on the case. When two high school girls stumble across a possible murder while working at an eclectic farm wedding, they must convince the “adults” in the room to take them seriously.
The Mysterious Affair at Stone Fences
Madison, Wisconsin | Film Feature
Comedy, Mystery
1 Campaigns | Wisconsin, United States
82 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$16,640
Goal: $25,000 for production
They’re naive, immature, and on the case. When two high school girls stumble across a possible murder while working at an eclectic farm wedding, they must convince the “adults” in the room to take them seriously.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Mysterious Affair at Stone Fences is a coming of age story about two girls on the brink of adulthood who suddenly are whisked into a satircal murder mystery.
Instead of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, or Knives Out’s Benoit Blanc, our detectives are two rowdy and naive teen girls who, despite their wish to be treated like adults, have a tendency for childlike fantasies and over-dramatics.
The movie takes place over the course of one wedding weekend, where our leads, Jade and Clara, are working as cater-waiters for Nonna, Jade’s Grandma and owner of the farm. What starts as a free spirited bohemian wedding quickly turns into a murder mystery when the best man goes missing.
The girls, distracted from the tasks at hand, uncover clues to the Best Man’s disappearance. The only problem is - no one seems to care. Every clue has an “adult” explanation and no one will give them the time of day.
THE DETECTIVES
Clara: Rambunctious, impulsive, risk-taker whose out-sized confidence and imagination often get the best of her.
Jade: Hard-working and earnest. A brilliant mind trapped behind a beautiful, shy, smile. The sharpest tool in the box with a future in anything she wants.
THE VICTIM
Hunter: The best man, a charming, slick music festival organizer and wanna-be journalist. An outsider in most settings.
THE SUSPECTS
Ben and Scarlett: The free-spirited bride and gear-loving, ayahuasca-sipping groom, and members of Hunter’s polycule.
Helen: The groom's disapproving mother and Wisconsin’s Lieutenant Governor ready to sell out to get to the top.
Richard: The father of the bride and shady CEO looking to grease the skids for his factory producing teething-ring tablet holders for toddlers.
Nonna: Owner of the beautiful Stone Fences venue, kind and loving… until you cross her.
Chef Tracy: The skilled and passionate chef with a bone to pick.
Sue: Stone Fence’s groundskeeper, ready to take on anyone who fucks with her landscaping.
The Setting
The film is set at Stone Fences Farm, which is a character in itself - the sprawling fields, beautiful stone farm buildings, woods, ponds, and abundance of eclectic folk art lends itself perfectly to our contained story. The hot summer weekend and groovy wedding setting add a visual nostalgia for summer jobs that are equal parts boredom and the sense that anything’s possible.
The Production
This is a quick moving, coming of age, buddy comedy with a simple but relatable message. Tonally, it's Booksmart meets Knives Out, with the sensibilities of Super Bad.
We have a fantastic cast of Midwest actors and comedians who each bring their own flare to the project!
We're also a local crew, each drawing from our own experiences as people who grew up in the Midwest.
Our goal of $25k will help us compensate our lovely cast/crew, rent equipment, and situate all the various production design, costumes, food, music, and all the other supplies needed to bring this project to life.
Even following along with our production by following our Seed and Spark Campaign, Instagram, and Facebook will help us create this movie.
Thank you so much for your support! We hope you're excited, because we're absolutely buzzing!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera and Electric Gear
Costs $4,800
While we already have our camera, and essential equipment from the "Cut The Deck" team, there are a handful of items we still need to rent.
Cast and Crew
Costs $10,800
Help us pay our Madison/Milwaukee/Chicago based cast, and professional local crew.
Post Production
Costs $5,600
Editing, color, music and all other post-production necessities.
Production Supplies
Costs $3,800
Food, props, costumes, and everything else needed to bring this production to life.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
TEAM
This is a Madison-driven project that takes full advantage of our abundance of funny, creative local talent and our passion for community organizing. We have a fantastic team of filmmakers, actors, set and costume designers, friends, and family committed to the success of this fun and fabulous film!
Celia Ramsey - Director, Writer, Producer
Molly Bandt - Writer, Producer
Kath Davey, Rachel and Stella Ramsey, Maia Rivoire, Brigit Stattelman-Scanlan - Producers
CELIA RAMSEY and MOLLY BANDT are a mother/daughter team that writes dark comedies, rom-coms, and thrillers. Molly is a public interest lawyer and children’s book author/illustrator living in Madison, Wisconsin. Celia works as an Executive Coordinator and Associate Producer for a production company based in LA. As a writing team, they draw on their intergenerational experiences and fascination with the cheeky underbelly of midwest nice to create uniquely colorful characters and clever but grounded dialogue. Their scripts have been finalists in multiple top-tier screenplay competitions and their dark comedy thriller, STURGEON GENERAL, won Best Comedy Feature in the 2025 Shore Scripts competition. Like the family they come from, their creative partnership is chaotic, fun, and only awkward sometimes…
Our local crew is helmed by Cut The Deck Creative, a Madison based production company run by Corey Holl and David Guenther.
David Guenther - Director of Photography, Producer
Corey Holl - Producer, Assistant Director
Corey and David are graduates of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Film and Media programs and Co-Owners of Cut The Deck Creative where they produce films, mini-docs, music videos, commercials, weddings, and concerts. Their recent short film, CHINESE SATELLITE, premiered at the 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Mysterious Affair at Stone Fences is a coming of age story about two girls on the brink of adulthood who suddenly are whisked into a satircal murder mystery.
Instead of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, or Knives Out’s Benoit Blanc, our detectives are two rowdy and naive teen girls who, despite their wish to be treated like adults, have a tendency for childlike fantasies and over-dramatics.
The movie takes place over the course of one wedding weekend, where our leads, Jade and Clara, are working as cater-waiters for Nonna, Jade’s Grandma and owner of the farm. What starts as a free spirited bohemian wedding quickly turns into a murder mystery when the best man goes missing.
The girls, distracted from the tasks at hand, uncover clues to the Best Man’s disappearance. The only problem is - no one seems to care. Every clue has an “adult” explanation and no one will give them the time of day.
THE DETECTIVES
Clara: Rambunctious, impulsive, risk-taker whose out-sized confidence and imagination often get the best of her.
Jade: Hard-working and earnest. A brilliant mind trapped behind a beautiful, shy, smile. The sharpest tool in the box with a future in anything she wants.
THE VICTIM
Hunter: The best man, a charming, slick music festival organizer and wanna-be journalist. An outsider in most settings.
THE SUSPECTS
Ben and Scarlett: The free-spirited bride and gear-loving, ayahuasca-sipping groom, and members of Hunter’s polycule.
Helen: The groom's disapproving mother and Wisconsin’s Lieutenant Governor ready to sell out to get to the top.
Richard: The father of the bride and shady CEO looking to grease the skids for his factory producing teething-ring tablet holders for toddlers.
Nonna: Owner of the beautiful Stone Fences venue, kind and loving… until you cross her.
Chef Tracy: The skilled and passionate chef with a bone to pick.
Sue: Stone Fence’s groundskeeper, ready to take on anyone who fucks with her landscaping.
The Setting
The film is set at Stone Fences Farm, which is a character in itself - the sprawling fields, beautiful stone farm buildings, woods, ponds, and abundance of eclectic folk art lends itself perfectly to our contained story. The hot summer weekend and groovy wedding setting add a visual nostalgia for summer jobs that are equal parts boredom and the sense that anything’s possible.
The Production
This is a quick moving, coming of age, buddy comedy with a simple but relatable message. Tonally, it's Booksmart meets Knives Out, with the sensibilities of Super Bad.
We have a fantastic cast of Midwest actors and comedians who each bring their own flare to the project!
We're also a local crew, each drawing from our own experiences as people who grew up in the Midwest.
Our goal of $25k will help us compensate our lovely cast/crew, rent equipment, and situate all the various production design, costumes, food, music, and all the other supplies needed to bring this project to life.
Even following along with our production by following our Seed and Spark Campaign, Instagram, and Facebook will help us create this movie.
Thank you so much for your support! We hope you're excited, because we're absolutely buzzing!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera and Electric Gear
Costs $4,800
While we already have our camera, and essential equipment from the "Cut The Deck" team, there are a handful of items we still need to rent.
Cast and Crew
Costs $10,800
Help us pay our Madison/Milwaukee/Chicago based cast, and professional local crew.
Post Production
Costs $5,600
Editing, color, music and all other post-production necessities.
Production Supplies
Costs $3,800
Food, props, costumes, and everything else needed to bring this production to life.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
TEAM
This is a Madison-driven project that takes full advantage of our abundance of funny, creative local talent and our passion for community organizing. We have a fantastic team of filmmakers, actors, set and costume designers, friends, and family committed to the success of this fun and fabulous film!
Celia Ramsey - Director, Writer, Producer
Molly Bandt - Writer, Producer
Kath Davey, Rachel and Stella Ramsey, Maia Rivoire, Brigit Stattelman-Scanlan - Producers
CELIA RAMSEY and MOLLY BANDT are a mother/daughter team that writes dark comedies, rom-coms, and thrillers. Molly is a public interest lawyer and children’s book author/illustrator living in Madison, Wisconsin. Celia works as an Executive Coordinator and Associate Producer for a production company based in LA. As a writing team, they draw on their intergenerational experiences and fascination with the cheeky underbelly of midwest nice to create uniquely colorful characters and clever but grounded dialogue. Their scripts have been finalists in multiple top-tier screenplay competitions and their dark comedy thriller, STURGEON GENERAL, won Best Comedy Feature in the 2025 Shore Scripts competition. Like the family they come from, their creative partnership is chaotic, fun, and only awkward sometimes…
Our local crew is helmed by Cut The Deck Creative, a Madison based production company run by Corey Holl and David Guenther.
David Guenther - Director of Photography, Producer
Corey Holl - Producer, Assistant Director
Corey and David are graduates of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Film and Media programs and Co-Owners of Cut The Deck Creative where they produce films, mini-docs, music videos, commercials, weddings, and concerts. Their recent short film, CHINESE SATELLITE, premiered at the 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival.